¿Por qué cambia la Luna de forma?

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¿Por qué cambia la Luna de forma?
Lesson narration:
English Spanish
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CONVERSEMOS:
¿Qué observas sobre la Luna cada noche? (1 de 14)

CONVERSEMOS:
¿Qué observas sobre la Luna cada noche? (2 de 14)

CONVERSEMOS:
¿Qué observas sobre la Luna cada noche? (3 de 14)

CONVERSEMOS:
¿Qué observas sobre la Luna cada noche? (4 de 14)

CONVERSEMOS:
¿Qué observas sobre la Luna cada noche? (5 de 14)

CONVERSEMOS:
¿Qué observas sobre la Luna cada noche? (6 de 14)

CONVERSEMOS:
¿Qué observas sobre la Luna cada noche? (7 de 14)

CONVERSEMOS:
¿Qué observas sobre la Luna cada noche? (8 de 14)

CONVERSEMOS:
¿Qué observas sobre la Luna cada noche? (9 de 14)

CONVERSEMOS: ¿Qué observas sobre la Luna cada noche? (10 de 14)

CONVERSEMOS:
¿Qué observas sobre la Luna cada noche? (11 de 14)

CONVERSEMOS:
¿Qué observas sobre la Luna cada noche? (12 de 14)

CONVERSEMOS:
¿Qué observas sobre la Luna cada noche? (13 de 14)

CONVERSEMOS:
¿Qué observas sobre la Luna cada noche? (14 de 14)

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CONVERSEMOS:

Antes de empezar la actividad, platiquen sobre esto en su clase: ¿Qué ideas quieres poner a prueba para ver si puedes crear las fases de la Luna en orden?

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Ve la siguiente página para ver tu modelo de las fases lunares comparado con el cielo de verdad.

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CONVERSEMOS:

Ya que has aprendido lo que causa la fases de la luna, ¿cómo se lo explicarías a alguien que no lo sabe?

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Slide Image

Luna


1 de 11

un objeto grande y redondo en el cielo nocturno que puede reflejar la luz del Sol
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fase lunar


2 de 11

la parte de la Luna que podemos ver en una noche en particular
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luna nueva


3 de 11

fase lunar en la que la Luna se ve completamente oscura
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luna creciente


4 de 11

fase lunar en la que la Luna parece una franja delgada
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media luna


5 de 11

la fase lunar en la que la Luna parece la mitad de un círculo
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luna gibosa


6 de 11

la fase lunar en la que la Luna parece un círculo al que le falta un pedacito
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luna llena


7 de 11

la fase lunar en la que Luna parece un círculo completo
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patrón


8 de 11

algo que sucede una y otra y otra vez de manera predecible
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ciclo


9 de 11

una serie de eventos que se repite en el mismo orden una y otra vez

orbitar


10 de 11

moverse en forma circular alrededor de un objeto, como lo hace la Luna alrededor de la Tierra
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modelo


11 de 11

una versión de mentiras de algo que los científicos usan cuando la cosa de verdad es algo demasiado grande, pequeño, o complicado para poder usarlo en sus estudios
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Image & Video Credits

Mystery Science respects the intellectual property rights of the owners of visual assets. We make every effort to use images and videos under appropriate licenses from the owner or by reaching out to the owner to get explicit permission. If you are the owner of a visual and believe we are using it without permission, please contact us—we will reply promptly and make things right.

Exploration
Venus & the Moon by Claude.schneider , used under CC BY-SA / cropped, adjusted color, added border
moon rising by flowcomm , used under CC BY / cropped, adjusted saturation, layered with another image
reaching for the moon by Sivaprasad k S / spliced
full moon by Krückstock , used under CC BY-SA / adjusted saturation
harvest moon rising by slworking2 , used under CC BY / adjusted color and speed
moon in daylight by Zeynel Cebeci , used under CC BY-SA / adjusted color and cropped
moon in sky by Bill Johnston / cropped, layered with other imagery
crescent gibbous moon by Thomas Bresson , used under CC BY / Heavily modified
crescent moon by P. Bramwell / Heavily modified
moon view by Luc Viatour , used under CC BY-SA / Heavily modified
house at night by StruffelProductions / cropped
sunrise background by Stellarium / Heavily modified
tablet by simon-ho / Heavily modified
lightbulb by KMJ , used under CC BY-SA / Heavily modified
Earth by Celestia / part of a diagram
Other
crescent moon by Richard Flink , used under CC BY-SA / cropped, adjusted color
Credits

