Our Amazing Moon Students explore the changing relationships between the Sun, Earth and the Moon through a kinesthetic model and a hands-on craft project.
Grade Level: Kindergarten Next Generation Science Excellence in Environmental Standards Education Guidelines Phenomena: What is the relationship of the K-PS3-1. Make observations to Strand 1—Questioning, Earth, Sun, and Moon? determine the effect of sunlight on Analysis and Interpretation Skills: Earth’s surface. E) Organizing Objectives: information—Learners are able to Science and Engineering describe date and organize Students will Identify why Earth Practices (SEP): information to search for experiences day and night. Planning and Carrying out relationships and patterns Students will identify at least three Investigations concerning the environment and phases of the moon. environmental topics. Students will verbally and Disciplinary Core Ideas: F) Working with models and artistically explain why we Conservation of Energy and Energy simulations—Learners understand observe moon phases. Transfer that relationships, patterns, and Students will act out Earth’s processes can be represented by rotation. Crosscutting Concepts: models. Cause and Effect G) Drawing conclusions and Materials: developing explanations—Learners Lamp can develop simple explanations that Moon Phase Pictures address their questions about the environment. Outer Space Pictures Moon Phase Coloring Page Yellow &/or Orange Crayons Nevada Headband
Appendixes: Moon phases Student Sheet pg. 5 Day and Night Song pg. 6 Background and night better. Phases of the Moon pg. 7 Outer Space Pictures pg. 8 Standing on the surface of To an untrained eye, the Sun Earth, it appears to us Earth and Moon appears to move Time Considerations: is stationary and the Sun and across the sky, thus Preparations: 5 minutes Lesson Time: 50-60 minutes Moon revolve around it. supporting the original theory Introduction: 10 minutes However, early astronomers that the Earth is at the center Activity 1: 5 minutes determined just the opposite. of the solar system That is, Activity 2: 15-20 minutes Earth actually revolves the solar system is Activity 3: 10 minutes around the Sun and the geocentric. However, the Activity 4: 10 minutes Conclusion: 5minutes Moon revolves around the daily rotation of Earth is the Earth. This concept is reason that all locations Related Lesson Plans: challenging for younger experience a consistent day Sun Rays, Kinesthetic Astronomy, elementary students to and night every 24 hours. Comparing Worlds grasp, since field trips cannot blast off into space. The combination of Earth’s Instead, students can reflect rotation and the Moon’s upon their personal revolution explains why the observations of the Sun and Moon appears to rise and set Moon, to understand the day in the night sky. A common
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misconception among people fascinating insight to the audience, brainstorm with is why we see different phases basics of astronomy. students about they know about of the Moon throughout a Students will leave this lesson space and what is in it. Take month. Many believe the with knowledge they can note any misconceptions reasoning depends on the apply immediately with their students have about space, amount of shadow the Earth own observations of the specially the Sun, Earth and casts upon it from the Sun. natural world! moon. Feel free to share This is false. As the moon different photos of celestial orbits around Earth the Moon Preparation bodies to help students share reflects sunlight from the sun. their thoughts fully. The Moon’s phase is Arrive to the classroom at least determined by the angle and five minutes early to set up the Narrow their focus to sun and amount of sunlight reflected. following materials: moon. Explain to the class that Therefore, the Sun “lights up” Lamp: to one side of the today we will be 1) investigating the phases of the moon. sitting area, which what really happens to make represents the Sun day and night, and 2) what The presence of the Moon is Moon Picture: taped to the makes the moon special. often associated with night, but opposite side of the lamp. an observant student will know Activity 2 - Rotating Earth the Moon is also visible during Gather enough yellow or the day during certain times of orange crayons for each To start, move students so the month. Since the Moon student to use, for the Moon everyone is sitting in a circle. doesn’t give off light of its own, Coloring activity. Print off and This circle represents Earth! how can we see the Moon have ready the moon phase Use the Earth Ball to show during the day? The answer pictures and outer space students where Nevada is deals with the Earth and Sun. pictures for discussion topics. located. Then place the Sunlight, during the day is Nevada Headband on a reflected off Earth and shone Doing the Activity student’s head that is opposite onto the Moon, which is then the Sun in the classroom. reflected back to Earth, Activity 1 - Outer Space Intro allowing us to see the Moon Instructors: if students during the day. Begin by telling the class we will become restless in this activity, be talking about outer space after each rotation have Day and night provide some today! To pre-assess your students simply sit down in their circle, instead of standing.
Part A: Rotation Before any movement takes place, ask students if they feel Earth (use the Earth Ball to demonstrate) sits still in outer-space? NO! It spins or rotates. Demonstrate Earth’s rotation by having all students stand, hold hands, and walk one complete circle. As you walk, sing the Day & Night Song (page 6).
