Teaching a lesson on moon phases and eclipses to students is of extreme importance because it describes and explains what we currently know about our solar system and it is a great way to get students to begin making observations. Understanding moon phases and eclipses will help students better understand our solar system, the sun, tides, and much more.
The phases of the moon may be tricky for students because there are many different aspects of the phases of the moon. It’s important to teach it in an educational yet fun way so that the students can get hooked and motivated to learn the lesson and master it. I plan on incorporating as many hands on activities as I possibly can so that the students can obtain a positive fun experience that will help them understand the moon phases.
This unit lesson plan will allow students to practice their skills in drawing as well as how to make models, observations, watch educational videos, and writing. After the lesson, students will understand that the moon orbits around the Earth and Earth orbits around the sun. They will understand what causes the moon phases, and why the moon appears to be a different shape every night. My overall purpose is to teach the students how to make their own observations in order to find answers to questions they may be seeking.
Core Curriculum Content Standards Addressed
The observable shape of the Moon changes from day to day in a cycle that lasts 29.5 days. Identify patterns of the Moon’s appearance and make predictions about its future appearance based observational data. 5.4.4.A.2
The Sun is a star that can only be seen during the day. The Moon is not a star and can be seen sometimes at night and sometimes during the day. The Moon appears to have different shapes on different days. Determine a set of general rules describing when the Sun and Moon are visible based on actual sky observations. 5.4.2.A.1
The relative positions and motions of the Sun, Earth, and Moon result in the phases of the Moon, eclipses, and the daily and monthly cycle of tides. Analyze moon-phase, eclipse, and tidal data to construct models that explain how the relative positions and motions of the Sun, Earth, and Moon cause these three phenomena. 5.4.8.A.1
The phases of the moon may be tricky for students because there are many different aspects of the phases of the moon. It’s important to teach it in an educational yet fun way so that the students can get hooked and motivated to learn the lesson and master it. I plan on incorporating as many hands on activities as I possibly can so that the students can obtain a positive fun experience that will help them understand the moon phases.
This unit lesson plan will allow students to practice their skills in drawing as well as how to make models, observations, watch educational videos, and writing. After the lesson, students will understand that the moon orbits around the Earth and Earth orbits around the sun. They will understand what causes the moon phases, and why the moon appears to be a different shape every night. My overall purpose is to teach the students how to make their own observations in order to find answers to questions they may be seeking.
Core Curriculum Content Standards Addressed
The observable shape of the Moon changes from day to day in a cycle that lasts 29.5 days. Identify patterns of the Moon’s appearance and make predictions about its future appearance based observational data. 5.4.4.A.2
The Sun is a star that can only be seen during the day. The Moon is not a star and can be seen sometimes at night and sometimes during the day. The Moon appears to have different shapes on different days. Determine a set of general rules describing when the Sun and Moon are visible based on actual sky observations. 5.4.2.A.1
The relative positions and motions of the Sun, Earth, and Moon result in the phases of the Moon, eclipses, and the daily and monthly cycle of tides. Analyze moon-phase, eclipse, and tidal data to construct models that explain how the relative positions and motions of the Sun, Earth, and Moon cause these three phenomena. 5.4.8.A.1