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Arizona STEM

Acceleration Project

Magical Moon Faces

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Magical Moon Phases

A 4th Grade STEM Lesson

Ana Ramirez

4/7/2024

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Notes for Teachers

This lesson takes place in a classroom for one or more hours.
Students may work in small groups of 2-4.
An emphasis on the target product (a functioning model of the phases of the moon).
Creative solutions should be encouraged.
Facilitate student reflection on why and how the moon goes through its phases.

List of Materials:

Model of the phases of the moon Materials:

• Science notebooks (1 per student) • Pencils

Activity

• A light that can stand or clamp on a table
• A pencil
• A foam ball, white, 2-1/2” or 3”

The Moon Book | Gail Gibbons | Lunar Cycle | Read Aloud Book

Additional Resources:

Faces of the moon

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Arizona Science Standards

Science Standards:

4.E1U1.6

Plan and carry out an investigation to explore and explain the interactions between Earth's major systems and the impact on Earth's surface materials and processes.

Science and Engineering Practices

ask questions and define problems
develop and use models
plan and carry out investigations
analyze and interpret data
use mathematical and computational thinking
construct explanations and design solutions
engage in argument from evidence
obtain, evaluate and communicate information

Arizona ELA Standards

4.RL.1 Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.

4.RL.3 Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., a character’s thoughts, words, or actions).

4.W.7 Conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.

4.SL.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 4 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.

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Objectives:

Today we will explain how the moon’s phases are caused by its orbit around the earth.

Today we will describe how the moon is smaller than the sun but appears the same size because it’s closer.

Today we will collaborate and communicate effectively with our peers to complete an engineering design challenge.

Today students will be able to design and engineer a model of the phases of the moon!

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Agenda (60 minutes)

What causes the moon to look like it is changing shape? What makes the moon and sun look like they are the same size??
The Moon Book
Engineering a a model of the phases of the moon
Share or present

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What causes the moon to look like it is changing shape?

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Phases of the Moon

The moonlight we see on Earth is sunlight reflected off the Moon's grayish-white surface. The amount of Moon we see illuminated changes over the month — lunar phases — because the Moon orbits Earth and Earth orbits the Sun.

As the moon orbits the Earth, we can see a different amount of the moon is lit by the sun from our perspective on Earth. Sometimes the moon is completely lit, and other times it is completely dark. The illuminated shape of the moon that is visible from Earth is called a phase.

Vocabulary introduction so students can use academic content in their discussions: The Moon-The moon is a natural object that orbits around the Earth. Earth has only one moon called “the moon” but other planets like Jupiter have at least 69 moons!

Earth-Moon-Sun System

A system is a set of things that are connected. The earth, moon and sun are connected because their orbits depend on each other. The earth orbits around the sun and the moon orbits around the earth.

New Moon

The first phase of the moon. In this phase, the moon is completely dark since we can’t see the side that the sun is shining on.

Crescent Moon

The second phase of the moon. In this phase, we can see sunlight reflecting off only about one quarter of the moon’s surface that faces us.

Quarter Moon

The third phase of the moon. In this phase, we can see sunlight reflecting off half of the moon’s surface that faces us.

Gibbous Moon

The fourth phase of the moon. In this phase, we can see sunlight reflecting off three quarters of the moon’s surface that faces us. It’s not a full moon yet, but it’s getting there.

Full Moon

The fifth phase of the moon. In this phase, we can see sunlight reflecting off ALL of the moon’s surface that faces us. In this phase the moon appears round and completely lit up.

Asteroid

A large rocky object found flying through space. They can be just a few feet in diameter to hundreds of miles in diameter!

Lunar Rays

Streaks left by an asteroid hitting the moon as material is ejected due to the force of the impact. Lunar material flies out in different directions leaving trails called rays. Scientists can learn about the asteroid impacts of the past from the patterns of rays they leave behind.

Lunar Mare

Huge, dark areas on the moon’s surface formed by ancient volcanic eruptions.

Tides

The alternate rising and falling of the ocean due to the gravitational pull of the moon.

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Read-Aloud

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Hands-On Activity Instructions

In a group of 2-4, engineer a model of the phases of the moon to explain why the moon has phases and to describe the relationships of the moon, sun and earth.