Featured Reviews

“The sequencing of the phases of the moon when done with photos! Also, the mind-blowing photos of the universe on one of the enrichment activities. ”
· Mike · Teacher
“Loved the pictures of the moon phases and comparing them to what the moon looked like in the night sky. The kids really enjoyed the activity as well. ”
· Kristi · Teacher
“Terrific lesson!! Mystery Science always keeps my students engaged and thinking outside the box. We loved recreating the phases of the moon this week! My students are so excited to come to school each morning and let me know what phase of the moon they saw the night before!”
· Jackie · Teacher
“Great lesson that made students thinks about the phases of the moon. A simple lab yet I heard many students voice how "cool" it was to recreate the moon phases themselves.”
· Denise · Teacher
“The students enjoyed seeing and creating the different phases of the moon. It was great to hear them using the vocabulary from the exploration during the activity. ”
· Pamela · Teacher
“The kids were so excited to actually create the phases of the moon in the classroom. Just today we noticed the moon in the sky as we walked to lunch. My students were able to determine with great accuracy how many days we were into the lunar cycle just by viewing it. Quite impressive!”
· Stephen · Teacher
“The phases of the moon experience was a big hit! My students loved working in groups and of course, having the lights out was very exciting for them! They experimented with many different movements of the sun and moon. Lots of good thinking going on.”
· Beth · Teacher
“Fabulous information that prepared students for the investigation which deepened their understanding of moon phases.”
· Brenda · Teacher
“I liked how I was able to push the students to be more clear with explanations about the phenomenon. Many of them start with partial notions about how "the sun's light strikes the moon at a different angle." I liked how this activity made them step through the explanation more explicitly.”
· Alexander · Teacher
“The kids were totally engaged! Love how it walked them through step by step and showed them examples of what they should be looking for!”
· Shayna · Teacher
“My students loved the activity that went with the mystery. Having hands on activities help diverse students learn and understand how the moon phases happen.”
· Marisela · Teacher
“I enjoyed seeing and hearing the 'a-ha' moment from my students when they were able to understand why the moon changes shape based on where it is aligned with the sun. ”
· Stephanie · Teacher
“We have loved this unit. It really SHOWS students how it all works. Each activity is fun without too much hassle for me. ”
· Kristi · Teacher
“Oh my gosh! This was so much fun! My fifth graders loved it! Doug is so clear with his explanation about complicated concepts. Thanks, Doug!!”
· Connie · Teacher
“Watching our own phases of the moon! Our boys absolutely loved that activity! ”
· Terra · Homeschooler
“Students were very interested in the phases of the moon - something that was new for many of them. The activity was great - even I enjoyed participating!”
· Nicole · Admin
“video clips great visuals of the moon moving across the sky and slowly changing phase and position.”
· Kelsey · Teacher
“LOVED THIS! The kids had so many "ah-ha" exclamations as we did this lesson.”
· Whitney · Teacher
“The best part was that the model really worked! The kids loved it and were able to answer the assessment question at the end of the lesson after experiencing the lesson textually, visually, and through physical interaction. ”
· Pamela · Teacher
“My 5-year-old daughter always loves the activities that go with these lessons! This one was especially fun and her 3.5-year-old sister wanted to participate as well so they took turns being the moon and the sun. :) My daughter was able to complete the assessment, explaining in her own words, the answers to each question. She even got the first part of the challenge question correct! :)”
· Jennifer · Homeschooler
“The kids loved the activity and hands on explanation of why the moon changes. We threw in a couple more vocabulary words, such as waxing and waning. For the activity, we substituted a clementine as the sphere, so had all items on hand. Yay!”
· Jordan · Homeschooler
“My students have never been so engaged in Science before. Not to mention, it's so much less prep time than most Science activities! ”
· Jaclyn · Teacher
“The video clip that explained the activity was so helpful and so well done. The sequence of the moon's phases, displayed one after the other helped the students to clearly see how the moon changes.”
· Elizabeth · Teacher
“They really got it when we did the demonstrations\activity.”
· Johanna · Teacher
“The hands-on modeling of the moon phases made a huge impact on their understanding of why the moon looks the way it does.”
· Deb · Teacher
Lesson narration:
English Spanish

Activity Prep

Print Prep
This lesson explores why the Moon seems to change shape (phases) over the course of a month. In the activity, Model the Moon's Phases, students use a styrofoam ball as a model of the Moon and a flashlight as a model of the Sun to gain a better understanding of how the interactions between the Sun and Moon are responsible for the Moon’s phases.
Preview activity

I have a Mystery Pack

Pencil
Sharpened. Skewers also work.
Details
1 pencil per pair
Bright Flashlights
You can also use a bright lamp or overhead projector that you can point towards the students to serve as the Sun for multiple groups. Be careful not to look directly into such a bright light source.
Details
1 flashlight per pair
Styrofoam Balls (2")
We suggest smooth, solid styrofoam balls. Rough foam balls are translucent and don't work as well. You can substitute any round opaque object that can be skewered.
Details
1 ball per pair
Prep Instructions

We suggest students work in pairs. Homeschool students will need a partner for this activity.

Prepare to Darken the Room

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 your flashlights, the better the demonstration. The flashlights we link to are particularly bright and inexpensive.

Exploration

13 mins

Hands-On Activity

25 mins

Wrap-Up

7 mins

Extend this lesson

Vocabulary

Vocabulary

Student slideshow: English | Spanish

Teacher printout: English & Spanish

Unit Readings

Unit Readings

What Do A.M. and P.M. Mean?

In this reading, students learn where "A.M." and "P.M." come from.


How Does a Leaf Know When to Change Its Color?

In this reading, students learn that leaves start changing color in the fall because the length of day changes in the fall.


The Many Names for a Full Moon

In this reading, students learn about different names Algonquian peoples have traditionally used for the full moon during different months of the year.

Activities

Activities

Take-Home Activity: Using this Moon Journal worksheet, have students observe the changes in the Moon over time.

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.

Mini-lessons

Mini-lessons

You can elaborate student learning and engagement with Mystery Science mini-lessons.

  • How do we know the Earth is round? In this mini-lesson, students gather evidence to show that the Earth is round, including evidence of the Earth's shadow on the Moon during a lunar eclipse.

If you are in an NGSS state, this mini-lesson supports the DCI ESS1.B: Earth and the Solar System

Transcripts

Download this Lesson to your device so you can play it offline:
Credits
 
Astronomy Lesson 5: Why does the Moon change shape?

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