Just a Phase

Topic

Phases of the moon, cycles

moon‑1.jpg

howstuffworks.com

Images/Video Resources

Scenario

Summer ends, and Autumn comes, and he who would have it otherwise would have high tide always and a full moon every night.

Hal Borland

Consider these questions: What are the phases of the moon and how do they effect the Earth? What does the above quote mean to you and your team? How does this quote apply to us as residents of the Laguna Madres?

When you look up at the moon, what do you think?  Do you wonder how far away it is? Do you wonder what it's made of?  Some times the moon is big and bright.  At other times, the moon is a thin sliver.  What happens to the moon? Is it changing shape? Is it moving? Does it give off light like the sun? Does the moon effect the Earth? If so, how? Does the moon have a greater effect on us since we live near the water? These are some questions to think about as we explore the phases of the moon and discover how the moon effects the Earth.  

Task

Sample Investigations/Teacher Resources

• Individually, complete the Ode to the phases of the moon poem.
  http://ettcweb.lr.k12.nj.us/forms/moon.htm
• As a team, perform one of the Reader's Theater scripts listed in the resources. Record your performance for your classmates.
• As a team, create a multi media presentation for a family visiting the Laguna Madre area.  Each team of 4 will assign one phases per member.  Describe each phase and how it may effect the familiy's stay in the area.  Keep these things in mind: When will your family be visiting? Will they be fishing? Driving on the beach?

 http://essea.strategies.org/

 This is the homepage link (can't log into to get specific link).  I will update soon.

http://www.moonconnection.com/moon_phase_activity.phtml

moon phases activity - journaling and sketching the moon nightly for 29 days

http://mjksciteachingideas.com/pdf/MoonPhasesActivity.pdf

moon phases activity and questions - can adjust for 4th grade standards

Student Resources

http://scijinks.nasa.gov/earths-seasons
This NASA site has a wealth of information on the moon including tides and seasons and common misconceptions.

http://www.brainpopjr.com/science/space/moon/
Brainpop - This is a short video on the moon with jokes, activities, and quizes to go with it.

http://www.wsanford.com/~wsanford/exo/b-day_moons.html
Birthday Moons - Take a virtual trip to the moon and discover what phase the moon will be in on your birthday.  This site is complete with an activity page where you can sketch the phases and see patterns form.

http://ettcweb.lr.k12.nj.us/forms/moon.htm
Write an Ode to the Phases of the Moon.  Show what you've learned about the phases of the moon using this fun poem making
site.

Reader's Theater Skit
Scripts
1. How the Moon Regained Her Shape - Reader's Theater
Skit
ttp://www.classbrain.com/artread/uploads/
howthemoonregainedhershapeteachingactivities.pdf
2.
Kitten's First Full Moon - Reader's Thearter Script
http://southpharr.psjaisd.us/ourpages/auto/2011/10/3/
50855642/28KittensFirstMoon.pdf
3.
Why the Moon Changes in the Night Sky - Reader's Theater
Script
http://books.google.com/books?id=huH69yu9ty4C&pg=PA10&lpg=PA10&dq=phases+
of+the+moon+readers+theater&source=bl&ots=Jwqy
AHluGX&sig=up25x9-Pa9iR8OFbyj6cX3RLjFs&hl=en&sa=X&ei=
fTd5T9ToKurM2gWAq7m1Bg&ved=0CD8Q6AEwBQ#v=
onepage&q&f=false

http://home.hiwaay.net/~krcool/Astro/moon/moonphase/
This site allows students to view moon phases and advance knowledge about the moon and it's phases.

http://www.shetline.com/java/moonphase/moonphase.html
Check out the moon phase today, yesterday, or tomorrow.  This site allows students to pick a date and observe what phase the moon will be in or was in.

http://www.moonconnection.com/moon_phases_
calendar.phtml
This is another moon phase calendar.  This site allows investigators to see a month's worth of moon phases at a time in both the Southern and Northern Hemispheres.

This is a site hosted by NASA where you can "play" as you learn and investigate the moon.
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forkids/kidsclub/flash
/index.html

Why does the Earth have seasons?  This site is easy to follow and
engaging.
http://scijinks.nasa.gov/earths-seasons

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcquRMaVSKU&feature=related
This You Tube video is a little more technical but equally informative for learning about the seasons and how why Earth experiences
seasons.

http://www.leosciencelab.com/educators/lesson-plans/oreo_moon_phases.php
Oreo Cookie Activity - Create the phases of the moon using oreo cookies. Learn vocabulary and see additional helpful links to futher your lunar investigation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQRNzepe4wI
Phases of the Moon - Song/Rap offered on You Tube.  This is a catchy way to remember the phases of the moon. The video is on the Phases of the Moon home page.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcquRMaVSKU&feature=related
Seasons - What Causes the Seasons is a You Tube video that explains what causes the
seasons in an easy to understand format. The video is on the Phases of the Moon home page.

http://www.moonconnection.com/current_moon_
phase.phtml
Current Moon Phase - This is a cool site that shows the current moon phase.  You can also look at past and future phases. If the phase is not showing below, click on the link above to take you to the site.

