Title: The Man in the Moon

Name: Carolyn Furlong

Date: April 8, 2011

Class/Unit: Class 6 and 7 of
To Infinity and Beyond Buzz Light-Year

Learning Objectives keyed to the NYS Learning Standards:

F Learning Objective #10

4.

Students will be able to explain how planets remain in orbit by describing

gravitational force.

F Learning Objective #11

12. Students will be able to draw the moon phases by identifying the area where
sun light is being reflected off the surface of the moon.

F Learning Objective #12

13. Students will be able to identify the moon phases by matching images of moon
phases to what they see during a hands-on activity.

F Learning Objective #14

14. Students will be able to draw the moon phases by analyzing how the dark side
of the moon and the far side of the moon are related to moon phases.

F Learning Objective #15

15. Students will be able to explain why there are moon phases by describing the
motion of the moon around the earth.

F Learning Objective #16

16. Students will be able to explain a new moon phase and a full moon phase by
comparing the position of the Sun, Earth and Moon during the phase.

F Learning Objective #17

17. Students will be able to identify repeated space patterns by summarizing the
cyclic pattern of moon phases.

F Learning Objective #18

18. Students will be able to draw the phases of the moon.

F Learning Objective #19

19. Students will be able to describe lunar and solar eclipses by identifying the
locations of the sun, earth and moon.
NATIONAL SCIENCE CONTENT
STANDARDS MET BY OBJECTIVES:

A1d
D3b

Standard

KI

PI

MU

1.1

1.1d

Standard

KI

PI

MU

4
4

1
1

1.1
1.1

1.1e
1.1g

Standard

KI

PI

MU

1.1

1.1g

Standard

KI

PI

MU

4
4

1
1

1.1
1.1

1.1e
1.1g

Standard

KI

PI

MU

1.1

1.1e

Standard

KI

PI

MU

4
4

1
1

1.1
1.1

1.1e
1.1g

Standard

KI

PI

MU

4
4

1
1

1.1
1.1

1.1e
1.1g

Standard

KI

PI

MU

1.1

1.1e

Standard

KI

PI

MU

1.1

1.1e

Materials:
A list of what is required, including any AV materials, to run your lesson.
Computer
Internet access
Elmo and projector
Projector screen
Light source (lamp, lantern, etc.) 5
Styrofoam balls one for each student
Moon phase cut outs a set for each student
Envelopes to put moon phase cut outs in one for each student
Pencils one for each student
Colored pencils one pencil for each student
Text books or boxes (to lift the light source to the eye level of students) as many as necessary
Tape
marker
Worksheets
o Drawing Moon Phases What do you see?
o Drawing Moon Phases Whats actually happening
o Oreo in the sky
Oreo in the Sky Rubric
Mini-Oreo cookies (8 for each student)
Plastic snack bags
Paper plates
Plastic knifes one for each student
Plastic spoons one for each student
Napkins
Globe
Styrofoam ball on string
Time-budgeted Procedure: Double Lab Period
Time (minutes)
Activities
1st Class Period
2

Introduce and show video on www.BrainPOP.com to introduce topic (show first 1:16)

Question session and discussion on video can students explain what is going on

25

Moon phase activity and worksheets

Discussion, explanation and conclusion of moon phases

nd

2 Class Period
25

Oreo in the Sky

12

Lunar and Solar Eclipse Demonstration

Summary of eclipses by showing video from www.BrainPOP.com (if time permits)

Safety: Students need to be careful when using plastic knives.

