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What gives the Moon its glow? - ARCHIVED
Spaceship Earth Unit | Lesson 17 of 5
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What gives the Moon its glow? - ARCHIVED

Spaceship Earth Unit | Lesson 17 of 5
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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?

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

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Moon1

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

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

Moon2

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.

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?

Reveal answer

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

Reveal answer

Moon5

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?

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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?

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# Extensions
Below are ideas for extending this topic beyond the activity & Exploration which you just completed.

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

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.

Featured Reviews

“The video clip demonstrating the phases of the moon and the activity to model the moon phases were both informative for students and easy to complete.”
· Janet · Teacher
“The kids enjoyed doing the activity with the foam balls and flashlights. The diagrams with the arms and the degrees were easy to understand and went right along with earlier math instruction on types of angles.”
· Misti · Teacher
“The best part was each of the videos. The illustrations were very applicable and the students will be able to go outside in the early evening to see how the angle between the moon and sun are related to the phases, well..... if it ever stops raining in Seattle!”
· Leslie · Teacher

Grade 5

Earth & Space Patterns

Moon Phases

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

Grade 5

Earth & Space Patterns

Moon Phases

Extend this lesson

Assessments

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Astronomy Lesson 17: What gives the Moon its glow? - ARCHIVED

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