Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Explaining Astronomy

Suppose that you need to explain the concepts of a year, a month, and a day to a small child such as Clara. Could you do this? First, you should know a couple of things about Clara:
  1. She is extremely smart for just turning five years old (I know that you're thinking, "Hmm..... she must get her intellect from her mother." Well, you're right.) Clara will follow your line of thought quite well.
  2. If you use the terms rotation, revolution, orbit, or any other term used specifically for astronomy, she might not know exactly what it means (Many adults wouldn't know what the terms mean either.) Be sure to explain these things as you go.

  3. It would help if you related these concepts to things a 5-year-old would know about -- like Disney movies (especially Rapunzel from Tangled and, of course, Cinderella), Elmo from Sesame Street, Legos, Clifford the big red dog, Super Why, Angelina Ballerina, etc.
For each concept (year, month, and day) describe the motion of the Earth, the moon, and the sun. Good luck.

41 comments:

Brooklyn said...

Hallooo!!! I am smarticle so I am going to explain u some things to u so that u too can be as smarticle as me!!!!! First of all, I'll explain what a year is to you. A year is how long it takes for our planet to orbit, or go completely around the sun one time. Sort of like a bunny orbiting a tree. If it runs around one time it may not go in a perfect circle, but it goes around the sun.

Isaiah Bowar said...

The earth takes 24hours to complete one full rotation on its axis. In one month, the eatrth is 1/12 away around the sun. When the earth makes a complete trip around the sun, it is one year.

Hh said...

A day is from when you go to bed at night,all the way through the day until you go to bed again. A month is many of these days (around 30). A year is 365 days or 12 moths.

Kristin L. said...

A day is like in Sesame Street. When Elmo wakes up to the sunrise, the next time the sun rises will be the end of the day, and the start of another full day. It is the time it takes the Earth to turn around in a complete circle.
A month is like in Bear In the Big Blue House. When Bear says good night to the full moon, the next time he says good night to the full moon will be the start of another month, ending the first one. A month is the time it takes the moon to complete its trip around the Earth in a complete circle.
A year is like in Zooboomafoo. When Zooboomafoo's friends sleep through the winter, wake up, live their lives, then go to sleep again the next winter, that is a full year. A year is the time it takes the Earth to complete its trip around the sun.

Malia Lukomski said...

A day is when the sun is out and you have to go to school. Nighttime is when the moon is out and you have to go to bed. Now the earth has gone around the sun once, like Cinderella spun around in her new dress. A month is 30 or 31 of those. Imagine Cinderella spinning around 30 times! A year is 365 days or 12 months. I bet Cinderella would get really dizzy!

Taylor H & Helean B said...

By Helean and Taylor period 4.

•A year is how long it takes the earth, to spin around the sun in a full oval shape also called an ellipse orbit.
•A month is caused by how long it takes our moon to orbit or circle. Once around our planet, earth, a day is how long it takes to spinor rotate on it's axis.
•orbit is a pathway, just like how Dorothy's orbit was the yellow brick road.
•Revolution is how long the planet takes to take a walk around the sun it jut might take princess Jasmine a year to travel around the sun. A year is 365 days.

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Neil L said...

A day or period of rotation is a day and a night. when you wake up to when you go to bed and part of when you sleep. A month is about 30 days or alot of elmo. A year or revolution is from one birthday to the next. The sun is a giant ball of light that doesnt have days months or years it doesn't turn. The moon is a big grey ball like cliford if he were gret. It turns very slowly.

Matt F said...

A day, or period of rotation, also known as a rotation, is a day and a night, so a complete 24 hours. A year is a revolution, so it is a full year, 365 days to 366 days. An orbit is what a planet rotates and revolves on around the sun, like Clifford the big red dog trying to chase his tail. A month would be around 30 rotations, or around 30 days.

Sierra Baum said...

There is this thing called a "year" but most kids know it as the time between birthdays. Well actually, it is the time it takes for earth to travel around the sun. Think of it as playing ring around the Rosie. A year is just like that. When you spin in a circle and make it back to your original position, that is your year. But while the earth is spinning around the sun, earth is also spinning on it's own. Like when you spin really fast until you get dizzy. That is what earth does, but earth doesn't get dizzy. One single spin is called a day. Also know as Monday, Tuesday, ect. Next is a month. This is when the moon spins all the way around earth. When you look And the moon looks so big and full, that is called a full moon. you may have heard that term associated with werewolves.

Mariah H. said...

Day- A day is the time required for the earth to rotate one time on its axis. Its axis is like a magic wand through an orange, so the orange would half to spin all the way around the wand 1 time for it to equal one day on the orange or in our case the earth.
Month- A month is roughly the amount of time for the moon to orbit once around the earth. So if you have your orange representing the earth and a grape about an inch to the side of it, a month would equal how long it would take for the grape/moon to go around the orange/earth one time.
Year- A year is the time required for the earth to orbit once around the sun. So now if you put a watermelon a little ways from the sun you can see that how ever long it takes for the orange to go around the watermelon that would equal 1 year.
So the moon/grape orbits the earth/orange which spins on it axis and moves around the sun/watermelon.