Teacher Notes:
Lab Prep
Before students arrive:
o Load video to computer
Log into www.BrainPOP.com using the username: groton and the password: brainpop.
In the search bar search moon. Video should take only a few seconds to fully load.
o up moon phase activity
Check light sources to see if all work.
Close all blinds in the classroom. For the activity you want it as dark as possible within the
classroom.
Distribute lights sources around the room. Place one on tables near each corner of the room and
the fifth light source right in the middle of the classroom (If students sit at the desk located in the
center of the room, wait until the class splits into groups to put this light source out). Lights
should be far enough away from each other that the lights wont cause shadowing within other
groups areas
Cut 4 pieces of tape that are about 1.5 feet long. Tape the pieces to the ground so that they create
a star shaped pattern shown below. Write 1-8 on the ends of the take, in the pattern shown
below. Repeat this step at every group for every student.
2
1 8
3

4 5
6
Set up each station with 2-4 tape stars so that there are enough areas for all students to stand.
The room should look like this:
Desks in use
Desks not in use
Light source
Tape on ground

Make sure all Styrofoam balls are securely attached to the end of a pencil. (Do not put these out
at group tables yet).
At each group, place the light source in the middle of the table
o Preparation for second period class (should be done at the beginning of the day)
Divide bags of mini Oreos into plastic snack bags. Each snack bag needs 8 whole Oreos in it.
Make sure there are enough snack bags with 8 Oreos in it for each student.
o Place on the students desks the corrected exit slip from the previous days. (The Solar System and Orbits)
Introduce and show video on www.BrainPOP.com to introduce topic (show first 1:16)
(2 minutes)
Say to the class: Today we will be learning about the moon! We are going to start class off by watching a part of a
video.
Play video for 1 minute 16 seconds. Stop the video once the character says, Moon watching can be fun
(BrainPOP.com, 2011b).
While the BrainPOP video is playing, take attendance of the class.

Question session and discussion on video

(5 minutes)
When the video is done, ask the class: What are some things you know about the moon?
o Call on students to list different information and ideas they know (or think they know) about the moon.
o Carefully correct their information based on what they answered
Say to the class (if no one brings up the idea of moon phases): Does the moon look the same every night in the
sky? Has anyone noticed that the moon appears to be a different shape different nights?
o Students explain how the moon appears differently on different days. Students might be able to describe
some characteristic distinguishing the different phases they see.
Say to the class: The changes in the moons appearance are called moon phases, like the video described. Moon
phases are the changes in the amount of light that is visible to an observer on earth. The moon doesnt actually
change shape; the amount of visible sun light that is reflected off the moon is what actually changes.
Moon Phase Activity (Modified from Schatz, 2005)
(Total activity 25 minutes)
Lab set up and instructions 5 minutes
Say to the class: So we are going to do an activity right now to see how these moon phases occur and how the
different moon phases look. So lets break up into five groups. I want one group at each lab table in the corners of
the room and the last group in the center of the room. Everyone needs to stand at an area where there is tape on
the ground.
Instruct each group raise the light source to (about) their eye level by placing books/boxes under the light source.
While students are doing this, hand out the Styrofoam balls on a pencil to each student.
Then give directions for a student in each group to turn on their light sources. Once all light sources are on, turn
off the classroom lights.
Say to the class: I want everyone to stand in the center of the taped area, where all the pieces of tape cross. Hold
the Styrofoam ball by the pencil. We are going to pretend that the light is the sun, the Styrofoam ball is the moon
and your head is the earth. Spin yourself slowly around like this: Demonstrate spinning around having the
Styrofoam ball extended at arms length. Make sure you stay in the center of where the tape crosses and make sure
you keep the Styrofoam ball at arms length.
Student exploration of moon phases 10 minutes
Say to the class: Now that you have noticed the different shapes that the light reflecting off the moon can make at
different locations around the earth, lets draw the different shapes you see. On the handout I just gave you draw
the shape of the light that is reflected off the surface of the moon. Shade in the area that is not reflecting any light.
We will discuss everyones findings in 10 minutes.
Guide students through their exploration. Instruct them to stop when their shoulders are perpendicular to the piece
of tape. Have student spin around stopping at each piece of tape. Have students discuss within the groups what
they see. As students are exploring the different moon phases, pass out Drawing Moon Phases What do you
see? worksheet.
While students are working on that, pass out the envelope with the moon phase cut outs. Each student should get a
set of 8 moon phase cut outs. (Google images). Tell students to not open then envelopes until instructed to do so.
Discussion of students exploration 5 minutes
Begin discussion about the students findings.
o Have a couple students describe what they saw. Some may want to show their drawing to the class.
o Ask the class:
What did the moon look like when(ex. You were facing the sun and the moon was between you
and the light source? At position 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8?)
Did anyone spin around more than once? What did you see when you did this?
Is there a pattern you can describe?
How does only part of the moon light up? Is the earth blocking the suns rays?
Matching and identifying moon phases 5 minutes
Say to the class: Now that you can describe the different patterns you see and some other characteristics of the
moon, lets see if you can identify the different moon phases. In the envelopes are eight different drawings of the
different phases of the moon. Do you think you can match the eight different phases with what you see in this
model as you spin around? Put the different images on the ground along the different ends of the tape to show me
where the different phases occur as the moon revolves around the earth. If you need to you can use either your
drawings to help you match the moon phases or you can use the Styrofoam ball model.
o See Moon Phase Placement key for correct placement answers.
o Go around the room making sure students put the cut outs in the correct places. Assist student who are
having trouble with this.

