For years, I've tried to help my students remember the differences between rotation and revolution. I bet they could list more than a hundred reasons of why they can't tell these words apart.....multiple syllables, start with R, end with N, end with "SHUN," etc.
Gesture for rotation: spin your pointer finger
Gesture for revolution: spin your entire forearm from elbow in an imaginary, elliptical orbit.
Come up with a good gesture for day and night and have some rapping gestures to go along with this rap that God inspired me to rap in front of my way cool students!! Fortunately, they actually think it's fun, but more importantly, they remember the difference between Rotation and Revolution. Use the gestures when rapping this:
Rotation gives us day and night
It takes 24 hrs, hmm mmm that's right
The earth spins and spins on its axis
Even when we're taking our TAKS tests!
Now Revolution takes one whole year
That's 365 days my dear
We're on an orbit around the sun
That's why we have all four seasons......
The moon also rotates and revolves
Takes 28 days for both ya'll
Because of that, we only see one side
The gravitational pull gives us high and low tide.
Some pointers, the very last line about tides is ended with the arm cross hug yourself gangster move and your voice should get deep with "tide." When rapping one or four, actually use your fingers for those number words. Make sure your voice fluctuates. Rap it seriously so you sound like you're really trying to be cool, your students will laugh but go along with you. The line "Even when we're taking our TAKS tests" is because I live in Texas, you can change it to fit your students needs...."Even while we're doing our taxes..." "Even when we're taking our math tests...." And the moon rotation and revolution taking 28 days can be disputed, use whatever your state requires you to teach, for us it's 28 days.
Have fun!!!!!
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