.Night and Day World Map Part B: Day Time https://www.google.com/search? Next, ask students to focus their num=10&hl=en&authuser=0&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1204&bi h=652&q=Day+and+Night+world+map&oq=Day+and+Night+world+map&gs_l thoughts of the day. What do we =img.3..0j0i24l8.719.7173.0.7379.25.14.1.10.11.0.212.1435.10j3j1.14.0...0.0.. see during the day that makes
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The Phases of Earth’s Moon http://www.theswordbearer.org/p009_moon.html daytime, daytime? The Sun! understanding of the moon by With this said, turn off the asking, does the moon change Explain to students they have classroom lights and turn on the shape and what is it made of? the opportunity to draw the lamp that represents the Sun. phases of the moon. Explain to the class what the Begin with the shape of the Demonstrate how students will lamp represents and ask, if it’s moon. Introduce moon phases color their Moon Coloring page daytime in Nevada? Nope! Have by using pictures of a full, half, before dismissing them to their students rotate their Earth, until and new moon along with the tables. Nevada is next to the Sun. Sing following arm motions to the Day & Night Song as you represent each one: Emphasize the yellow crayon rotate. Full Moon: arms stretched represents the sunlight from the up and hands connected to sun. As students color, they are Part C: Night Time create a circle (moon) above “shining” a certain amount of Review how daytime came to the head sunlight on the moon to create a Nevada. Then, ask students to Half Moon: same position specific moon phase. think about the night. What do as state above, but this time we see during the night that drop one arm Conclusion makes nighttime, nighttime? The New Moon: both arms Moon! Place a picture of the lowered and held behind the Dismiss students back to their Moon opposite the Sun and back. table while singing the Moon Nevada in the classroom. Ask Song! students if it is now nighttime in Next ask students why they Nevada? No! Rotate students so believe the moon changes As students finish their coloring Nevada is standing next to the shape? At this time identify any page, have each person pair Moon. Sing the Day & Night misconceptions. Many students share their artwork with their Song as you rotate. will feel the moon melts, molds, neighbor. or even breaks pieces of itself Review key points of the lesson As review, have students rotate off. Remind students the moon with students such as: to create day and night in is made of rock and it cannot Why do we have day and Nevada. Then summarize with actually change shape. Instead, night? the class that day and night the Sun gives the moon it’s What is the Sun made of? happens because of Earth’s shape. Throughout a month, the What is the moon made of? rotation. Sun lights up different amounts What are the phases of the of the moon, thereby we see moon? Activity 3 - Phases of the different phases of the moon. Why do we see the moon Moon differently during a month? Use the moon phase pictures to Have students sit down in their assist student understanding of Finally, have students sing the circle and direct their attention to this concept. Follow this by Moon Song one last time. Then the moon. Use a picture of a full singing The Moon Song (page challenge students to look closely moon to begin this activity. Pre- 6). at the moon from home and try to assess students on their Activity 4: Name that Phase! determine the phase of the moon.
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Work with students over the Vocabulary Assessment period of a month to draw the moon each day. Have them Sun: the star that the earth and Informally evaluate students by create a moon phase calendar other planets revolve around and that their ability to engage in group of the month. Ask parents to gives us light and warmth. discussion about day and night assist you in this activity by and the moon. having their child look at the Moon: the satellite that moves around the earth once each month and reflects light from the sun. Formally evaluate students by their ability to identify if it is day or Earth: the planet on which we live. night for them during Activity 1, to Earth is the third planet from the sun, tell why there is day and night on between Venus and mars. In cases Earth, to describe the changing where it is described as part of the solar system, Earth is often moon shapes in the sky and their capitalized. ability to correctly follow directions and paste the moon cut-outs in Rotate: to turn around and around the right order. like a wheel. The earth rotates on its axis once a day.
Extensions Phase: a stage of the moon’s change in shape as it appears from Story Time earth. As an introduction to how the Moon changes and the phases Model: small or miniature, as in a model railroad. of the Moon, read the book, Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me, by Eric Carle.
Explore Day and Night moon when it is visible. Lastly, Show students the Day and Night have students share their World Map at: observations about the moon http://www.timeanddate.com/ worldclock/sunearth.html. Explore different days and times and see how the map changes.
Moon Phase Calendar Sources (Carle, Eric. Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me. Saxonville, MA: Pic- ture Book Studio, 1986. (2009). In Night and Day World Map. Retrieved Oct. 4, 2010, from http:// www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/sunearth.html
Moon Phase Calendar: http://www.moonconnection.com/ moon_phases_calendar.phtml Glasthal, J. B, & S. Wolinsky. (1996). Scholastic Children's Dictionary. New York, New York: Scholastic Inc..
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Day & Night Song Goes to the tune: “Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush”
The Earth spins round and round, round and round, round and round. The Earth spins round and round to make day and night!
The Moon Song Goes to the Tune: “I’ve got the Whole World in My Hands.”
The Sun lights up the Moon, The Sun lights up the Moon, The Sun lights up the Moon. It can be full, half or new!
Phases of the Moon http://visual.merriam-webster.com/astronomy/celestial-bodies/moon/phases-moon.php
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http://www.planetsforkids.org/moon-moon.html Phases of the Moon
http://www.opencourse.info/astronomy/introduction/04.motion_moon/moon_phases.gif
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Outer Space Pictures
http://wallpaperstock.net/outer-space- pleiades_wallpapers_34387_1680x1050_1.html
http://onlyhdwallpapers.com/wallpaper/ out- er_space_stars_galaxies_planets_galaxy_cluster_nebulae_de
http://www.acclaimimages.com/_gallery/_free_images/0124- 1006-0114- 1134_nasa_space_shuttle_lifting_off_to_outer_space_m.jpg
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