 At the end of 5 minutes, have students return to their seats.

Discussion, explanation and conclusion of moon phases 9 minutes
Hand out Drawing Moon Phases Whats actually Happening, and pass out a colored pencil to each student.
Explain how the moon phases occur because of the sun revolving around the earth, the sun lighting up one side of
the moon, the moon reflecting light from the sun, and how our placement on earth makes us see different phases.
Moon phases are not caused by the Earth blocking the moons rays. If this were the case, the new moon and full
moon phase would be the same thing. **misconception = the earth blocking the Suns rays causes the moon phases.
On the elmo, shows students the different steps to understanding moon phases.
o Tell students to first shade in the dark side of the earth and moon, where the light never reaches. Explain
to students that the area of the dark side of the moon stays constant throughout its revolution around the
earth. The sun is only capable of lighting one side of the moon because the suns rays are only directed at
the earth and moon in one direction.
o Next, instruct students to draw lines over the far side of the moon with a colored pencil. The far side of
the moon is different from the dark side of the moon. The dark side of the moon is the area that sunlight is
not reach, the far side of the moon is the half of the moon that doesnt face the earth.
o Have students draw the different moon phases by interpreting and analyzing the relationship between the
far side and the dark side of the moon.
o This activity should bring you to the end of the first period.
Second class period__________________________________________________________________________________
Oreo in the Sky (modified from Bueter, 2006)
(25 minutes)
Select one student to pass out paper plates, another to pass out plastic knives, a third to pass out plastic spoons, a
fourth to pass out napkins, and a fifth to pass out the Oreo in the Sky
Before passing out the snack bags of Oreos, say to class: Do not open the bag until I tell you to do so. Do not eat
the Oreos until I tell you to do so. If you eat the Oreos before we are done with the activity you will get points off.
Pass out the snack bags of Oreos to the students.
Instruct students to begin activity. Say to the class: We are going to make the moon phases by twisting apart the
Oreo and scraping the Oreo icing off the cookie. I want you to follow the directions on the handout. If you have
any questions, feel free to ask. But remember, if you eat any of the Oreos before I tell you to, you will not get any
more and you will get points taken off your grade for this assessment.
o DO NOT give students extra Oreo if they eat the Oreo before they are told to do so. Only give students
an extra Oreo if they broke the cookie while in the process of making the moon phases. Allow only one
extra Oreo per student. Students may get the wrong idea and try to take advantage of the situation by
breaking all their cookies. Allowing students only one extra Oreo holds students responsible for their
actions.
Have students work independently to scrape off icing from the cookie.
Walk around the classroom to monitor students progress.
Student work on assessment question on Oreo in the Sky handout when they are done with the moon phase
activity.
When students are done with the moon phase activity and are working on the assessment questions, assess their
plate with the Oreo in the Sky Rubric. Spend about 10-30 seconds at each students work. Circle which criteria
the student meets on the rubric.
Once everyone is done with the Oreo moon phase activity and everyone has been graded, allow the students to eat
the rest of their Oreos. Students do not have to be completed with the Oreo in the Sky questions at this point. Say
to the class: If you did not complete the worksheet that goes along with the activity, then finish it for homework.
This assignment will be due tomorrow. Make sure to remind the class at the end of the period about this
assignment.
Solar and Lunar Eclipse Demonstration
(12 minutes)
Say to the class: Now that we have spent a lot of time exploring moon phases, there are some unusual things that
can happen when just the right conditions are met with the positioning of the Sun, Earth and moon. We are going
to take a look at Eclipses now.
Bring on of the light sources from the lab table to the front desk. Get globe and Styrofoam ball has a string
attached to it.