Kyle Y. said...

A year is how long it takes the earthto go around the sun. Like someone in track runs around the track. A month is the same thing but with the moon going around the earth. A day is how long it takes the earth to do a whole turn. Much like spinning in a circle. The earth has 2 axis's it spins on. The act like if u put your arms in the air and spun in. Circle your arms would be the north axis and your legs would be the south axis.

Ryan Baier said...

A day is like when Cinderella wakes up in the morning dose her chores on for her wicked step mother, and ends when Cinderella has to leave from the ball at mid night. Which in scientifical terms one full rotation(or one day(24 hours)).
A year is like your birthday, It hapens once a year. Also your age becomes greater like the number of times the Earth has rotated around the Sun. Plus you have to wait 365 days for it to happen.
A month is like a group of 7 days gathered in to usually 4 weeks into another group called a month, or like a group of 31 people at a party gathered in to 4 rows with 7 people in each row.

Emily S. said...

Okay so a year is the time it takes from one birthday to your next birthday. It also is the Earth going around the sun one time. Every year on Rapunzel's birthday the king and queen send up lanterns.

A month is like January, February, March and all of those. There are 12 months. When the moon goes around the Earth once, it is a month.

A day is the time for when you wake up, play, eat, go to sleep, and wake up again. It is 24 hours. Every day, Clifford the Big Red Dog is on PBS Kids. A day is when the Earth spins around once, like when Angelina Ballerina spins around.

Nick leat said...

A day is like from the start of a show like Sesame street to the very end.
a month is like 30 people gathering at a party playing musical chairs in 4 rows of 7.
a year is like 12 parties comming together and rotating houses.

Jaiden baumgartner said...

What makes a day-when we spin one time in our axis.... Month- we spin 30-31 times and the moon makes a full circle around us year-when the sun makes a complete trip around the earthh

Caitlin is a boss jeffcoat said...

Hello sweety! A year is how long it takes the earth (our planet) to make a whole oval around the sun! A month is how long it takes for the moon to travel around the earth. Lastly a day is how long it take the earth to spin one whole time!:)))

Jessica Schnetzer said...

A year is the amount of time between birthdays. (from your fourth birthday to your fifth birthday equals one year.) do you want to know other ways to measure a year? a year is the amount of time it takes planet earth to go all the way around the sun. it's like running around a baseball field. if you run all the way around it once, you get a home run. just like when the earth goes all the way around the sun, you get a year.
A month is the amount of time it takes our moon, luna, to go around the earth. It's like playing ring around the rosie. when you circle once, that round of the game is done. Just like that game, when the moon goes around the earth once, that month is done.
I'm sure you have heard that the earth is spinning. One spin is One day. it's like if you were to spin around in circles like a balerina, one of your spins would equal one day.

Kristina Griesgraber said...

Rotation is the time it takes for the earth to revolve on it's axis. It's like spinning in circles on the ice. One full spin is like one Earth day. So if you spin around 5 whole times, it would be like 5 Earth days.
Revolution is the time it takes a planet to get around the sun. It's like when you run around the track. One whole lap is like a year. And if you go around 100 times, it's like 100 years (It might even take that long)
The time it takes for the moon to get around the earth is one month. It's like when a pairs team in skating. When one is in the middle skating, and the other is doing amazing jumps and footwork around him/her.

Cole H said...

A year is when the Earth goes around the sun one time which is called its orbit

A day is the time it takes Earth to spin around one time like Angelina Ballerina

A month is the time it takes the moon to go around earth on time(full moon to full moon)

Nick R. said...

DAY- A day is the time it takes for the Earth (our planet) to spin or rotates on it's axis. An axis is an imaginary pole sticking through the Earth. It is like when a figure skater is facing you then it spins one time and is facing you again.
MONTH- A month has to deal with the moon. when you look at the sky during the night and you see a huge full moon that is the start of the month. Then you dont see the huge moon again until another month that is why we have months.
YEAR- A year is when the Earth spins or revoles around the Earth once. It is like a dog running around a tree barking at a squirle that is in the tree./

Brady Kafka said...

A day is like drawing a dot on a ball and spinning it in a circle until the dot gets to the same spot. A year is when that ball goes around another ball in the center it and gets to the same spot. A month is when the moon goes around the Earth once.

Andee C said...

A day is like when Clifford the big red dog chases his tail in a circle just like Earth does on its axis. A year is when Earth goes all the way around the Sun once and thats why Rapunzel she the lights every year in tangled because her birthday comes once every year. A month is when the moon gets around the Earth once.

Taylor s and Ashley N one I pad said...

A day is how long it takes the earth to spin around, like Angelina ballerina, one time. From morning, when you wake up, to evening when it's bed time.
A month is how like it takes the moon to goaround the earth. Like ring around the rosies. One time around the circle is like one month.
A year is how long it takes the earth to go around the sun.

Anonymous said...

