Phases of the Moon

Lesson #

Lesson
Title:

Date
:

Dominic
Name:

Subject: Science

October 20, 2016

EDPB
507

Grade(s)
:

3/
4

Rationale: (lesson context and reasons why lesson matters)

Students will have the opportunity to participate and actively engage in a lesson about the phases
of the moon. Students will learn the names of the different phases and why they occur. They will
also learn how the sun, the moon and the Earth are interconnected.

Curriculum Connections:https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/

Big Idea:
-The motions of Earth and the moon cause observable patterns that affect living and non-living
systems

Curricular Competencies:
- Demonstrate curiosity about the natural world
- Observe objects and events in familiar contexts
- Identify questions about familiar objects and events that can be investigated scientifically

- Make predictions based on prior knowledge

Content:
- local changes caused by Earths axis, rotation, and orbit
- the effects of the relative positions of the sun, moon, and Earth including local First Peoples
perspectives

Learning Intentions:

Activity

Assessment

-Respond to questions
about the phases of the
moon
-cut out moon phase
cards and arrange in
order

-Answers from
student will allow
the teacher to
assess prior
knowledge

Students will be able to:

-Recognize the different phases of the
moon
-Communicate their understanding using
the appropriate vocabulary
-Students will be able to creatively
display their understanding

Prerequisite Concepts and Skill :( for student success)

-Recognize that the moon has different phases
-Age appropriate vocabulary/terminology
-Ability to use scissors
Materials and Resources with References/Sources:
For Teacher
-

Flashlight or light

For Students
-

Moon phase cards

Ball

Scissors

Computer

Oreo Cookies

Moon phase cards

plastic knife

Moon phase poster

Whiteboard and markers

Dark room

Differentiated Instruction (DI): (accommodations)

- Visual
- Musical/auditory
- Kinesthetic
-Tactile

Organizational/Management Strategies: (anything special to consider?)

/ First Peoples Principles of Learning
-

Short video on how the raven stole the moon

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNo2hFTMay4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wz01pTvuMa0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBc8QHSsFgE
http://astro.unl.edu/classaction/animations/lunarcycles/lunar_applet033.html

Lesson Activities:
Teacher Activities

Student Activities

pacing

-watch video

Introduction (hook/motivation/lesson overview)

-Show a two minute video on a First Nations story
about the moon

-engage in Q and A

-Question students about what moon shapes they

have observed
-general facts about the moon
-do they see it only at night or also in the day?

-practice new
vocabulary

-learn moon phase

card positions
.Body

(lesson flow/ management)

-arrange moon phase
cards into correct
order.

I Do: - show moon phase flashcards

-

introduce the scientific vocabulary for the phases of

-Follow along with

video
-students get into
groups and demo

40

moon phases.
the moon and write them on the board

-make their own

moon phase cookies
and place correctly on
have students repeat after the teacher( hand gestures) the poster

show all of the moon phases in order several times

question to assess understanding

put the moon phase cards on the table or floor and

have students rearrange them in the correct order
using a visual key

- video using song and visuals (flowcabulary)

-

I demonstrate the phases of the moon in the dark

with a lamp

-give out moon phases cards

- hand out cookies and plastic knife and model how to
open Oreo cookies and carve out shapes of the moon
phases and put on appropriate place on the poster

Closure (connections within lesson or between

lessons, sharing thoughts, reflections)
-

Review lesson and why we did it

What did we learn?

What did we like about the lesson?

What didnt we like about it?

Feedback Tell me two things you enjoyed and two things

that you might change or add. I appreciate any constructive
feedback. (This was for Peer Demo Day)