Choose one student to hold up a globe at the height of the light source. The light sources and the globe should be
about 3 to 4 feet apart. Change students throughout the demonstration so all students can see what is happening.
Turn on the light source and turn off classroom lights.
Say to the class: There are two different kinds of eclipses: lunar eclipse and solar eclipse. A solar eclipse occurs
when the moon is in between the Sun and Earth. The moon must be situated at just the right between the Sun and
Earth. It also must be the right distance from the earth so that its shadow strikes the earth.
Hold the Styrofoam ball by the string and pass it between the light source and the globe.
Have students describe what they see out loud.
o Students should mention that there is a shadow on the globe, the moon blocks the Suns rays from
reaching the Earth, the position of the shadow changes as the globe rotates and when the moon is at
different angles, during the day a small part of the Earth becomes dark, occurs only at a new moon, etc.
Say to class: Now we will look at a lunar eclipse. A lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth is between the sun and
moon. The moon is located within the Earths shadow.
Move the Styrofoam ball to the other side of the globe.
Have students describe what they see out loud.
o Students should mention that it occurs when the moon is in the shadow of the Earth, the Earth is between
the Sun and moon, only occurs during a full moon, moon turns red, occurs at night, etc.
Summary of eclipses by showing video from www.BrainPOP.com (if time permits)
(3 minutes)
If computer logs you out of www.BrainPOP.com then log back in using the username: groton and password:
brainpop.
Search eclipse within the search bar on the upper right hand side of the screen. Play the eclipse video (2 minutes,
39 seconds) (BrainPOP.com, 2011a).
Hand out Lunar and Solar Eclipse worksheet. Students are to finish this as homework. Students need to title and
label the diagrams. Student can use their text book, the www.BrainPOP.com video on eclipses, or the internet to
help them finish the worksheet. Remind student that they also need to finish their Oreo in the Sky worksheet if it
wasnt finished in class. Both worksheets will be dure tomorrow.

Reinforcement:
Moon Phase Activity
Moon Phase Worksheet Drawing Moon Phases What do you see?
Moon Phase Placement Activity
Assessment:
Moon phase discussions
Moon Phase Worksheet Drawing Moon Phases Whats actually happening
Oreo in the Sky
Lunar and Solar Eclipse worksheet
References:
BrainPOP.com (2011a). Eclipse. Received from http://www.brainpop.com/science/space/eclipse/
BrainPOP.com (2011b). Moon. Received from http://www.brainpop.com/science/space/moon/
Bueter, C. (2006). Paper Plate Education: Serving the Universe on a Plate. Received from
http://analyzer.depaul.edu/paperplate/Oreo%20Moon%20Phases.htm
Google Images. www.cksinfo.com
Google Images. www.enchantedlearning.com
Google Images. Modified from http://www.gwit.org/students/fremont/assign/moon/moon.htm.
Nasa.gov (n.d). Milky Way vs. Andromeda. Image modified from http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/58/features/F_When_Galaxies_Collide.prt.htm
Schatz, D. (2005) Our Changing Moon. Pdf.
Suggestions for improvement:

Name ______________________________________________________ Date ___________

DRAWING MOON PHASE WHATS ACTUALLY HAPPENING

KEY
Dark side
Far side

How the moon appears from Earth

4
5

Name ________________________________________________________ Date ___________

DRAWING MOON PHASE WHAT DO YOU SEE?

