Introduction
These next two days we will be learning about the phases of the moon, why we have phases and the overall cycle of the moon.
Task
You will be learning all about the moon! By the end of this lesson you will be able to answer these questions:
- Why does the Moon have different phases?
- Why does the Moon change its appearance?
- What are the names of the eight Moon Phases?
Process
Task #1:
First, you will watch a video that tells you about the moon and its phases.
Task #2:
Next, you will fill out this pre-learning worksheet. There are 8 phases of the moon, in each circle draw them out in their appropriate space, what you think they each look like.
Task #3:
Every night the Moon appears to change shape since it shows a different face in the sky. Some nights we see the whole Moon lit up, and other nights we see a partially lit Moon or none at all. These changes are called phases, and it happens to the Moon every 28 or 29 days as it revolves around Earth. There are eight main phases. As the Moon revolves or orbits around the Earth, its position changes, so the light we can see also changes. Rotate means to spin in place. The Moon takes one month to rotate while our Earth only takes 24 hours to rotate on its axis of rotation. As a result, we only see one side of the Moon. The other side is often called the “Dark Side” of the Moon.
3 facts I learned:
1. _________________________________
2. _________________________________
3. _________________________________
1 thing I still wonder:
1. _________________________________
Task #4:
In your groups, you will be showing the moon in Oreos. You will take one cookie off and you will have to cut the icing that's in the middle to the shape of the cookie. After all of your "moons" are done you will get a table lamp. With that table lamp, you will put the lamp where the sun hits the "moon".
Task #5:
Finally, you will take this quiz over what you have learned.
1. The study of the stars, planets, and space is called…
a. biology/ b. galaxy/ c. mythology/ d. astronomy
2. . When the part of the moon that you can see is slowly getting bigger or growing, it is...
a. waning/ b. waxing/ c. full/ d. new
3. When the part of the moon that you can see appears to be shrinking or decreasing, it is...
a. waning b. waxing c. full d. new
4. About how many days does it take the moon to go through its cycle?
a. 5 b. 10 c. 21 d. 28
5. The different shapes of the moon are called the moons...
a. shapes/ b. circles/ c. phases/ d. changes
6. From the new moon to the full moon phase you see…
a. a decreasing amount of the lighted side of the moon/ b. an increasing amount of the lighted side of the moon/ c. more of the lighted side, then less of the lighted side/ d. The same amount of the lighted side of the moon
7. Lunar means relating to the…
a. crater/ b. eclipse/ c. moon/ d. sun
8. We only see one side of the moon. True/ False
9. Astronauts discovered that there is water on the moon. True/ False
10. Solar refers to the stars. True/ False
11. Only a quarter or one-fourth (25%) of the moon can be seen at the First/Last Quarter moon phases. True /False
Evaluation
| Score | 1 | 2 | 3 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contribution | The student showed little to no contribution when working in their group. | The student showed minimal contribution while working in their group. | The student fully contributed in their group and was able to work successfully. | |
| Attitude | The student showed a poor attitude when completing assignments. | The student needs improvement in their attitude towards their work. | The student had a great attitude about their work and completed assignments. | |
| Participation | The student did not or participated very little. | The student participated little and did not complete all work. | The student participated in all work. | |
| Focus | The student was not able to stay on task, or able to focus on the tasks at hand. | The student was able to focus but not for the whole time. | The student was able to focus on and stay on task while completing work. | |
| Effort | The student showed little to no effort in the tasks at hand. | The student showed effort but was not able to complete work. | The student showed maximum effort in their tasks at hand. |
Conclusion
These past two days you have learned about the phases of the moon. You should be able to answer these questions:
- Why does the Moon have different phases?
- Why does the Moon change its appearance?
- What are the names of the eight Moon Phases?