MOON MADNESS TIME ALLOTMENT: Two 45-minute classes (and one complete cycle of moon phases). OVERVIEW: The lessons contained in the Moon Mania CD are designed to help the student learn more about the earth s moon. The particular lesson utilized in this activity focuses on providing an understanding of the phases of the moon. The CD-ROM is for teacher reference and it is a source of ideas and student worksheets. The websites included in the lesson are for the students to use for reference. SUBJECT MATTER: LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Science The learner will Model the motions of the Earth-moon-sun system to explain moon phases. Understand the relationship between the movement of the earth and the illumination of the moon. Make observations of the moon to better understand the phases. Become familiar with the history of the United States exploration of the moon. Use computer software to create a plaque that would symbolize a mission to the earth s moon. Explore selected Web sites to learn more about the moon phases and moon exploration. STANDARDS: GRADES 3-5 JOYCE TATE & NANCY FARLEY National Science Education Standards http://bob.nap.edu/html/nses/html Content Standard D: Objects in the sky Changes in Earth and Sky Louisiana Science Frameworks: State Standards for Curriculum Development http://www.lcet.doe.state.la.us/doe/assessment/ standards/science.pdf SI-E-A2: Planning and/or designing and conducting a scientific investigation; SI-E-A4: Employing equipment and tools to gather data and extend the sensory observations; SI-E-A6: Communicating observations and experiments in oral and written formats; SI-E-A7: Utilizing safety procedures during experiments. SI-E-B1: Categorizing questions into what is known, what is not known, and what questions need to be explained; SI-E-B2: Using appropriate experiments depending on the questions to be explored; SI-E-B3: Choosing appropriate equipment and tools to conduct an experiment; SI-E-B4: Developing explanations by using observations and experiments; SI-E-B5: Presenting the results of experiments; SI-E-B6: Reviewing and asking questions about the results of investigations. ESS-E-C4: Modeling the motions of the Earthmoon-sun system to explain day and night, a year, eclipses, moon phases, and tides; PS-E-B3: Describing an object s motion by racing and measuring its position over time.
MEDIA COMPONENT: CD-ROM Moon Mania CD. This CD-ROM can also be accessed at this URL: http://letrc.lpb.org/moonmania Web sites http://letrc.lpb.org/moonmania//lessons/phases/ This Web site is the online version of the Moon Mania CD. It is for the teacher to use to print out activity sheets and read background information on the topic. This Web site will provide a monthly calendar illustrating the moon phases for any year given. U.S. Naval Observatory maintains this site that explains how the moon phases occur. It has diagrams that would help students complete the moon phase activity sheet. This Web site uses virtual reality to allow students to view the current phase as it would appear from any location or time, as well as the current time. www.historyplace.com/unitedstates/apollo11 This Web site details the NASA Apollo 11 mission. http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/lunar/apollo11.html This is an excellent site that shows examples of mission patches for Apollo 11 http://www.nasm.edu/apollo/as11/a11av.htm This site contains Real Player videos of the launch of Apollo 11
MATERIALS: Per Class: Moon Mania CD Computer (Internet access) with PC/TV converter, printer and paper Kid Pix software (http://www.kidpix.com) 8 cups and pin One large Styrofoam ball (4 inch diameter at least) with one hemisphere shaded with a marker Stick to support Styrofoam ball Per Group of four Students: Computer (Internet access) and Kid Pix or drawing software Moon model Styrofoam ball (held on a stick/pencil) Per Student: Blank paper Phases of the Moon activity sheet (Download sheet & answers from Moon Mania CD) Monthly Moon Phase Calendar (attached) Chocolate filled cookie such as Oreo Plastic knife Napkin or paper towel PREP FOR TEACHERS: 1. From the Moon Mania CD-ROM, print out the lesson on Moon Phases to be used as reference during the activities 2. Print the Student Activity sheets 3. Bookmark Web sites: For the Learning Activities: http://letrc.lpb.org/moonmania//facts.htm For the Culminating Activity: http://www.historyplace.com/unitedstates/apollo11 http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/lunar/apollo11.html http://www.nasm.edu/apollo/as11/a11av.htm http://stipo.larc.nasa.gov/browse/apollo11.html 4. Set up eight desks or chairs in an octagon shape (chairs placed about 6 feet away from center) with the Styrofoam model of the moon in the middle. (Shade one hemisphere of a Styrofoam ball black and place it on a stick/pencil.) Line up the moon so one position sees a New Moon. (Station 1) The other desks are labeled Station 2, 3, etc. Each desk/chair should have a viewer (a paper cup with a pencil hole punched in the bottom).
INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY: 1. Ask the question: Why is it that the moon appears to be different each night? (answers will vary, but some will probably say because the earth and moon rotate as the sun illuminates both objects) 2. Each group of four students should divide a sheet of paper in half. On the first half, students can list as many facts as they can about the Earth. Using the opposite side of the paper, list moon facts. Resource materials and websites may be used. Direct students to the book marked sites: Ask the students to correct any misconceptions they might have had or to add to their list of facts by reading information on the Web sites. LEARNING ACTIVITIES: These activities are based on the Moon Mania CD-ROM lesson: Moon Phases Step 1: Students will then move to the circle of chairs around the Styrofoam model. They will rotate through the positions and at each place carefully view the phases of the moon through their viewer. (Hold the cup opening close to the eye to view) They then draw that phase on their Phases of the Moon sheet. Students should rotate counterclockwise through the eight positions drawing the phase of the moon they view from each position. After every student has drawn the phases of the moon, review what they did and have them write the common names given to these phases. (answers will vary, but they may not know the correct names) Explain to them that the moon and the earth are moving when the phases are observed from the earth. Step 2: Send the students to the computer and have them access the book marked sites: Instruct them to compare their drawings with the phases of the moon that they will find at these sites. (alternate plan: If there is only one computer in the classroom, the teacher will access the sites. The image can be projected on a screen with an LCD projector or viewed on a television monitor with a PC/TV converter.) They should record the names of the phases of the moon with the appropriate drawing. Step 4: Take the students outside with unmarked Styrofoam spheres that have been attached to the sticks/ pencils. Have students experiment with standing between the sun s light and someone else holding the Styrofoam ball on the stick. (Discuss how shadows cause the light and dark side of the moon.) Step 5: Make the following assignment: Distribute a copy of the Moon Phase Calendar to each student. Using a Web site to track each night s moon phase. Provide the URL s of the book marked class Web sites for reference. It is also advised that the students attempt to make their own observations of the moon, if weather permits. At the end of the moon s cycle, there will be a completed calendar of the moon phases and the class can then compare the monthly calendar to their own Moon Phase activity sheet.
CULMINATING ACTIVITIES: To stimulate interest in lunar topics, the teacher will review with the students in a whole group the Apollo 11 moon landing, with Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins. The Moon Mania CD-ROM has a similar activity with examples of plaques. The name of the lesson found there is Design a Plaque: What Would You Leave on the Moon? (http://letrc.lpb.org/moonmania//lessons/plaque/) http://www.historyplace.com/unitedstates/apollo11 http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/lunar/apollo11.html http://www.nasm.edu/apollo/as11/a11av.htm For a better view of the plaque show students the website with the original moon plaque left by Apollo 11 astronauts: http://stipo.larc.nasa.gov/browse/apollo11.html Students may want to use the planning sheet on Kid Pix to make a rough drawing of a plaque they would leave if they visited the moon. Have students create their plaques in Kid Pix. Print and display the students plaques around the classroom. Assess student work with a rubric. (Moon Mania CD or http://letrc.lpb.org/moonmania) As an extra fun treat: In groups of eight, give each student a chocolate cookie with white filling. Divide the cookie into two parts. Spread the icing to represent a moon phase. Plan to have extra cookies that can be eaten at the end of the class period. CROSS-CURRICULAR: The culminating activity may be conducted in conjunction with the art, social studies, and/or technology portion of the curriculum. In a self-contained class, the teacher will be able to coordinate these activities into the lesson plans. Students can be encouraged to look for current events in space exploration and research results of moon exploration missions. STUDENT MATERIALS: Student activity sheets and the evaluation rubric are located on the Moon Mania CD. These can be printed by the teacher, or the students can use the CD-ROM to print them individually. Moon Phase Calendar (attached)
Moon Phase Calendar Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday