Lesson Plan

The Moon
Lesson Plan

Summary: The Moon inquiry is a three-part investigation that allows students to conceptualize the earth--moon--sun relationship in our solar system. In Moon Home Observation, students observe the moon's phases over a two to four week period. In Moondance, students model a lunar month using movement and music. In Moon Model, students participate in a model of the moon's orbit around the earth. This thematic unit focuses on the concepts of phases, waxing vs. waning, gibbous vs. crescent, rotation, and eclipse.

Week 1 : Moon Home Observation (20 minutes)

Ready...

Visit the 40-Below webpage and create a moonrise/moonset chart for the time period (2-4 weeks) that your students will observe the moon (see Related Resources). Note: If completing a two week observation, beginning at the first quarter phase is recommended. Four week observations can begin anytime.
Print a copy of the Moon Home Observation page (see Ready to Print).
Copy a class set of the Moon Home Observation page and moonrise/moonset chart. (Enviro-Note: Make two-sided copies.)
Preview the two-minute moon movie on BrainPop (see Related Resources) and check out their Phases of the Moon chart.

Get Set!!!

Explain to your students that they will be completing a home observation of the moon over the next several weeks.
View the two-minute BrainPop Moon movie with your students (see Related Resources).
Distribute the Moon Home Observation page and moonrise/moonset chart. Discuss how to read moonrise and moonset times.
Practice calculating Standard time by subtracting twelve hours from a time listed (i.e., 20:25 is 8:25 in the evening). Remind students that when they need to subtract twelve hours the time will be p.m.
Point out to students that the moon does not rise and set at the same time each day.
Model shading the moon phases at the top of the Moon Observation page with your students. Direct students to shade the dark part of the moon so the white paper illuminates the lit part (i.e. new moon = shaded completely, first quarter = shaded left half, full moon = no shading, last quarter = shaded right half).

Go!!!

Assign for students to complete home observations.

Home Observation Update (5-10 min. each day)

Ready...

Designate a place in your room (i.e., chalkboard, wipe-off board, etc.) for a Moon Center to display the daily phase of the moon moonrise/moonset times.
Decide how you would like to have student involvement in maintaining this area (i.e., one student in charge of bringing up the United States Naval Observatory moon phase page, one student draws the daily moon phase, one student records the upcoming moonrise/moonset times).
Update the Moon Center for the day.

Go!!!

Discuss moon observations from the previous night. Note: Between cloudy weather and late moonrise times, you can expect, on average, that students will complete about 15 actual observations in a month.
Direct students to update their Home Observation page, if needed, using the Moon Center.
Label the new observation with the appropriate terms (waxing or waning, crescent or gibbous) and discuss. If the observation occurs on one of the four main phases (new, first quarter, full, last quarter), then label with the appropriate phase.
Discuss one or more of the following moon concepts with your students each week:
- the DOC cycle--used to remember the order in which the phases of the moon change
- waxing--the period of time in a lunar month when the moon is becoming more lit each day (between new and full moon)
- waning--the period of time in a lunar month when the moon is becoming less lit each day (between full and new moon)
- crescent--the period of time in a lunar month when the moon is less than half lit (between last quarter and first quarter)
- gibbous-- the period of time in a lunar month when the moon is more than half lit (between first quarter and last quarter)
Remind students of the next moon observation time window.

Week 2: Moondance (45 min.)

Ready...

Choose a medium for playing your Moondance music (i.e., cassette, CD, Windows Media Player).
Practice modeling a four beat counterclockwise rotation of the earth to the tempo of your Moondance music.
Practice modeling a twenty-eight step counterclockwise revolution of the moon. Take one counterclockwise step for every measure (four beats) of Moondance music.
Collaborate with your music teacher if the above two steps are difficult :)
Decide how you will allow students to pair-up.
Choose a location for the activity. (You may need to rearrange desks to allow for enough space or use a separate room/go outside if music playing will distract neighboring rooms.)

Get Set...

Explain to students that they will be participating in a kind of dance today--a moondance--in order to answer the question, "What happens each time the moon revolves around the earth?"
Introduce the term counterclockwise. Direct students trace a counterclockwise circle on their desks.
Select two willing students to demonstrate the moondance. Have these two students model seven "days" of moondancing (i.e. the person who is "the earth" rotates counterclockwise seven times, while the person who is "the moon" revolves counterclockwise one-fourth of the way around "the earth."

Go!!!

