Activity
Harvard University

Eyes on the Sky, Feet on the Ground: The Earth's Rotation

For Students 3rd - 8th
Plenty of cool activities about the Earth's rotation can be found here, such as tracing shadows, observing shadows during different times of the day, and tracking the sun's path in the sky to understand the rotation of the earth.
Lesson Plan
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Mn Step: Rotation of the Earth

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
A KWL activity combined with a demonstration model. Students record their ideas and questions about why we have day and night. They then shine a flashlight (the Sun) on a rotating styrofoam ball (the Earth) and record their observations....
Activity
Other

Center for Science Education: Eye on the Sky: Motion of the Sun and Earth

For Students Pre-K - 1st
Students model the interaction of the earth and the sun. The activity is designed for the playground. You will need chalk, but all the other worksheets are provided.
Activity
University of Chicago

University of Chicago: What's Your Slant? Sun and Shadows

For Students 9th - 10th
This fun activity helps you to understand the movement of the sun by studying shadows.
Lesson Plan
Utah Education Network

Uen: Why Angle Changes Intensity

For Teachers 9th - 10th
This hands-on activity will help students understand why summer is hotter than winter.
Lesson Plan
Alabama Learning Exchange

Alex: Our Restless Planet

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
This unit will use demonstrations and student examples to help students gain an understanding of rotation, revolution, and orbit. Through hands-on activities students will explore the concepts of day and night. Technology will be...
Lesson Plan
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Tracking the Sun: Observing the Path of the Sun Throughout the Year

For Teachers 3rd - 7th
Over the course of the school year, students collect weekly data about the sun's position at a specific time of day, resulting in creating a figure "8" that shows the path of the sun called an analemma.
Activity
Texas Instruments

Texas Instruments: What Causes the Seasons?

For Teachers 6th - 8th
In this activity, students' will explore how the tilt of the earth's axis results in different amounts of solar radiation at different times of the year, causing seasons. They will simulate the earth's warming using a light bulb that...
Activity
Other

Center for Science Education: Eye on the Sky: What Makes Day and Night?

For Students Pre-K - 1st
This activity will allow you to model day and night cycles. A rotating student holding a map (provided) models the earth. A lamp is used to model the sun. Numerous worksheets (pdf) and additional website resources are also provided.
Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Lunar Lollipops

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
The students work in teams of two to discover the relative positions of the Earth, Sun and Moon that produce the different phases of the Moon. The students will be given a Styrofoam ball that they will attach to a pencil so that it looks...
Website
Enchanted Learning

Enchanted Learning: Zoom Astronomy

For Students 3rd - 5th
Where is our Solar System? How far away is the sun? What makes up the sun? Find out all you want to know about our solar system. This is a comprehensive on-line site about space and astronomy. Check out all of the excitement!