When the earth spins around in a circle once it is a day. Just like when Clifford the big red dog sits and turns in a circle when Emily Elizabeth tells him to turn. A month is the time it takes for the moon to go around the Earth once. Just like if T-Bone were to go around Clifford once in a circle. A year is the time from one birthday to the next. Just like how the King and Queen send up the floating lights for Rapunzel on her birthday every year. Which is also the time it takes for the Earth to go in a circle around the sun.

Allie W said...

A day is the time it takes for the Earth to turn in a circle once. Just like when Clifford turns in a circle when Emily Elizabeth tells him to. A month is the time it takes for the moon to go around the Earth in a circle. Just like when T-Bone walks around Clifford in a circle. A year is the time from one birthday to your next one. Just like when the King and Queen send up the floating lights on Rapunzel's birthday every year. It's the time it takes for the Earth to go once around the sun.

Maddi Wright said...

A day is how long it takes the Earth to make one circle. It's like Angelina Ballerina spinning on time.
A month Is how long it takes the moon to go around the Earth once. Imagine on of Angelina Ballerinas friends spinning around her.
A year is how long it takes the earth to go around the sun. To see if it's been a year use your birthday! It's your birthday then one year later it's your birthday again.

Aziyel Gastineau said...

A year is when the earth makes a complete oval around the sun. A day is where the earth turns in a complete circle. A month is how long it takes for the moon to go around earth

Dylan and Erika said...

A rotation is when the earth goes from light to dark. It would complet a full rotation. A revolution is is when we go through winter, summer, spring, fall. That like a month too. When we go around the sun that what is what we call an orbit.

Makiah S said...

year- a year is when the earth does a full circle around the sun like a REALLY big hula hoop is circling around you and when it gets back to the beginning thats what its like for earth and the sun (but it takes way longer)

Month- a month is the moon going around the earth in a circle when it gets to a different month the moon has gone around the earth in a circle

Day- a day is when the eart goes around in a complete circle just like a pretty ballerina or an ice skater when you go to sleep againg and wake up it will be one day and the sun would have already rotated on its axes one time!
Pretty sweet huh!!

tessa said...

dear clara, i am going go tell you about a day, a month, and a year! One day is the rotaion. a rotation would be like Angelina Ballerina spinning around one time. One year is how long it takes for the earth to cirle around the sun. That would be like cinderella dancing around the dance floor one time. one month is the time between 2full moons. that would like the time between 2 full moons. in one month the moon spins around the eath one time. like Angelina Ballerina diong one sping around.

Macey Rocks Your Socks said...

A year is when the earth takes a full trip around the sun, a month is how long it takes the moon to go around the earth which would be one month for every time it goes around, a day is how long it takes for the earth to spin on it axis

Bailey Zimmerman said...

So a year is the time where the ball in New York drops at twelve O'clock on midnight and lot's of confetti falls down, or the time in between your birthday. That is when the earth circles around the sun (also known as an ellipse orbit).

A month is how long it takes our moon (Luna) to circle us.

A day is when you wake up and it's another morning. That is when Earth circles/rotates once on it's axis.

Sean P said...

A year is when the Earth goes around the Sun in a full circle. That is like when a a kickball player goes from home plate all the way around back to home.
A month is when the Moon circles around the Earth just like how the Earth went around the sun.
A day is when the Earth turns itself in a full circle. Like a ballerina spinning in a circle.

Gavin Borstad said...

A year is when the earth makes a full elipse (which is a shape that looks like you pulled a circle apart). A month is 1/12th of a year or just 1/12th of the journey around the sun. A day is when from when you wake up to the next time you wake up.

Josh Goehring said...

A year is how long it takes the earth to go around the sun like clifford going around a tree. It takes from when you turned 5 to when you turn 6.

the earth spins like a balarina, and it takes one day for the earth to spin once.

A month is about 30 days, and its when out moon orbits us.

Zzzaaacccccchhh said...

Well a day is how many time that it takes for the earth to spin around one time. A month is the moon that spins around the earth once and thats a month. A year is the time that the earth spins around the sun one time.

Robert Weaver said...

A year is when the earth goes around the sun once like when a dog goes around a tree once but longer.
A day is when the earth sipns once like a ballerina sipns once.

gabriel pierstorff said...

if you ran around clifford once and stoped at the same place, that's a year. since clifford is like the sun and you are the planet. if a little shitzu ran around you once that's a month. since shitzu is the moon and you are the planet. if you spun around once and stopped in the same spot that's a day. you are planet.

Jordan St John said...

It takes a year (365 days) for the Earth to travel around the sun. It takes the Earth 24 hours to rotate a whole 360 degrees. It takes the moon a whole month to rotate around the Earth. The sun doesn't move.

Jocie B said...

Orbit means how something runs or goes around something. Rotation means spinning around in a circle around the Sun. Revelution is how long something takes to travel around the Sun. A year is the time required to travel the Sun.

Chase Ewoldt said...

It is very simple, a year is how long it takes for a planet to go around the sun. A month is a 1/12 of a year. And a day is one rotation of the earth on it's axIs

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