Direct students to pair-up. Have all of the "earth" students practice one counterclockwise rotation in place. Then have all of the "moon" students practice one-fourth of a moon revolution around their "earth" partner.
Play seven measures of Moondance, then stop the music. During this time, "earth" students rotate in-place for seven counterclockwise spins, while "moon" students revolve counterclockwise one-fourth of a revolution (about seven steps) around their "earth" partners. Check to see that all students are facing the correct direction. This position represents first quarter.
Restart the Moondance music, playing another seven measures. Check to see that students are in the correct position. The "moon" person should be halfway around their "earth" partner. This position represents the full moon.
Restart the Moondance music, playing another seven measures. Check to see that students are in the correct position. The "moon" person should be three-fourths around their "earth" partner. This position represents last quarter.
Restart the Moondance music, playing another seven measures. Check to see that students are in the correct position (back where they began). This position represents the new moon.
Switch roles and repeat the above steps so all students get to be "the moon" and "the earth."

Week 3: Moon Model (45-60 min.)
Note: Special thanks to Scott Hudson, Cincinnati Public Schools, for sharing this activity.

Get Ready...

Gather the following materials:
- one Solid rubber or Styrofoam ball (approximately the size of a baseball) for every two students
- one unsharpened pencil for every two students
- a container to hold the "moons on a stick"
- a table lamp with a 100 watt bulb (a yellow bug light bulb simulates the sun nicely, if available)
- an extension cord
Drill a hole into the middle of each rubber or Styrofoam ball using a 1/4 inch drill bit. Insert an unsharpened pencil into each ball hole. Note: The hole only needs to be to the center of the ball, not through to the other side.
Select a location for this activity (a classroom that can be darkened) and clear a 15x15 foot space in the middle of the room. (Suggestion: Have students arrange the desks in your classroom into a large square and use the middle space.)
Remove the lampshade from the lamp and place it in the center of the room.
Place the "moons on sticks" in a container (dishtub, bucket) near the lamp.
Darken the room and check to see that the "sun" is bright enough to show the phases of the moon.

Get Set...

Summarize the Moon Model activity for your students. Students will:
- participate in a model of the earth, moon, and sun (the sun = the lamp, the earth = each person's head, the moon = the ball on a stick)
- model the four main phases of the moon
- distinguish between the terms waxing and waning
- distinguish between the terms crescent and gibbous
- model both solar and lunar eclipses
Discuss the limitations of this model
- the sun and earth are not to scale--a head-sized earth would need a sun that is bigger than your classroom and miles away to be to scale
- the moon and earth are not to scale--a scaled earth would be about fifty times bigger than the moon and as far away as ten trips around the earth (i.e., if you wrapped a string around your head ten times, you would have a scaled distance for your earth's size)
Set clear expectations for behavior.
- scientific thinking
- respectful listening
- speaking in appropriate voices
- participating
Explain how this activity is grouped:
- introduction
- Moon Model alternating with completion of the Moon Model Student Page
- class discussion
Distribute the Moon Model Student Page and discuss. Point out to students that they should complete questions when their partner is participating and they are seated.
Group students into pairs.

Phases of the Moon

Direct the first person in each paired group to gather around the lamp in a circle with a "moon on a stick" in his/her left hand.
Remind students that their head represents the moon.
Model a new moon
- extend your arm so the moon is between the sun and earth
- the moon should be low enough to allow sunlight to shine on the earth
Model first quarter
- move your extended arm slowly upward and counterclockwise 90 degrees
- your arm should be perpendicular to the sun and parallel to the ground
- direct students to look for the "D" in the DOC cycle
Model full moon
- move your extended arm slowly upward and counterclockwise another 90 degrees
- your arm should be above your head so that there is no earth shadow (eclipse) on the moon
- direct students to look for the "O" in the DOC cycle
Model last quarter
- move your extended arm slowly downward and counterclockwise another 90 degrees
- your arm should be perpendicular to the sun and parallel to the ground
- direct students to look for the "C" in the DOC cycle
Return to new moon
Switch partners (the first group of students should begin completing the "Phases of the Moon" Student Page questions).
Repeat the above steps for the second group of students.