Constraints:

A pencil
A foam ball, white, 2-1/2” or 3”
15 minutes
A light that can stand or clamp on a table

The premise of this activity is two-fold.

1. Students experience the design process of creating and recreating (iterating) a model of the phases of the moon to explain why the moon has

phases and to describe the relationships of the moon, sun and earth.

2. Students experience an integrated STEAM lesson with combined content from Science (physics), Technology (model of the moon), Engineering (model

of the phases of the moon to explain why the moon has phases) Arts (creative design), and Math (geometry) What determines what time of day the Moon is

visible? And what causes the Moon to change phases in the first place? The answer is math—and geometry; The fraction of the half that we see, the phase of

the Moon, depends on the geometry of the Sun- Earth-Moon triangle: for example, at full Moon the “triangle” is a straight line Sun-Earth-Moon, whereas at new Moon it is a straight line Sun-Moon-Earth; at first and third quarters it is a right-angled.

Faces of the Moon Instructions

Instructions

Place the lamp on a table you can stand near.

Carefully, push the pencil into the middle of the foam ball (the moon).

Turn on the lamp (the sun) and turn off the room lights.

Hold the pencil with the ball out at arm’s length.

With your arm held out straight, turn your whole body slowly to the left.

Take a photo of what you see each 1/8th of a turn (or draw it in your notebook).

You may want to show parts of the Basics video depending on your assessment of your students’ abilities. It is important not to give the

students the impression they need to copy what is done in the video. They should be creative when creating their model of the phases of the moon to

explain why the moon has phases and to describe the relationships of the moon, sun and earth.

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How do we assess our work?

We field test our invention
We seek feedback
We iterate and repeat

We evaluate our final iteration’s ability to meet requirements and stay within constraints

Assessment: When evaluating or assessing engineering projects we should be looking at the process and the product.

Process

Did the group follow the engineering design process by generating ideas, developing prototypes, testing, and improving?

Product

Does the final iteration meet the requirements (Models are accurately labeled and identifiable)? Models define what phase of the moon is shown and how it occurs. Models show proper placements in relevance to the Earth, Moon, and Sun. All 8 phases are represented in correct order, starting with the new moon within constraints (time and materials provided).

This could be done with a rubric, a performance (students demonstrate their working model live), an oral presentation (explaining their process and product), a visual product (a poster, video clip, etc.).

Many of these ideas are outside the timeframe of a single day lesson so this is a good fit for a longer unit of study.

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Assessment

Test your Models:

Are the models accurately labeled and identifiable?
Are your models defining what phase of the moon is shown and how it occurs?
Are your models showing proper placements in relevance to the Earth, Moon and Sun?
Are all all 8 phases represented in correct order, starting with the new moon?

ELA Assessment

How can you connect your model to the book facts in Moon Book by Gail Gibbons?

Describe in detail how the author observes the moon and the relationship between the moon, the sun, and the earth.

Explain how we can see the moon and why it looks different throughout the month. Discuss how the moon orbits around Earth.

Assessment: Throughout the activity, which may take multiple days, you should check in with each group to see how they are progressing. Ask probing questions and see if they understand the process of making the models which need to be accurately labeled and identifiable. Also, engage students in reflection about how their process compares to the facts from the Moon Book. The final assessment could be a demonstration of students presenting their models as a group demonstrating each of the 8 phases in order and can explain why they appear in the same order. Students can present a photo or video of their models working, photos of their models along with a Venn diagram of their work and the Moon Book, a short paragraph comparing their models with the facts from the book, etc. One of these activities can also work as an exit ticket to wrap up the lesson.

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Differentiation

One way to differentiate in this lesson is to provide some groups a template for their model design. This can help students who struggle with the “getting started” phase.

Another option is to provide a storyboard activity to reinforce and assess the phases of the moon.

Remediation

Extension/Enrichment

Students who are successful could create their own moon models using balloons and paper instead of ready-made balls.
Students can decorate their models to depict the surface of the moon and answer the following questions:
Where would the moon be in order for the observer to see a new moon?
How would you position yourself so that the observer sees a first quarter moon?
How would you position yourself so that the observer sees a 3rd quarter moon?
Does the moon make its own light?