Daylight Detectives Worksheet
Daylight Detectives
Student Investigation Log
NAME:
DATE:
Your Detective Mission
Squeaks has a bedtime problem! It's too bright to sleep. Use your Yellow and Black crayons to show how much sunlight we get in Summer vs. Winter.
Summer Daylight Strip
Color the boxes YELLOW for sun and BLACK for night.
6am
7am
8am
9am
10am
11am
12pm
1pm
2pm
3pm
4pm
5pm
6pm
7pm
8pm
9pm
Winter Daylight Strip
Color the boxes YELLOW for sun and BLACK for night.
6am
7am
8am
9am
10am
11am
12pm
1pm
2pm
3pm
4pm
5pm
6pm
7pm
8pm
9pm
Case Closed Conclusion
Why is there more sunlight in the Summer?
The Earth is ___________________________________________ toward the sun!
Daylight Detective Agency
Daylight Detectives Slides
Daylight Detectives
The Mystery of the Longest Day
Bedtime Talk
Winter Bedtime
Is it Dark or Light outside when you go to bed in the winter?
Summer Bedtime
Is it Dark or Light outside when you go to bed in the summer?
The Longest Day of the Year
PAUSE AT 1:00
Embedded media
Listen For:
- The "Bedtime Problem"
- The Earth's Tilt
- The "Longest Day"
Earth's Big Tilt
The Earth isn't straight up and down. It's tilted!
Summer Secret:
When our part of Earth is tilted TOWARD the sun, we get more sunlight!
AXIS
Mission: Daylight Detectives
Use your Yellow and Black crayons to reveal the truth about Summer and Winter sunlight!
SUNLIGHT
NIGHT
Daylight Detectives Teacher Guide
Teacher Guide: Daylight Detectives
1st Grade Science | Solstice & Earth's Tilt
Lesson Objective
Students will explain why the sun stays up longer in summer compared to winter, connecting the concept to Earth's tilt and rotation.
Materials
- Student Worksheet
- Yellow & Black Crayons
- Globe (optional)
1. Warm-up: Bedtime Talk (5 min)
Hook & Relatability
Use Slide 2. Ask: "Who likes going to bed when it's still light out?" (Most will say no!). Discuss the difference between winter (dark at dinner) and summer (light at 8 PM).
"Detectives, why do you think the sun is such a night owl in the summer? Today we're going to crack the case!"
2. Viewing & Pauses (10 min)
Concept Delivery
Play the video on Slide 3. Use these critical teaching moments:
-
1:00
PAUSE: Squeaks' Bedtime Problem. Ask: "Why does Squeaks need special curtains?" (To block the sun that stays up too late).
-
1:50
ACTION: Rotation. Have students stand up and spin once slowly. Explain that one spin = one whole day.
-
2:06
REVEAL: The Tilt. Model this with a globe. Show how the North Pole leans toward the "Sun" (you/a lamp).
3. Activity: Daylight Detectives (20 min)
Tactile Application
Hand out the Timeline Worksheet. Help students fill in the sunlight hours based on the video observations:
Summer Guide
Color Yellow from roughly 6 AM to 9 PM. (Almost the whole strip!)
Winter Guide
Color Black early (maybe 6 PM onwards). Only a small patch of Yellow in the middle.
4. Closure (5 min)
Consolidation
Have students share their strips. Ask: "Which strip has more yellow?" "Why did that happen?" (Because we were tilted TOWARD the sun).
Cheat Sheet for Teacher
The Axis
An imaginary line connecting the North and South Poles. Earth spins around it once every 24 hours.
The Tilt
Earth's axis is tilted at 23.5 degrees. This tilt is what causes seasons, not the distance from the sun.
