The Moon

The Moon

• 1.
  PRIMARY SCHOOL "VASILAPRILOV" - RUSE DIVE IN THE SKY The Moon Lesson Plan Objectives: By the end of this unit the children should: • Know that the Moon orbits the Earth and takes approximately 28 days to complete one rotation. • Understand how the Moon passes through different phases. • Appreciate that the Moon’s path may give rise to solar and lunar eclipses. • Be introduced to the idea that the pull of gravity from the Moon and Sun causes tides on Earth. • Know that the Moon is a satellite of Earth. Key Teaching Points The Moon is a natural satellite (a body that remains in orbit around a planet) of the Earth. It takes approximately 28 days, a lunar month, to make one complete orbit. During this time the shape of the Moon appears to change. We see the Moon because it refl ects light from the Sun. A shadow is created on Earth when the Moon passes directly between the Sun and the Earth. This is called a solar eclipse. When the Moon passes directly behind the Earth, the Earth blocks light from the Sun and creates a shadow. This is called a lunar eclipse. Starter Activity (10 minutes) Arrange the children into groups of four or fi ve. Give each group a sheet of paper and pencils/pens. Ask the children to draw the Moon in the centre of the page, and then write, or draw, everything theyknow about the Moon around it. Draw an example on the whiteboard to get the groups started. Encourage the children to think creatively about the task. Give the children 6-7 minutes. Ask some of the children to share their ideas with the class.
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  Main Activity (40minutes) Explain to the children that during this lesson they are going to be looking at why the Moon appears to change shape, and the effects the Moon has on the Earth. Ask the groups that mentioned the different shapes (phases) of the Moon in the starter activity to explain what they know about these. If no one has mentioned them, ask the children if they have noticed that the Moon doesn’t always look the same. Tell the children that the fi lm they are about to watch explains why we see the Moon differently throughout the month. Common misconception: Some children believe that the Moon can only be seen at night. If possible, point it out to them on days when it is visible. Ask: 1) Why we are able to see the Moon? Because its surface refl ects light from the Sun. We can only see the Moon when this happens. 2) What term do we use to describe the path of the Moon around the Earth? Orbit. 3) How long does it take the Moon to make one complete orbit of the Earth? Around 28 days. 4) What is this period of time known as? A lunar month. 5) How many lunar months are there in one year? Approximately 13 (365 ÷ 28). Tell the children that the Moon’s different shapes each have a different name. Several were mentioned in the fi lm. Note: The orientation of the Moon phase will differ, depending on the relative positions of the Sun and Moon, and also the position of the viewer on the Earth. In the northern hemisphere, the fi rst crescent after the new moon (waxing crescent) appears from the right and grows bigger towards the left. In the southern hemisphere it appears from the left and grows bigger towards the right. Give each child a copy of the Phases of the Moon activity sheet. Ask the children to cut out the labels and pictures and arrange them in order. Display the Phases of the Moon classroom visual on the whiteboard. Ask the children to check their answers. The pictures and labels can then be stuck onto the activity sheet. Clarify the words “waxing” (getting bigger) and “waning” (getting smaller). Explain that gibbous moons are bigger in size than a quarter moon. Crescent moons are smaller in size than a quarter moon. Explain that they will now look at the effect the Moon has on Earth at different times.
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  Play the film The grunion fi sh. Main Activity continued... Ask: 1) What are tides? The periodic rise and fall of the sea during the day. We describe the tide as “in” or “high” when the average sea level rises, and “out” or “low” when it falls. High and low tides both usually occur twice a day. 2) When do the grunion fi sh spawn? At high tide, during a full or new moon. Ask the children to describe a new moon and a full moon. A new moon = no face is showing. A full moon = the whole face showing. Explain to the children that the force of gravity becomes smaller as you move further away from the centre of the body that is creating it. The gravity on Earth is strong enough to hold us to the ground, but if we were to travel into space we would not feel the effects of gravity, even though it is still there. The Sun and Moon also create gravity. It is this that pulls the seas and oceans to cause tides. When the Earth, Moon and Sun are in line there is a greater pull, which causes stronger spring tides. If the Earth, Moon and Sun are at right angles the pull is weaker, which causes neap tides.
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  Display the Eclipsediagram on the whiteboard. Remind the children that the shadows are areas of darkness that are created when the Sun’s light is blocked. If it is the Moon and Earth that are blocking the Sun’s light, the shadows created are called eclipses. Use one or more of the following fi lms to conclude the lesson: Play the fi lm Did you know? Ask: How do we know so much about the structure of the Moon? Because astronauts have travelled to the Moon and gathered samples and explored the surface. Play the fi lm The fi rst moon landing. Play the fi lm Odd one out. (You can pause at 00:30 and ask the children to discuss.) Play the fi lm Big reveal. Play the fi lm True or false. (You can pause at 00:20 and ask the children to vote.) Planning an Investigation What do you want to fi nd out? What do you predict will happen? Which ONE variable will you change? Which variable will you measure? How will you do this? Write down all the things that you could change in your experiment. These are the variables. Think about the question you want to answer. Is it a how, why, which or what question? Equipment and resources: Taking measurements: Diagrams: What do you need to carry out your investigation? What are the units of the measurements? How often will you take measurements? What other observations might you make? Method: Draw what you are going to do in your experiment. Write down the steps you will need to carry out in the correct order. Record your results in a table: What I changed... What I changed...
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  What happened? Why doyou think this happened? Did your results show a pattern? Were there any unexpected results? Was your prediction correct? What would you change if you were carrying out this investigation again? What could you investigate next? Did your results show a pattern?