By the end of this lesson, YOU will be able to:

• Identify the 8 phases of the moon.

• Explain how the movements of the Earth
and moon create different moon phases
observed by humans on Earth.

Lesson The Learning Plan

Vocabulary 1. BrainPop Video: Moon Phases
Orbit Illuminate 2. Ms. Artis Teaches About Moon Phases
lunar eclipse
3. Song: Phases of the Moon Rap
Waxing Waning
Crescent Gibbous 4. Moon Phases Demonstration
New moon 5. Group & Partner Activities
Full moon
 Essential Question
How do the movements of
the Sun, Earth and moon
affect the patterns observed
by humans on Earth?
 Notebook Quick Write
True or False
Is the moon a light source?
Explain your answer.

Why does the moon look like

it changes?
Odds: Are the phases
of the moon caused by
Earth casting shadows
on the moon?

Evens: Why do we
always see the same
side of the moon?
Why does the moon have phases?
• The revolution of the Moon
around the Earth causes the
Moon to appear to have phases.
• It takes 29.5 days for the moon
to make a complete circuit
around the Earth.
Lunar Eclipses
Lunar Eclipses
happen when the
sun, Earth and moon
are completely lines
up in a row, and the
Earth ends up
blocking the rays of
the sun from
reaching the moon.
(VERY RARE)
 8 Phases of the Moon
•New Moon •Full Moon

•Waxing Crescent •Waning Gibbous

•First Quarter or •Last Quarter or

Half Moon Half Moon

•Waxing Gibbous •Waning Crescent

New Moon
•The moon is not visible
from Earth. The moon is
between the Sun and the
Earth.

•The dark side is facing us.

•This phase lasts one night.

Waxing Crescent
•Waxing means that the
bright side is increasing.
The right side is the bright
side.

•Less than one half of the

moon is illuminated.

•This phase includes any

visible moon from a small
sliver to almost half.
First Quarter or Half Moon
•The entire right side of
the moon is illuminated.

•The moon looks like a half

circle.

•The illuminated side is

increasing.

•This phase only lasts one

night.
Waxing Gibbous
•Gibbous means that more
than one half is visible, but
it is not quite full.

•This phase includes the

night after the first
quarter to the night before
the full moon.
Full Moon
•The moon is full and
bright. It looks like a large
circle.

•The illuminated side is

facing us.

•Only happens one night

per lunar phase cycle.
Waning Gibbous
•The moon appears more
than half but not quite full.

•Waning means that the

illuminated side is
decreasing.

•The left side is the bright

side.
Last Quarter or Half Moon
•Left Half of the moon is
illuminated.

•The illuminated side is

decreasing.

•This phase also only lasts

for one night.
Waning Crescent
•Less than one half of the
moon is illuminated.

•The moon will continue

to become smaller and
smaller.
 #1 GROUP ACTIVITY Hint!
Task: Work together to
create an accurate visual
model of the 8 phases of
the moon using the
cookies.
Be sure to include: #2 PARTNER ACTIVITY
• The sun Task: Use the 2014 Moon
• The earth Calendar to answer the
• The 8 phases of the questions on the
moon worksheet.
• Labels for each phase
 Everyone Participates
Explaining Your Thinking
Completes Tasks
 #1 GROUP ACTIVITY Hint!
Task: Work together to
create an accurate visual
model of the 8 phases of
the moon using the
cookies.
Be sure to include: #2 PARTNER ACTIVITY
• The sun Task: Use the 2014 Moon
• The earth Calendar to answer the
• The 8 phases of the questions on the
moon worksheet.
• Labels for each phase
 Share our models & check for
accuracy

Discuss the answers to the

moon calendar questions
A 3rd grader has sent you a letter
asking you to explain why the
moon looks different almost every
night.
Write a letter to the 3rd grader
thoroughly explain this phenomenon.