The Moon

What do you already know about the moon?

What do you want to know about the moon?

The moon is smaller than the stars and the planets.

It is Earth’s closest neighbor, only 240 thousand miles away!

The moon is about one-fourth as wide as the Earth.

How big is the moon?

Gravity- The force that holds things to the ground and determines how much they weigh.

Gravity is six times stronger on Earth than on the moon.

If you stepped on a scale on the moon you would only weigh one-sixth of your weight on Earth.

Why does the moon look bright like the sun?

The moonlight we see from Earth is really light from the sun! The

sunlight strikes the Moon and reflects

onto Earth.Photograph of sun lighting moon

I know the moon has craters. What is a crater?

• When the moon first formed, it’s surface was hot, molten rock.

• Many impacts by asteroids and other moving particles in space left craters.

• They were formed by meteoroid's, and rocks from space.

Why does the moon always look different?

• The moon has different phases!

Does the Moon move?Does the Moon move?

• The Moon rotates.

• The Moon moves (orbits) around the Earth.

• The moon is the Earth’s only satellite.

HOMEWORK

Keep a “Moon Journal” and draw a picture of what

the moon looks like each night.

*Be sure to date every page*

The Moon and Earth• To find out how they interact, read

pages D6-D11 in your Science book.

Exit Slip:

1. Why can it be day where you live and night in Asia? You may draw a picture to help you explain your answer.

2. What shape is the moon? Why does it appear to change shape?