MOON PHASE PLACEMENT KEY

Moon Phases Cut Outs

Modified from http://www.gwit.org/students/fremont/assign/moon/moon.htm

Key for Oreo Activity/Assessment

New Moon

Waxing Crescent

Waning Crescent

Waxing Crescent

Third Quarter

First Quarter

Waning Gibbous

Waxing Gibbous

Full Moon

Modified from Bueter, 2006

Name ________________________________________________________________ Date _______________

Oreo in the Sky

Objectives
Students will be able to

Create moon phases using Oreos cookies

Identify the different moon phases
Explain why and how moon phases occur
Explain the cyclical patter of moon phases

Instructions
1. Open the bag of Mini Oreos.
Picture modified from Bueter (2006) and www.nasa.gov/
2. Put Oreos on the napkin.
3. Carefully twist off one cookie of the Oreo. The majority of the icing needs to remain on one of the cookies.
If the icing breaks and some icing sticks to both Oreo cookies, transfer the icing to one cookie with the
plastic knife.
4. Once all Oreos are separated, scrape off the icing on the cookies to create the different moon phases. Put the
extra icing on the unused cookies.
5. Draw a circle slightly bigger than the Oreos in the middle of the plate to represent the location of the earth.
6. The location of the sun is at the top of the plate. Lay out the Oreo cookies with the moon phases in a circle
around the earth so that the phases correspond to the correct moon phase that would be seen on Earth when
looking into the night sky.
7. Write the different names of the moon phases on the plate underneath each Oreo moon phase.
8. Answer questions when done making the model.

Questions:
1. Name the 8 different moon phases in order starting and ending with the New Moon:
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
2. Why does the moon shine?
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________

3. What causes the moon phases?

_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
4. Compare and contrast the position of the Sun, Earth and Moon during a new moon phase and a full moon
phase.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
5. Do the moon phases occur in a pattern? If so, what kind of pattern? Explain.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
6. What force keeps the moon revolving around the Earth? What force keeps the Earth revolving around the
Sun?
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________

Student Name: _________________________________

Oreo in the Sky Rubric
Number of Oreos
Moon phases
Correct moon phase order

3
All 8 Oreos are on the plate

2
--------

All 8 moon phases are

correctly created with icing
All 8 Oreos are in the
correct moon phase order

1 or 2 Oreos do not
correspond to a moon phase
1 or 2 Oreos are not in the
correct moon phase order

1
1 or more Oreos are missing
from the plate
3 or more Oreos do not
correspond to a moon phase
3 or more Oreos are not in
the correct moon phase
order

Total ____/12___
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Student Name: _________________________________

Oreo in the Sky Rubric
Number of Oreos
Moon phases
Correct moon phase order

3
All 8 Oreos are on the plate

2
--------

All 8 moon phases are

correctly created with icing
All 8 Oreos are in the
correct moon phase order

1 or 2 Oreos do not
correspond to a moon phase
1 or 2 Oreos are not in the
correct moon phase order

1
1 or more Oreos are missing
from the plate
3 or more Oreos do not
correspond to a moon phase
3 or more Oreos are not in
the correct moon phase
order

Total ____/12___
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Student Name: _________________________________

Oreo in the Sky Rubric
Number of Oreos
Moon phases
Correct moon phase order

3
All 8 Oreos are on the plate

2
--------

All 8 moon phases are

correctly created with icing
All 8 Oreos are in the
correct moon phase order

1 or 2 Oreos do not
correspond to a moon phase
1 or 2 Oreos are not in the
correct moon phase order

1
1 or more Oreos are missing
from the plate
3 or more Oreos do not
correspond to a moon phase
3 or more Oreos are not in
the correct moon phase
order

Total ____/12___

Name _______ ______________________________________________________ Date______________

Lunar and Solar Eclipses

Directions: Title and label the diagrams

__________________________

__________________________

Modified from www.cksinfo.com and www.enchantedlearning.com