Lesson Plan: Introduction to Moon Phases

Submitted by Jennifer Baxter, 8/09

Background information: The series of moon lessons designed during this workshop will be included in the Grade 2 Palmyra-Macedon Primary School curriculum on Seasonal Changes/Astronomy.

NYS Standards Covered:

STANDARD 1 - ANALYSIS, INQUIRY, AND DESIGN

Key Idea 1: The central purpose of scientific inquiry is to develop explanations of natural phenomena in a continuing, creative process.

Scientific Inquiry Performance Indicator S1.1 Ask "why" questions in attempts to seek greater understanding concerning objects and events they have observed and heard about.

S1.1a Observe and discuss objects and events and record observations

S1.1b Articulate appropriate questions based on observations

S1.2 Question the explanations they hear from others and read about, seeking clarification and comparing them with their own observations and understandings.

S1.2a Identify similarities and differences between explanations received from others or in print and personal observations or understandings

Key Idea 2: Beyond the use of reasoning and consensus, scientific inquiry involves the testing of proposed explanations involving the use of conventional techniques and procedures and usually requiring considerable ingenuity.

Scientific Inquiry Performance Indicator S2.1Develop written plans for exploring phenomena or for evaluating explanations guided by questions or proposed explanations they have helped formulate.

S2.1a Indicate materials to be used and steps to follow to conduct the investigation and describe how data will be recorded (journal, dates and times, etc.)

Key Idea 3: The observations made while testing proposed explanations, when analyzed using conventional and invented methods, provide new insights into phenomena.

Scientific Inquiry Performance Indicator S3.1 Organize observations and measurements of objects and events through classification and the preparation of simple charts and tables.

S3.1a Accurately transfer data from a science journal or notes to appropriate graphic organizer

Scientific Inquiry Performance Indicator S3.2 Interpret organized observations and measurements, recognizing simple patterns, sequences, and relationships.

S3.2a State, orally and in writing, any inferences or generalizations indicated by the data collected.

Scientific Inquiry Performance Indicator S3.3 Share their findings with others and actively seek their interpretations and ideas.

S3.3a Explain their findings to others, and actively listen to suggestions for possible interpretations and ideas

Scientific Inquiry Performance Indicator S3.4 Adjust their explanations and understandings of objects and events based on their findings and new ideas.

S3.4a State, orally and in writing, any inferences or generalizations indicated by the data, with appropriate modifications of their original prediction/explanation

S3.4b State, orally and in writing, any new questions that arise from their investigation

STANDARD 4 ELEMENTARY LEVEL - THE PHYSICAL SETTING

Key Idea 1: The Earth and celestial phenomena can be described by principles of relative motion and perspective.

Physical Setting Performance Indicator 1.1 Describe patterns of daily, monthly, and seasonal changes in their environment.

1.1a Natural cycles and patterns include:

  • Earth spinning around once every 24 hours (rotation) resulting in day and night
  • Earth moving in a path around the Sun (revolution), resulting in one Earth year
  • the length of daylight and darkness varying with the seasons
  • weather changing from day to day and through the seasons
  • the appearance of the Moon changing as it moves in a path around Earth to complete a single cycle

1.1b Humans organize time into units based on natural motions of the earth:

  • second, minute, hour
  • week, Month

1.1c The Sun and other stars appear to move in a recognizable pattern both daily and seasonally.

Science content concepts included in this unit: the “scientific” explanation for the seasons using related interactive websites and kinesthetic learning, comparing the traits of Earth, the Sun, and our Moon, concepts of rotation and revolution, the Sun’s apparent motion in the sky (i.e. rise in east, set in west), moon phases, and a brief introduction to the Constellations, including the Big Dipper, Polaris, Little Dipper, and why the constellations became the basis for stories long ago. This unit generally takes about four weeks, depending on the length and frequency of lessons.

Lesson summary: The premise of this lesson begins asexploratory inquiry, at the beginning of the Seasonal Changes unit. Students make and record observations (drawings with brief descriptions) of the moon on their own (with a minimum of teacher facilitation). After tracking the moon phases for approximately one month, they will examine their journals/observations and look for a pattern. The outcome of this series of lessons is that students understand that the moon, as the Earth, travels in a regular and predictable cycle. Students will be able to match the names of the moon phases to visual representation and sequence them properly.

Related vocabulary: day, week, month, rotation, revolution, Sun, Earth, moon, phases, lunar, new moon, waxing, waning, crescent, quarter, gibbous, full moon.

Unit Outline:

  1. Cyclic nature of seasons; Earth and Sun cause seasons
  2. Rotation/Day and Night
  3. Moon Introduction and being calendar observations (n.b. the timing of this is also dependent on moon phases; beginning with a full moon is preferable)
  4. Earth’s tilt and travel cause seasons
  5. Model of Sun, Moon, and Earth
  6. Properties of the Sun as a star
  7. Constellations as “star pictures”
  8. Properties of the Moon as compared to Earth and Sun
  9. Moon phases
  10. Culminating activities and unit assessment. Open inquiry in the form of an investigation may occur at this point or even during, depending on the interests of the students. Further questions may arise throughout the course of the series of lessons, or the unit as a whole. Again, this depends on the interests of the students, their abilities to work in a self-directed manner, and their reading levels.

Literacy Integration: A literacy component will run parallel to these content-based lessons during an ELA block, either during formal reading instruction or Reader’s Workshop. Goals for the literacy component include: understanding the difference between fiction and nonfiction texts, their critical attributes and text features (nonfiction), and also distinguish between elements of realism and fantasy. Some selected books are listed, but actual books used depend on the availability of titles and guided reading levels of students.

Throughout the unit, vocabulary and ideas may be recorded on an Alphaboxes chart and Think-Wonder-Connect chart. The teacher will need to model appropriate use of each chart and initial experiences should use a “shared pen” approach. As students become more comfortable they may add to the chart on their own.

Suggested Literature:

Fiction:

Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me by Eric Carle

Somewhere in the World Right Now by Stacey Schuett

Thirteen Moons on Turtle’s Back by Joseph Bruchac

Moon Man by Tomi Ungerer

Moongame by Frank Asch

Mooncake by Frank Asch

Moonbear’s Shadow by Frank Asch (how shadows occur)

Nonfiction:

The Moon Book by Gail Gibbons

The Moon Seems to Change by Franklyn Branley

The Moon by Seymour Simon (text is higher level, but photos are super)

So That’s How the Moon Changes Shape by Allan Fowler

Alphaboxes

A / B / C / D
E / F / G / H
I / J / K / L
M / N / O / P
Q / R / S / T
U / V / W / X
Y / Z

Name ______Active Reading: TWC

Directions: As you read, make notes in the Think-Wonder-Connect graphic organizer.

Think

(WOW facts) /

Wonder

(Ask questions not answered in text) /

Connect

(Text to Self, Text to Text,
Text to World)