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Are there any fun ways for children to learn the moon phases, other than the Oreo lab? I think that a lot of students enjoy this lab but very few actually benefit from it. I always see teachers do it this way as it is popular but I'd like to hear about other creative, innovative ways you all have done (or seen) in the classroom? If sticking to tradition- what can make this lab guaranteed to be successful?
Does anyone have a lesson plan they've already created about this topic?
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Bev's resources are great! You can also check with your students. Many cultures follow the lunar calendar; some of your students might. Do they have special names for the moon during the phases? Do they celebrate birthdays differently? That's always a hook to get everyone interested
Good luck
Anne
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Hi there! a fun way to use the moon phases can be a flashlight and basically creating the moon phases with your hand by covering the flash light to make the different phases of the moon.
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Hello there! There is an activity in which the student creates their own bracelet with the moon face, with plastic circles teh students mark the faces with a black sharpy, they tie the faces in order on a string and with the help of the teacher to vertify if its in the correct order. Its a great way for the students to stay engaged and till this day I have my moon face bracelet I made in my science class back in elementary. Creating a catchy song is also the way to go, the studnets sing it during the assessment and its exciting for them to learn and sing.
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I use styrofoam spheres, pencils, and a light. The students are the earth. The spheres as the moon and the light the sun. The can rotate and see the changing phases of the moon. Here is NASA's version of this activity: https://www.nasa.gov/centers/jpl/education/moonphases-20100913.html
Much better than Oreo labs.
I have attached several examples and lessons; not sure the one I describe above is one of them so will check my files and add the styrofoam sphere activity if not.
The sun-moon caladenars help students to see the phases in relation to the sunrise and set times as well. Might be too much for your young students; however, it might give you some ideas. Taking measurements of the moon's height, etc. also may be too much. However, these materials may help you think of ways to help your students learn.
Here is a lesson that is similar to what I described where the students themselves are the moon: https://www.southampton.ac.uk/~sj2y10/moonPhasesSheetA3.pdf
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Hello Bev,
The way I learned the moon phases was i was given a flashlight and a sphere. The flashlight was the one that moved and you were able to see the shpae of the sphere change to moon phases. As a kid I found this very insteresting and made me learn quicker.
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Hello Bev,
The way I learned the moon phases was i was given a flashlight and a sphere. The flashlight was the one that moved and you were able to see the shpae of the sphere change to moon phases. As a kid I found this very insteresting and made me learn quicker.
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Open exploration with flashlights and spheres of various sizes will provide many opportunities for young children to observe what shape shadows are created on the part of the spheres not in direct light, as well as what shape shadows are cast by the spheres. Understanding how blocked light creates shadows is the first step to understanding the phases of the Moon.
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And after the students have had plenty of tone to explore, you can guide them into looking for patterns. Even young preschoolers can do this. That helps rhe construct their own ideas which is a start to understanding moon phases.
then the question comes up, at least with my kids, of how to prove the earth is revoloving.....
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