1. NATURAL SCIENCES & TECHNOLOGY GRADE 5
Planet Earth and Beyond
NATURAL SCIENCES GRADE 5

2. Planet Earth
NATURAL SCIENCES GRADE 5

3. How the Earth Moves The Earth moves in two different ways:
1. The Earth moves around the Sun
(Click on “Play” to play the animation. There is no sound)
NATURAL SCIENCES GRADE 5

4. How the Earth moves around the Sun
The Earth moves in an oval shaped ORBIT (pathway) around the Sun
The Earth takes 365 ¼ days (1 year) to complete one orbit
NATURAL SCIENCES GRADE 5

5. Orbits of Other Planets
Other planets take a longer or shorter time than a year to orbit around the Sun. Have a look at this story…
Click on link for animated story with audio.
NATURAL SCIENCES GRADE 5

6. The Earth also spins on its own AXIS (an imaginary line)
How the Earth Moves
The Earth also spins on its own AXIS (an imaginary line)
The axis does not move
The line is tilted at an angle
We can compare it to this picture
Click on “Play” – no sound
NATURAL SCIENCES GRADE 5

7. When the Earth has made a full turn, we call it a ROTATION
It takes 24 hours for the Earth to make a full rotation
This is how we have night and day
NATURAL SCIENCES GRADE 5

8. The Earth spins, and so we have Night and Day
Egypt is in the dark. It is night time there
The sun’s rays are beaming down on South Africa - it is day time in South Africa
As the Earth keeps turning, different countries will experience day and night
Egypt
South Africa
NATURAL SCIENCES GRADE 5

9. Let’s Practice! Can you see Africa in this picture?
If you lived on the red dot, would it be day time or night time?
If you lived on the purple dot, would it be day time or night time?
NATURAL SCIENCES GRADE 5

10. Practice on the Internet
Click on the link to the following interactive website
NATURAL SCIENCES GRADE 5

11. NATURAL SCIENCES GRADE 5

12. Acknowledgements
Image credit: Dave Jarvis of
Image credit: Deborah Gage of
Image credit: Dr Nathan Horek
Image credit Ron Leighman of
CAPS Natural Sciences and Technology Grade 5
Bevan W, Collett H, Dilley L, McKay R Oxford Successful Natural Science Grade 5 Learner's Book. Cape Town: Oxford University Press.
Barnard T, Bevan W, Collett H, McKay R, Turley C Oxford Successful Natural Science Grade 5 Leaner’s Book. Cape Town: Oxford University Press.
NATURAL SCIENCES GRADE 5