MOON UNIT

Lesson 5 – Moon Phases II

Standard:

Earth and Space Science. Students will gain an understanding of Earth and Space Science through the study of earth materials, celestial movement, and weather.

ObjectiveObserve, describe, and record patterns in the appearance

and apparent motion of the moon in the night sky.

Observe and describe the number, arrangement and color/brightness of stars in the night sky.

Vocabulary

moon: the large round object that circles the Earth and that shines at night by reflecting light from the sun

phase: the shape of the Moon we see reflect: to bounce off of Sun: the star that gives us light and heat

Moon Check

What is a moon phase? Which phases have we learned about so

far? Which phase means that more than one

half of the moon is visible, but it is not quite full?

Which moon phase is it when the moon is not visible from Earth? and the moon is between the Sun and the Earth?

Describe to a partner how the moon is illuminated.

Moon Phases Wheel

Use the moon phases wheel as we learn about each phase.

Color each phase as you learn about it. Don’t skip ahead. Materials:

colored pencils/crayons

glue scissors

Which phase will be next?

New Moon

Waning Crescent

Last Quarter

First Quarter

Waning Gibbous

Waxing Gibbous

Waxing Crescent

Full Moon

Full Moon

The illuminated side of the Moon faces the Earth. This means that the Earth, Sun, and Moon are nearly in a straight line, with the Earth in the middle.  The Moon that we see is very bright from the sunlight reflecting off it.

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

The illuminated side is facing us.

Only happens one night per lunation.NSF North Mississippi GK-8

Which phase will be next?

New Moon

Waning Crescent

Last Quarter

First Quarter

Waning Gibbous

Waxing Gibbous

Waxing Crescent

Full Moon

Waning Gibbous

This Moon can be seen after the Full Moon, but before the Last Quarter Moon.  The amount of the Moon that we can see will grow smaller and smaller every day. 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.NSF North Mississippi GK-8

("Waning" means decreasing, or growing smaller.)

Which phase will be next?

New Moon

Waning Crescent

Last Quarter

First Quarter

Waning Gibbous

Waxing Gibbous

Waxing Crescent

Full Moon

Last Quarter or Half Moon

The left half of the Moon appears illuminated, and the right side of the Moon appears dark.  During the time between the Full Moon and the Last Quarter Moon, the part of the Moon that appears illuminated gets smaller and smaller every day. It will continue to shrink until the New Moon, when the cycle starts all over again.

Left Half of the moon is illuminated.

The illuminated side is decreasing. This phase also only lasts for one

night.NSF North Mississippi GK-8

Which phase will be next?

New Moon

Waning Crescent

Last Quarter

First Quarter

Waning Gibbous

Waxing Gibbous

Waxing Crescent

Full Moon

Waning Crescent

This Moon can be seen after the Last Quarter Moon and before the New Moon.  The crescent will grow smaller and smaller every day, until the Moon looks like the New Moon.

Less than one half of the moon is illuminated.

The moon will continue to become smaller and smaller.

NSF North Mississippi GK-8

("Waning" means decreasing, or growing smaller.)

New Moon

Waning Crescent

Last Quarter

First Quarter

Waning Gibbous

Waxing Gibbous

Waxing Crescent

Full Moon

• Notice the Moon’s illumination increasing on the right side and decreasing on the left side.

• After the full moon you will see a different pattern. Notice the Moon’s illumination increasing on the left side and decreasing on the right side.

Which phase will be next?

New Moon

Waning Crescent

Last Quarter

First Quarter

Waning Gibbous

Waxing Gibbous

Waxing Crescent

Full Moon

Yes, the new moon! the cycle or pattern will start all

over again.

Moon Phase

Glue your moon phase wheel to your science journal.

Moon Phase Video

Moon Phase animation http://www.pbslearningmedia.org/resourc

e/ess05.sci.ess.eiu.mphase/phases-of-the-moon/

Bill Nye Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=

9g2I0Q6JxvQ Moon Rap https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=

xBc8QHSsFgE

Sources

Power point adapted from NSF North Mississippi GK-8

Power point adapted from Moon Phases Col, Jeananda. Enchanted Learning. Zoom Moon.

Accessed 2005 July 27. <http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/astronomy/moon /Phases.shtml>.

Cooley, Keith. 2001. Moon Phases. Accessed 2005 July 27. <http://home.hiwaay.net/~krcool/Astro/moon/moonphase/>.

U.S. Naval Observatory. 2003 September. Astronomical Applications Accessed 2005 July 27. <http://aa.usno.navy.mil/faq/docs/moon_phases.html>.