What is this skill?
The big idea behind day and night is that Earth spins. As it turns, the side facing the sun has day and the side facing away has night. One full spin takes one day. The sun seems to rise in the east and travel across the sky, but it is Earth that is moving. First graders start with what they can see: the sun lights the day sky, stars and the moon show up at night, and shadows follow the light.
In this practice a child answers questions such as "What lights up the day sky?" (the sun) and "When can you see the stars?" (at night), and sorts things into Day or night: the sun, a rainbow and a butterfly against the moon, stars and an owl. Other questions cover what makes a shadow (something blocking light), where your shadow falls when the sun is behind you (in front of you) and when it is shortest (midday). There are true-or-false questions, such as "The sun is a star" (true) and "The moon makes its own light" (false). The moon shines because sunlight bounces off it. The hardest questions ask why we have day and night (Earth spins) and how long Earth takes to spin around once (one day).
Why it matters
Day and night are the first astronomy a child experiences, long before they can read about planets. Connecting them to a spinning Earth is a first step toward understanding the solar system, seasons and time zones.
Shadows teach cause and effect: a shadow needs light and something in the way. Moving a flashlight and watching a shadow change is early physics, and children love it.
The skill also corrects some natural misunderstandings. To a child it looks like the sun moves and the sun turns off at night. Learning that Earth spins gives them a better explanation than "the sun goes to sleep."
Common mistakes
- Thinking the sun goes out at night. The sun is still shining, but on the other side of Earth.
- Believing the moon makes its own light. It looks bright because it reflects sunlight, which is also why it seems to change shape through the month.
- Saying the moon is only out at night. It can sometimes be seen in the daytime sky, too, though stars are easier to see after dark.
- Putting the shadow on the wrong side. A shadow falls away from the light, so if the sun is behind you, your shadow stretches out in front of you.
How to help at home
- Trace a shadow with chalk in the morning, at midday and in the afternoon. Your child can see the shadow change length and direction.
- Use a lamp and a ball in a dark room. Spin the ball, a globe or an orange slowly in front of the lamp to show how one side is lit while the other is dark.
- Make a shadow puppet show on a wall with a flashlight. Ask what happens to the shadow when you move closer to the light.
- Look at the night sky together and see how many stars your child can find. Ask where the sun is right now.
Worked examples
These are real questions from the Tutorsaurus day and night sky practice, with the answers worked out.
Example 1
What lights up the day sky?
Choices: ⭐ Stars, 🌙 Moon, ☀️ Sun
Answer: Sun. The sun lights up the sky in the daytime. It gives us light and warmth.
Example 2
The sun is a star.
Answer: True. True! The sun is a star. It looks big and bright because it is the closest star to Earth.
Example 3
How long does Earth take to spin around once?
Choices: One hour, One year, One day
Answer: One day. Earth spins around once every day, about 24 hours. That gives us one day and one night.
Printable worksheet (PDF) — one page of questions from this practice that work on paper, easier ones first, with an answer key on page 2. Free to print, no sign-up.