By the end of this lesson, YOU will be able to:

• Identify the 8 phases of the moon.• Explain how the movements of the Earth

and moon create different moon phases observed by humans on Earth.

Lesson Vocabulary

Orbit Illuminatelunar eclipse

Waxing WaningCrescent Gibbous

New moonFull moon

The Learning Plan1. BrainPop Video: Moon Phases2. Ms. Artis Teaches About Moon Phases3. Song: Phases of the Moon Rap4. Moon Phases Demonstration5. Group & Partner Activities

Our Solar System

Essential QuestionHow do the movements of the Sun, Earth and moon

affect the patterns observed by humans on Earth?

Notebook Quick Write

True or False Is the moon a light source? Explain your

answer.

Why does the moon look like it changes?

BrainPop: Moon Phases

BrainPop: Moon PhasesOdds: Are the phases

of the moon caused by Earth casting shadows on the moon?

Evens: Why do we always see the same side of the moon?

Why does the moon have phases?• The revolution of the

Moon around the Earth causes the Moon to appear to have phases.

• It takes 29.5 days for the moon to make a complete circuit around the Earth.

Lunar EclipsesLunar Eclipses happen when the sun, Earth and moon are completely lines up in a row, and the Earth ends up blocking the rays of the sun from reaching the moon. (VERY RARE)

8 Phases of the Moon•New Moon

•Waxing Crescent

•First Quarter or Half Moon

•Waxing Gibbous

•Full Moon

•Waning Gibbous

•Last Quarter or Half Moon

•Waning Crescent

New Moon•The moon is not visible from Earth. The moon is between the Sun and the Earth.

•The dark side is facing us.

•This phase lasts one night.

Waxing Crescent•Waxing means that the bright side is increasing. The right side is the bright side.

•Less than one half of the moon is illuminated.

•This phase includes any visible moon from a small sliver to almost half.

First Quarter or Half Moon •The entire right side

of the moon is illuminated.

•The moon looks like a half circle.

•The illuminated side is increasing.

•This phase only lasts one night.

Waxing Gibbous•Gibbous means that more than one half is visible, but it is not quite full.

•This phase includes the night after the first quarter to the night before the full moon.

Full Moon•The moon is full and bright. It looks like a large circle.

•The illuminated side is facing us.

•Only happens one night per lunar phase cycle.

Waning Gibbous•The moon appears more than half but not quite full.

•Waning means that the illuminated side is decreasing.

•The left side is the bright side.

Last Quarter or Half Moon

•Left Half of the moon is illuminated.

•The illuminated side is decreasing.

•This phase also only lasts for one night.

Waning Crescent•Less than one half of the moon is illuminated.

•The moon will continue to become smaller and smaller.

Moon Phases Group & Partner Activities

#1 GROUP ACTIVITY Task: Work together to create an accurate visual model of the 8 phases of the moon using the cookies. Be sure to include:• The sun• The earth• The 8 phases of the

moon• Labels for each phase

Hint!

#2 PARTNER ACTIVITYTask: Use the 2014 Moon Calendar to answer the questions on the worksheet.

Teamwork Behaviors Everyone ParticipatesExplaining Your ThinkingCompletes Tasks

Moon Phases Group & Partner Activities

#1 GROUP ACTIVITY Task: Work together to create an accurate visual model of the 8 phases of the moon using the cookies. Be sure to include:• The sun• The earth• The 8 phases of the

moon• Labels for each phase

Hint!

#2 PARTNER ACTIVITYTask: Use the 2014 Moon Calendar to answer the questions on the worksheet.

Let’s Wrap-Up Share our models & check for

accuracy

Discuss the answers to the moon calendar questions

HomeworkA 3rd grader has sent you a letter asking you to explain why the moon looks different almost every night.

Write a letter to the 3rd grader thoroughly explain this phenomenon.

Awesome Effort!