Earth, Sun and Moon: days, months and years: what children learn
The Earth spins on its axis once every 24 hours, giving us day and night. It travels around the Sun once a year, about 365 days. The Moon travels around the Earth about once a month. In Year 5, children learn to describe these movements and to explain day and night and the apparent movement of the Sun across the sky. They also learn that the Sun, Earth and Moon are approximately spherical.
This quiz mixes "how long" questions with "why" questions. The wrong answers in the why questions are real misconceptions that many children (and adults) hold: that the Sun travels around the Earth each day, or that the Moon makes its own light. Talking through why each one is wrong is the best part of the game. A torch and a ball are all you need to model it at home.
This topic covers the Year 5 statutory requirement in the National Curriculum in England (Earth and space): pupils should be taught to “describe the movement of the moon relative to the Earth”. Year 5 pupils are usually aged 9–10.
There is no direct equivalent in the US Common Core State Standards.
How to play
Answer 10 questions before the clock runs out. Tap an answer, or press 1 to 4. Each game has 10 multiple-choice questions and a 150-second timer. A wrong answer shows the correct one before moving on. You earn up to three stars depending on your score.
Step by step
- Spin = a day. The Earth spins once in about 24 hours. The side facing the Sun has day; the other side has night.
- Orbit = a year. The Earth travels once around the Sun in about 365 days.
- Moon orbit = about a month. The Moon goes around the Earth in about a month. The word "month" comes from "moon".
- The Sun only seems to move. It looks as if the Sun crosses the sky, but it is the Earth turning that makes it appear to move.
- Moonlight is sunlight. The Moon reflects light from the Sun, like a mirror. It does not shine by itself.
Worked examples
Example 1: Why do we have day and night?
Working: The Earth spins. When our side faces the Sun it is day; when it turns away, it is night.
Answer: Because the Earth spins on its axis.
Example 2: How long does the Moon take to travel once around the Earth?
Working: It takes 27.3 days, which is close to a month.
Answer: About a month.
Example 3: Why does the Moon shine?
Working: The Moon is a ball of rock. It has no light of its own.
Answer: It reflects light from the Sun.
Common mistakes and how to fix them
- Thinking the Sun goes around the Earth every day. Model it: a pupil (the Earth) spins slowly next to a lamp (the Sun). The lamp stays still but seems to move.
- Mixing up spinning and orbiting. Spinning is turning on the spot (a day). Orbiting is travelling all the way round (a year).
- Thinking the Moon makes its own light. Shine a torch on a ball in a dark room. Only the lit side can be seen.
Activities to try at home
- In a dark room, shine a torch (the Sun) on a ball or orange (the Earth) and slowly turn it to show day and night.
- Look at the Moon each night for a month and draw its shape.
- Notice where the Sun is in the morning, at lunchtime and in the evening (never look straight at it).
- Print the worksheet and ask your child to explain one "why" answer in their own words.
Ideas for the classroom
- Use a lamp and globes so groups can model day and night, then the Earth's orbit.
- Make shadow sticks in the playground and mark the shadow every hour.
- Role-play: one pupil is the Sun, one the Earth (spinning while orbiting), one the Moon orbiting the Earth.
- Use the misconceptions in the game as a "Which is wrong and why?" discussion.
Free printable game and worksheet
The free printable starts with a game sheet, such as a colour-by-answer picture, an answer maze or a secret-code joke, followed by a worksheet. Both use the same checked questions as the online game, and the answers are on the last page. Print it, or save it as a PDF from your browser’s print menu.
Open the free printable game and worksheet
Frequently asked questions
Is a month exactly one Moon orbit?
Not exactly. The Moon orbits the Earth in about 27.3 days, and it takes about 29.5 days to go from one full moon to the next. Calendar months are 28 to 31 days, so "about a month" is the right level for Year 5.
Why is a year 365 days and not 365¼?
The Earth's orbit takes about 365¼ days. We add an extra day every four years, 29 February in a leap year, to keep the calendar in step.
Does the Moon spin?
Yes, slowly. It spins once in the same time it takes to orbit the Earth, which is why we always see the same side of the Moon.