Phases of the Moon

Background for Teachers

The teacher needs to have a knowledge of the phases of the moon and why the moon looks different during the month.

Vocabulary: moon, model, sphere, orbit, axis, rotation, revolution, appearance, new moon, crescent, quarter moon, gibbous, full moon

Student Prior Knowledge

Good Keyboarding Skills

Intended Learning Outcomes

After viewing the moon calendar for the previous month the students will be given a calendar for the current month to take home to draw a picture of the moon each night. At the beginning of the next month the students will bring the calendar back to school. Once the moon phase calendar is filled in the students will then type the name of each phase of the moon in the calendar template.

Instructional Procedures

1. Lead the students in making a KWL chart about the Moon. (Keep this chart on display in your classroom during this unit of study.)
2. Show the students the cover of the book All About the Moon by Wes Lepshultz. Have students make predictions about the book.
3. Tell the students to listen carefully as you read the book for any new information that could be added to the KWL chart.
4. Ask the students to list new information that they learned from the book and add it the KWL chart.
5. Either take the students to the computer lab where they can access the Internet or access the Internet on the teacher computer with projector connected. View the Internet site "moon phases".
6. Discuss the different phases of the moon with the students and why the moon looks different at different times of the month.
7. Tell the students that they will taking home a phases of the moon calendar and each night they will look at the moon and draw a picture of what they see. If it is cloudy and they can't see the moon they will either leave it blank or write cloudy for that night. Tell the students that at the beginning of the next month they will bring the calendar back to school and use that calendar to finish a project.