Phases of the Moon

Learning Context

 

Purpose

Students in the fourth grade are naturally curious about their surroundings and are eager to ask questions and long for answers.  As a result of seeing the Moon nearly every day and watching it appear to change shape and move, students are naturally drawn to the mysteries of the Moon.  This is why teaching students about the Moon is a critical aspect in science.  Aside from our planet and sun, the Moon is the next most common and referenced part of our solar system.  Students need to learn the reasons behind the different phases of the Moon.  This basic information opens the door and provides students with the academic foundation to learn about seasonal changes, the varying length of daylight and darkness, how humans organize time, and many other important concepts in astronomy.  The following essential and guiding questions are shared with the students to ensure they are aware of the task at hand.

Objectives

• The student will be able to describe the relationship between the Earth, Sun, and Moon in writing.
• The student will be able to complete a graphic organizer.
• The student will be able to create a Moon model.

Enduring Understanding

• There are different phases of the moon.
• The phases of the moon repeat in a sequencing cycle.
• The relationship between the Earth, the Sun, and the Moon causes the different phases.

Essential Questions

• Why does the Moon appear to change size?
• What causes the different phases of the Moon?

Guiding Questions

• Does the Moon produce its own light? 
• Why do the Moon phases repeat in a cycle?
• Why are we not always able to see the Moon?
• How much of the Moon are we actually able to see from Earth?

WHAT STUDENTS NEED TO KNOW

Prior to Learning Experience:

• Earth completes a full rotation in 24 hours, which gives us night and day.
• The Earth revolves around the Sun, while the Moon revolves around the Earth.
• The Sun’s rays are what provide the Earth and Moon with light and heat.

During and After the implementation of Learning Experience:

• The Moon has four main phases; New Moon, First Quarter, Full Moon, and Last Quarter.
• As the Moon revolves around the Earth, the Sun’s rays light the Moon, which creates the phases.
• As the Earth passes between the Sun and the Moon, the Moon is unable to reflect light from the Sun, which creates the New Moon phase.
• The Moon completes its rotation around the Earth every 28 days, making the moon cycle repeat every 28 days.

Vocabulary

• Cycle: a round or series of occurrences that repeats
• First Quarter: A week after the new moon, when the Moon has completed about a quarter of its turn around the Earth, we can see half of the illuminated part; that is, a quarter of the Moon.  The left half of the moon is dark.
• Full Moon: Two weeks after the new moon, the moon is now halfway through its revolution, and now the illuminated half coincides with the one facing the Earth so that we can see a full disk: we have a full moon
• Last Quarter: Three weeks after new, we again can see half of the illuminated part.  The right half of the moon is dark.
• New Moon: When the Moon is roughly in the same direction as the Sun, its illuminated half is facing away from the Earth, and therefore the part that faces us is all dark: we have the new moon.
• Phases: the appearance of the illuminated portion of the Moon
• Reflect: to give back or show an image of; mirror.
• Satellite: an object that revolves around another object.