Waxing vs. Waning

Switch partners (the second group of students should begin completing the "Phases of the Moon" Student Page questions).
Review the meanings of the terms waxing and waning
- waxing--the period of time in a lunar month when the moon is becoming more lit each day (between new and full moon)
- waning--the period of time in a lunar month when the moon is becoming less lit each day (between full and new moon)
Direct students to watch for the moon to become more lit in the first half of the lunar cycle.
Place the left hand at the full moon position and the right hand (with the moon) at the new moon position.
Chant the word "waning" four times as you slowly bring the moon from new to full. Repeat this step if students do not see the moonlight waxing on their moons.
Direct students to watch for the moon to become less lit in the second half of the lunar cycle.
Place the left hand at the new moon position and the right hand (with the moon) at the full moon position.
Chant the word "waxing" four times as you slowly bring the moon from full to new. Repeat this step if students do not see the moonlight waning on their moons.
Switch partners (the first group of students should begin completing the "Waxing vs. Waning" Student Page questions).
Repeat the above steps for the second group of students.

Crescent vs. Gibbous

Switch partners (the second group of students should begin completing the "Waxing vs. Waning" Student Page questions).
Review the meanings of the terms crescent and gibbous
- crescent--the period of time in a lunar month when the moon is less than half lit (between last quarter and first quarter)
- gibbous-- the period of time in a lunar month when the moon is more than half lit (between first quarter and last quarter)
Direct students to watch for the moon to go from half-lit at last quarter, to a disappearing sliver at new moon, and grow back to half-lit by first quarter
Place the left hand at the first quarter position and the right hand (with the moon) at the last quarter position (facing the sun).
Chant the words "waning crescent" two times as you slowly bring the moon from last quarter to new moon. Repeat this step if students do not see the crescent waning on their moons.
Chant the words "waxing crescent" two times as you slowly bring the moon from new to first quarter. Repeat this step if students do not see the crescent waxing on their moons.
Now place the left hand at the last quarter position and the right hand (with the moon) at the first quarter position (your back is to the sun).
Chant the words "waxing gibbous" two times as you slowly bring the moon from first quarter to full moon. Repeat this step if students do not see the waxing gibbous on their moons.
Chant the words "waning gibbous" two times as you slowly bring the moon from full to last quarter. Repeat this step if students do not see the waning gibbous on their moons.
Switch partners (the first group of students should begin completing the "Crescent vs. Gibbous" Student Page questions).
Repeat the above steps for the second group of students.

Solar vs. Lunar Eclipse

Switch partners (the second group of students should begin completing the "Crescent vs. Gibbous" Student Page questions).
Review the meanings of the terms solar and lunar eclipse.
- solar eclipse--the view of the sun is blocked by the moon
- lunar eclipse--the view of the moon is blocked by the earth
Direct students to place their moons at the new moon phase, but this time high enough to block the sun from shining on their eyes. Point out that the moon is between the earth and sun during a solar eclipse.
Direct students to look at a student across from them and notice that the moon is casting a shadow on a portion of the earth across from them, but not on the entire earth. Point out that a solar eclipse can occur without being seen by everyone on the earth.
Direct students to place their moons at the full moon phase, but this time low enough to cause the shadow of the earth to block sunlight from shining on the moon. Point out that the earth is between the moon and sun during a lunar eclipse.
Point out that a lunar eclipse can be seen by anyone on the earth who has a view of the moon.
Point out that there is NEVER a time when the sun will be between the earth and moon. (Many achievement tests offer eclipse diagrams where this is a possible choice.
Switch partners (the first group of students should begin completing the "Solar vs. Lunar Eclipse" Student Page questions).
Repeat the above steps for the second group of students.
Direct the second group of students to complete the "Solar vs. Lunar Eclipse" Student Page questions.

PutItAllTogether (45 minutes)

Discuss student pages.
Summarize the Main Points
- our view of the moon is constantly changing due to the changing positions of the earth, moon, and sun
- a lunar cycle is a little more than four weeks (29.5 days)
- the earth rotates over 28 times (actually 29.5) for every revolution of the moon around the earth
- moon terms
  - the DOC cycle--used to remember the order in which the phases of the moon change
  - waxing--the period of time in a lunar month when the moon is becoming more lit each day (between new and full moon)
  - waning--the period of time in a lunar month when the moon is becoming less lit each day (between full and new moon)
  - crescent--the period of time in a lunar month when the moon is less than half lit (between last quarter and first quarter)
  - gibbous-- the period of time in a lunar month when the moon is more than half lit (between first quarter and last quarter)
  - solar eclipse--the view of the sun is blocked by the moon
  - lunar eclipse--the view of the moon is blocked by the earth
Compliment students for appropriate behaviors during the lesson.
Evaluation
- Formative: anecdotal notes of teams in progress, incidental questioning of students' rationale for what they are doing (during activity), observation of teamwork, status of the class (end of each unfinished activity day)
- Summative: Choose one or more of the following (see Ready to Print)
  - People Search (concept review)
  - Online Assessment

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