Moon (Na tin nik) by Mary Larson and Tami Morrison. Grade level K - 4. Time required Five to ten 60 minute class periods

Transcription

1 Moon (Na tin nik) by Mary Larson and Tami Morrison Grade level K - 4 Time required Five to ten 60 minute class periods Summary Students will learn scientific facts about the Moon and how some American Indian Tribes used the moon to measure time. The Salish word for moon, time, and sun are the same. They will accomplish this by listening to stories and poetry, writing stories, communicating with an astronaut, performing experiments and utilizing the Internet. Materials/Technology Reference books, stories and poems about the Moon, Native American stories about the Moon (see references) Mailbox Book bag lesson plans (see references) Construction paper Internet access (optional) Flashlights Grapefruits or other spheres Classroom turtle along with its housing, food, etc. Objectives The student will: 1) Learn about and be able to describe the Moon and its environment. 2) Learn about what the Moon does to Earth s tides. 3) Be able to tell what kind of role the Moon plays in Native American lives. 4) Learn about the phases of the Moon, what the phases look like and what causes them 5) Learn about solar and lunar eclipses and their causes. 6) Observe the sky during the day and the night for sightings of the Moon. RSI Curriculum tub resources included So That s How the Moon Changes Shape!; Allan Fowler. The Moon Seems to Change; Franklyn M. Branley. The Moon Book; Gail Gibbons (1997). What the Moon is Like; Franklyn M. Branley with book cassette. Midnight on the Moon; Mary Pope Osborne. Thirteen Moons on a Turtle s Back ; Bruchac, J. & London, J. (1992). Space stickers for student work, NASA Full Moon poster, 6 flashlights and batteries Montana Science standards addressed 1) Students design, conduct evaluate and communicate scientific investigations. 2) Students demonstrate knowledge of the composition, structures, processes and interactions of Earth s systems and other objects in space. 1

2 Assessment 1) Ask students to draw pictures of the phases of the Moon and label them. 2) Orally ask students what they have learned about the Moon and record it on tape. Send the tape home or play it during parent-teacher conferences. Background The teacher should prepare by getting several books about the Moon. Some suggested resources can be found in the references section at the end of this unit. In addition, there are some suggested web sites that may be valuable. Below are some basic facts about the Moon that could be included in the lessons. When the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun we observe a solar eclipse. When Earth lines up between the Moon and the Sun, Earth blocks some of the light, making the Moon appear darker. This is called a lunar eclipse. When the Moon appears to get larger, it is waxing. When it appears to get smaller, it is waning. A new moon is when Earth is on one side of the Moon and the Sun is on the opposite side. The Moon and Sun are in their closest positions in the sky during a new moon. During a new moon phase the Moon rises at sunrise and set at sunset. During a waxing crescent moon the Moon rises in the morning and sets in the evening. It can be easily spotted in the western sky at sunset. A first quarter moon rises at sunset and sets at sunrise. It is highest in the sky at midnight. A circle seen around the Moon is caused by cirrostratus clouds made up of tiny ice crystals that reflect the moonlight in a soft rainbow of light. These clouds do not bring precipitation, but are often leading water-laden clouds which bring rain. Procedure Day 1 - Pre unit assessment/introduction 1) Discuss with first graders what they already know about the Moon. 2) Read Moon Book, by Gail Gibbons and discuss moon facts with students (e.g., solar eclipse, lunar eclipse, etc.). 3) Also read a Native American story about the Moon from Joseph Bruchac s Thirteen Moons on Turtle s Back. Introduce the idea that the Moon is a part of Native American culture. Write the Kootenai word for the Moon on the board: Na tin nik and the Salish word for moon: Spqni? Day 2 The phases of the Moon 1) Introduce the phases of the Moon: full moon, half moon, crescent moon, and new moon. Introduce the vocabulary words waxes and wanes to describe changes in the Moon s apparent size and shape. 2) Read the poems The Sometime Moon and What the Moon is by Margaret Hillert (see references) and The Moon by Karen Gunderson (attached). 3) Have students draw pictures of the phases of the Moon. 2

3 4) Look in newspapers and on calendars to see what date the moon phases will appear this month. 5) Suggested Internet site: Day 3 The Moon and Earth s tides 1) Introduce what the Moon does to the tides on Earth (high and low tide) 2) Have students draw and label high and low tides. 3) Read and discuss the traditional story from the Pacific Northwest Tsimshian tribe called How Raven Made the Tides (see references). Day 4 What would it be like to go to the Moon? 1) Read The First Man on the Moon (see references). Discuss what it would be like to go to the Moon (no air, not much gravity, cold at night and hot during the day, no food or liquid water, pockets of ice, etc.). 2) Neil Armstrong, the first human to set foot on the Moon said That s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind. Write to Neil Armstrong at: NASA Dryden Flight Research Center Public Affairs Office Edwards, CA (805) pao@news.dfrc.nasa.gov 3) Have students write an adventure story about the Moon. Day 6 Moon phase activity 1) Students need to work in partners or small groups 2) Place a light source such as a flashlight or overhead projector on a table. This simulates the Sun. 3) One student stands directly in front of the light source, with their back to it. They are a person on Earth. 4) Another student holds the grapefruit (the Moon) in the light rays and moves slowly around the Earth student. This allows the Earth student to see what the Moon looks in its different phases. Further information For further information about these lessons, contact Mary Larson or Tami Morrison via electronic mail at linderln@digisys.net. References Here are some suggested poems about the Moon: The Sometime Moon by Margaret Hillert What the Moon is by Margaret Hillert 3

4 The Moon by Karen Gunderson (attached) Here are some suggested books about the Moon: Bendick, J. (1991). Moons and rings, companions to the planets. Brookfield, CT: Millbrook Press Inc. Bruchac, J. & London, J. (1992). Thirteen moons on Turtle s Back: A Native American year of Moons. New York: Philonel Books. Freeman, M. & Freeman, I. (1979). The Sun, the Moon, and the stars. New York: Random House. Gibbons, G. (1997). The Moon book. New York: Scholastic Inc. Goldish, M. (1989). Does the Moon change shape? In Real Readers. Milwaukee: Raintree Publishers. Lewellen, J. (1981). A new true book, Moon, Sun and stars. Chicago: Childrens Press. Moore, P. (1994). The starry sky. Brookfield, CT: Copper Beech Books. Santrey, L. (1985) Moon: Troll Associates. Here are some suggested websites that have information about the Moon and other astronomical subjects:

5 The Moon by Karen Gunderson The light from the Moon really comes from the Sun Watching its phases can be lots of fun. We can t see a new Moon, because there s no light. But then a thin crescent shows up in the night. Next, quarter moon, half moon, and then very soon. The sky is lit up by a big bright full Moon. As the phases continue the light moves on. Until once again it looks like it s gone. 5