Science activities on geocentricity and heliocentricity can show students the evolution of thought on the position and revolution of the Earth to the sun. This activity assigns each student a planet, and the class stands in a group acting as the solar system according to geocentric theories; the class then reorganizes their solar system positions according to heliocentric law. The teacher explains how and why each student was aligned according to geocentric and heliocentric principles.
An activity to help students understand how and why the Earth revolves around the sun analyzes gravity by using a gravity well in class. Mimic a gravity well by taking a bendable material, such as rubber, and wrapping it around a bowl or trash can. Place a heavy object in the middle of the rubber and note how the material slopes downwards towards the object. Roll a smaller object (such as a penny) around the rubber to act as the Earth revolving around the sun. This activity demonstrates how gravity is not a force, but a bending of space, as well as how and why the Earth revolves around the sun.
This project discusses the relationship between the Earth revolving around the sun and seasonal changes. Because the seasons are an everyday example of Earth's revolution around the sun, this would be an interesting and fun way for students to investigate heliocentricity. This activity splits students into four groups and assigns each group a season (winter, spring, summer and fall). Each group then presents information to the class on why their season is the way it is according to the Earth's position to the sun during the course of a 365-day year.
This activity has students observe how solar and lunar eclipses occur according to the position of the Earth and moon revolving around the sun. As a visual activity, the class could watch and then discuss an actual solar or lunar eclipse when either occurs. However, because solar and lunar eclipses are somewhat rare, the class could also watch a video and look at pictures of recent solar and lunar eclipses and discuss why and how they occur, according to heliocentric positioning of the Earth, moon and sun.