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What gives the Moon its glow? - ARCHIVED

What gives the Moon its glow? - ARCHIVED
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Discuss: What did you notice when you did your Moon Journal? Was there anything you saw that helps you know where the Moon’s light is coming from?

Reveal answer

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Discuss: When the Crescent Moon is setting, where is the Sun?

Reveal answer

Moon1

Hint: The Sun is at a V-shaped angle with the Crescent Moon.

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The Sun is just below the horizon. It always makes a V-shaped angle with the Crescent Moon.

Moon2

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Discuss: When the Half Moon is setting, where is the Sun?

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Moon3

Hint: The Sun is at an L-shaped angle with the Half Moon.

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The Sun is directly beneath your feet on the opposite side of the Earth. It always makes an "L" shape with the Half Moon.

Moon4

Challenge: About what time is it in this picture?

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Discuss: When the Full Moon is setting, where is the Sun?

Reveal answer

Moon5

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The Sun is just starting to rise. The Full Moon and the Sun make a straight line.

Moon6

Challenge: What time of day is it right now?

Reveal answer

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Discuss: Now that you've learned what causes the Moon's phases, how would you explain it to someone who doesn't know?

Reveal answer

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# Extensions
Below are ideas for extending this topic beyond the activity & Exploration which you just completed.
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Extra Activity: The Moon's Face

Encourage creative storytelling by asking your students to look for pictures on the Moon's face using this activity from the Lunar and Planetary Institute. For photos showing what various cultures have seen on the moon, check out this National Geographic article

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Discussion: Why We See Moon Phases (deeper level)

If you think your students are ready to delve into the cause of Moon phases more thoroughly, you can show them the “Moon Phases” animation at Dr. Cecilia Barnbaum’s Astronomy Demo Site. (You'll have to hit the play button to start the animation.) The animation has no narration, but you can pause to talk with your class about what it's showing. At the same site, you can also check out the “Why We See Phases” animation, which shows the phases of a tree and a ball in the sunlight.

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Activity Prep

Print Prep

This Mystery explores why the Moon seems to change shape (phases) over the course of a month.

Preview activity

Each pair of students will need:

Before doing this Mystery, ideally each individual student will have taken a couple of weeks to observe the Moon's "growing" phases and complete their Moon Journal handout

It is important to get your room as dark as possible! It's worth taking the time to black out your windows and even tape curtains to eliminate cracks of light. Also, the brighter the light the better the demonstration. The flashlights we link to are particularly bright and inexpensive. You could also substitute an overhead projector if you can point it towards the students.

The foam balls we link to above are the smooth, solid type. Rough, foam balls--which are more common--are both messy and a bit translucent, so they don't work quite as well, but they'll suffice if that's all you have. If you're visiting a craft store, the smooth foam balls are typically found in the floral supply section of the store. You can also substitute an orange or any round opaque object that can be skewered.

Exploration

14 mins

Hands-On Activity

25 mins

Wrap-Up

6 mins

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