K2L28 Day and Night Dance

Lesson Duration: 45 minutes

Grade: K2

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Learning Objectives

1. Children will be able to explain in simple terms why we have day and night.

2. Children will be able to compare and contrast typical day and night activities.

3. Children will be able to demonstrate Earth's rotation using movement activities.

3 mins - Welcome Time

• Sing the "Hello Song"

• Introduce today's topic: "Today we're going to learn about day and night!"

7 mins - Discovery Chat: Earth's Rotation

• Show a globe and a flashlight (representing the Sun)

• Explain: "The Earth spins like a top. This is called rotation."

• Demonstrate how rotation causes day and night using the globe and flashlight

• Ask: "What do we see in the sky during the day? What about at night?"

10 mins - Hands-On Challenge 1: Be the Sun and Earth

• Choose one child to be the "Sun" (holding a flashlight)

• Choose another child to be the "Earth" (holding a small white ball)

• Guide the "Earth" child to slowly spin in place while the "Sun" child holds the flashlight still

• Explain: "When the light shines on your side, it's daytime. When you're facing away from the light, it's nighttime."

• Let other children take turns being the Sun and Earth

10 mins - Hands-On Challenge 2: Where Are We?

• Show a globe and point out Hong Kong

• Use the globe and flashlight to model daytime in Hong Kong

• Then model nighttime in Hong Kong

• Discuss: "When it's daytime here, what time is it on the other side of the Earth?"

• Model day and night for a place on the opposite side of the globe

12 mins - Hands-On Challenge 3: Day and Night Dance

• Teach children simple movements:

- Daytime: Stand up with arms raised in an arch (like the Sun)

- Nighttime: Crouch down with head on hands (like sleeping)

• Call out various activities (e.g., "eating breakfast," "looking at stars," "going to school")

• Children respond with the appropriate day or night movement

• For added fun, play upbeat music during "day" movements and soft music during "night" movements

3 mins - Wrap-Up

• Recap: "Today we learned that the Earth spins to make day and night. We do different things during the day and at night."

• Sing the "Goodbye Song"