This was originally under tasks.  I revised the lesson and condensed the version under tasks and retained the full version here for my reference.

Assignment #1 - Personal understanding and what you know
- Read and analyze the scenario.
- Read the reflection rubric.
- Using the rubric as a guide, write a reflection paper on what you understand, your ideas
and your hunches about the scenario.
- Share your reflection with your teamates and dicuss each other's ideas.
- Complete the reflection rubric.

Assignment #2 - What you don't know and what needs to be done
- Read the knowledge building rubric.
- Think about what you don't know about the scenario.
- Individually, generate two questions about the scenario.
- As a team, answer each other's questions and build knowledge together.
- Generate a list of key team questions to help guide your learning.
- Think about what needs to be done to gather information to analyze and interpret the scenario.
- Divide the questions up between the team members. Each team member will contribute to the investigation.
- Discuss your findings with your team. Were your initial thought correct? Incorrect? What have you discovered?
- Complete the knowledge building rubric as a team.

Assignment #3 - Building knowledge/using resources
- As a team, complete the Oreo cookie phases of the moon project.
Instructions are in the resource list. You can eat your project
when you're finished!
http://www.leosciencelab.com/educators/lesson-plans/oreo_moon_phases.php

- Consider what you've learned so far. How does it compare to your personal undertanding in activity #1? Discuss your findings with your team.

Assignment/Assessment #4 - Building knowledge/using resources
- As a team, perform one of the Reader's Theater scripts listed in the resources. Use the Skit Rubric as a guide.
- Continue to reflect upon your knowledge as it compares to your personal understaning in lesson #1 and what you don't know in lesson #2.

Assignment/Assessment #5 - Building knowledge/using resources
- Read the Poem Rubric.
- Individuallly, complete the Ode to the phases of the moon poem.
http://ettcweb.lr.k12.nj.us/forms/moon.htm

Assignment/Assessment #6 - Present Findings
- As a team, create a Powerpoint presentation on the primary phases of the moon. Each four member team will contribute one phase page. Use the Powerpoint Rubric as your as a guide in preparing your presentation.

Rubrics

• Reflection Rubric (not developed yet)
• Knowledge Building Rubric (not developed yet)
• PowerPoint Rubric (not developed yet)
• Skit Rubric (not developed yet)
• Poem Rubic (not developed
  yet)

Student Work

Standards

1. List your personal understanding, ideas or hunches.

 With your team use all the information available in the scenario to list everything that you know about the moon's phases. You do not have to conduct any research yet. Just use the information given and write the facts that you already know about the phases of the moon.

With your team, make a list about what you do not know and would like to learn. List all the questions you will need to answer to solve the problem.  

4. List what needs to be done.
"What should we do?" List actions to be taken, e.g., question an expert, conduct research, observe the night sky.   List possible actions. 

5. Develop a problem statement.

Your team will be responsible for completing the tasks.  In order to do so, you must form a problem statement.  A problem statement should come from your analysis of what you know.  In one or two sentences, you should be able to describe what it is that your group is trying to solve, produce, respond to, or find out. The problem statement may have to be revised as new information is discovered and brought to bear on the situation.

Use all the resources available (Internet, library, etc) to research about the problem/topic and find a solution.

7. Present Findings

Instructions for presenting finding are listed under the Tasks heading. 

In Grade 4, investigations are used to learn about the natural world. Students should understand that certain types of questions can be answered by investigations and that methods, models, and conclusions built from these investigations change as new observations are made. Models of objects and events are tools for understanding the natural world and can show how systems work. They have limitations and based on new discoveries are constantly being modified to more closely reflect the natural world.

(A) Within the natural environment, students know that earth materials have properties that are constantly changing due to Earth's forces. The students learn that the natural world consists of resources, including renewable and nonrenewable, and their responsibility to conserve our natural resources for future generations. They will also explore Sun, Earth, and Moon relationships. The students will recognize that our major source of energy is the sun. Scientific investigation and reasoning. The student uses scientific inquiry methods during laboratory and outdoor investigations. The student is expected to:

(A) plan and implement descriptive investigations, including asking well-defined
questions, making inferences, and selecting and using appropriate equipment or
technology to answer his/her questions;

(B) collect and record data by observing and measuring, using the metric system, and using descriptive words and numerals such as labeled drawings, writing, and concept maps;

(C) construct simple tables, charts, bar graphs, and maps using tools and current
technology to organize, examine, and evaluate data;

(D) analyze data and interpret patterns to construct reasonable explanations
from data that can be observed and measured;

(E) perform repeated investigations to increase the reliability of results;
and

(F) communicate valid, oral, and written results supported by data.
Earth and space. The student knows that there are recognizable patterns in the natural world and among the Sun, Earth, and Moon system. The student is expected to:
collect and analyze data to identify sequences and predict patterns of change in shadows, tides, seasons, and the observable appearance of the Moon over time.

Copyrigh info:

Credits are given under or beside each image or video.