Evaluating Evidence for Earth's Shape: The Sun and Moon

How do the Sun and the Moon help us prove Earth’s shape? In this fifth-grade worksheet, students will review two observations: the round shadow that Earth casts on the Moon during a lunar eclipse and the Sun’s daily path through the sky. Learners must determine whether each one supports the claim that Earth is round and explain their reasoning. Then, students will brainstorm another way that we can verify the Earth’s shape without going to outer space.

This worksheet encourages young scientists to evaluate scientific evidence and to think critically about its meaning in relation to a claim. Learners will also consider Earth’s rotation and other bodies in the solar system as they think through each piece of evidence and the central claim.

Check out more science worksheets like Trace the Energy Path, Gravity Coaster Design Challenge, and Where Is the Matter?