Differences Between Rotation and Revolution

Are your students learning how to practice differentiating between Earth’s rotation and revolution? As we know, there are different things that Earth’s rotation is responsible for, such as causing day and night. On the other hand, Earth’s revolution is why we have different seasons. Teach Starter has a cut-and-paste science activity ready for you to use with your students when learning about this topic! 

To complete this activity, students should cut out the 8 cards on the bottom half of the page. Then, they should sort the cards based on whether they depict Earth’s revolution or rotation. They should glue the cards to the correct column to show their answer. 

An answer key is included with your download to make grading fast and easy! 

Tips for Differentiation + Scaffolding 

In addition to independent student work time, use this worksheet as an activity for:

• Guided science groups
• Lesson warm-up
• Lesson wrap-up
• Fast finishers 
• Homework assignment

If there are students who are early finishers, encourage them to create an infographic showcasing the different information about rotation and revolution. 

For students who may need a bit of guidance, invite them to reference previous assignments, posters, or anchor charts. Additionally, this activity can be completed in a 1-on-1 setting or with a small group of students.

🖨️ Easily Download & Print

Use the dropdown icon on the Download button to choose between the PDF or editable Google Slides version of this resource. 

Because this resource includes an answer sheet, we recommend you print one copy of the entire file. Then, make photocopies of the blank worksheet for students to complete. 

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This resource was created by Bellamy Taylor-Pines, a teacher in Illinois and Teach Starter Collaborator.

Don’t stop there! We’ve got more activities to shorten your lesson planning time: