Content Understanding of the Moon

SUMMARY OF THE MOON PHASES AND WHAT WAS LEARNED

Understanding the phases of our moon occur as the moon orbits the earth, thus changing the position or angle of the earth, sun and moon is important and exciting. The sun always illuminates half of the moon as the moon orbits earth. As the moon grows or increases illumination, it is termed waxing. When the illumination decreases or shrinks, then it is called waning. If the moon is more than half lit, then the phases is termed gibbous, and when the moon is less than half lit, it is termed crescent.

 To explain the moon phases, when the illuminated side of the moon is on the backside and out of our view and the earth, moon, and sun are basically in alignment in this order, the new moon occurs. Thus we are unable to view the moon. The sunlit part of the moon increases after the new moon, thus we view the waxing crescent next because less than half the moon is illuminated. Next, the first (and third quarters) take place when moon lies at a 90-degree angle to the earth and sun. We observe the moon half lit and half in the shadow in the first quarter as the sunlit part of the moon is still increasing. After the first quarter while the sunlit portion continues to increase, we see more than half the moon lit, thus we see the waxing gibbous. As the moon rotates to the opposite side of the earth allowing one entire side facing the earth to be fully lit by the sun, a full moon presents itself. After the full moon, the illumination begins to decrease, and we see the waning gibbous next where more than half the moon is lit. Following this phase, the third quarter occurs when moon lies at a 90-degree angle to the earth and sun, and we observe the moon half lit and half in the shadow. Then the moon illumination continues to decrease the less than half lit in the waning crescent phase. Lastly the illumination of the moon is completely gone as we return to the new moon phase for a total of eight phases. Here is a simple diagram from http://www.moonconnection.com/moon_phases.phtml.

Moon Phases Diagram

WHY THE MOON RISES AND SETS AT DIFFERENT TIMES OF THE DAY

The moon rises at different times because as it orbits the earth and the earth orbits the sun, the moon changes positions or angles relative the sun. With respect to the earth and the sun, the moon is in a different place each day, thus it rises fifty minutes later each day. It is important to note the moon does not spend the same amount of time above the horizon each day even though it rises about fifty minutes later each day. The moon lags behind the sun in the new moon phase. As the moon grows to a crescent we can see the moon in the evenings, then by the first quarter the moon rises in the middle of the day and set in the middle of the night.  In the gibbous phase when the moon is more than half lit, the moon rises later each afternoon and sets later each night. At the full moon, the moon is opposite the sun so the moon rises as the sun sets, and the moon sets in the morning as the sun rises. Now the moon decreases to gibbous again and it rises later in the night. At the last quarter the moon rises in the middle of the night and set in the middle of the day. Then as the moon decreases to a crescent, it rises later each night and it seen quickly at sunrise.

POWERFUL WAY TO TEACH CHILDREN TO PREDICT IF THE MOON WAXES OR WANES

Children learn in different ways, and one fun and unforgettable way to learn the moon phases are these YouTube videos and songs “Phases of the Moon” by Mr. Lee to the song Fabolous – You Be Killin’ Em”  (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79M2lSVZiY4) and  “Moon Phases” by Mr. Parr. It is to the song Forget You by Cee Lo Green (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkvlrWpsnuQ).

I see it hanging all around

In the sky above and I’m like

The Moon

Oo, Oo, Oo

I guess the change in the phases

Brighten it up, I’m like

The Moon

It’s a New Moon too

Is that Solar Eclipse, yeah, the Moon blocks the Sun a bit

Ha, ain’t the Sun a slit (Sun’s not so lit)

And although there’s a Waxing and Waning

I still like it best with a

New Moon

Oo, Oo, Oo

Yeah we’re charting with New it’s starting

But the next phase is Waxing Crescent

We’re moving counterclockwise the First Quarter

But that’s only a quarter way there

It’s Waxing Gibbous, that looks like a Full Moon

(Oh wait there’s a part missing, left side is dark, thinning)

Oooh

I got a Full Moon for you

Yeah, go run and tell your little friends

I see it hanging all around

In the sky above and I’m like

The Moon

Oo, Oo, Oo

I guess the change in the phases

Brighten it up, I’m like

The Moon

It’s a Full Moon too

Is that a Lunar Eclipse, yeah, Earth’s shadow casts on it

Now the Moon ain’t lit (Moon’s dark a bit)

And although there’s Waxing and Waning

I still like it best with a

Full Moon

Now the Full Moon changes tomorrow

Begins Waning Gibbous so neat

Trying to jeep lit in its orbit

Cause Third Quarter left half gets heat

The Waning Crescent looks like a “c” askew

(Oh wait there’s a part missing, just thought the right side was hiding)

Ooooh

I’ve got a New Moon for you

Yeah, go run and tell your little friends

I see it hanging all around

In the sky above and I’m like

The Moon

Oo, Oo, Oo

I guess the change in the phases

Brighten it up, I’m like

The Moon

It’s a New Moon too

Is that Solar Eclipse, yeah, the Moon blocks the Sun a bit

Ha, ain’t the Sun a slit (Sun’s not so lit)

And although there’s a Waxing and Waning

I still like it best with a

New Moon

Oo, Oo, Oo

Now maybe, maybe, maybe, the Sun the Moon and the Earth are lined up

(Spring Tide, Spring Tide, Spring Tide)

But when the Noon and Sun are placed at a right angle it’s not so bad

(Neap Tide, Neap Tide, Neap Tide)

Why, Why, Why maybe

Oh Gravity, It’s Gravity

Ooooooooooh

I see it hanging all around

In the sky above and I’m like

The Moon

Oo, Oo, Oo

I guess the change in the phases

Brighten it up, I’m like

The Moon

It’s a Full Moon too

Is that a Lunar Eclipse, yeah, Earth’s shadow casts on it

Now the Moon ain’t lit (Moon’s dark a bit)

And although there’s Waxing and Waning

I still like it best with a

Full Moon

Another delicious way to teach the moon phases is using Oreo cookies either whole cookies, or halving them and scraping the coolies to illustrate the phases. Here are two links for the different options: http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/experiment/using-oreo-cookies-to-learn-about-the-phases-of-the-moon and http://analyzer.depaul.edu/paperplate/Oreo%20Moon%20Phases.htm.

Students can remember waning means getting smaller by thinking waning means weakening, so W-e-A-k-e-N-I-N-G. As for waxing, remind the students that the floor shines brighter when the floors are waxed. It is the same for the moon as it shines and gets brighter when the moon is waxing.

An easy saying is:
Moon on the right, getting bigger every night (waxing).
When the moon is waning it is fading to the left until there's no moon remaining.

References

Bueter, C. (2012). Paper plate education: Serving the universe on a paper plate. Retrieved from http://analyzer.depaul.edu/paperplate/Oreo%20Moon%20Phases.htm.

Lee (2011). Phases of the Moon. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=79M2lSVZiY4.

Parr (2011). Moon Phases. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkvlrWpsnuQ.

Spangler, S. (2013). Phases of the moon – Oreos. Retrieved from             http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/experiment/using-oreo-cookies-to-learn-about-the-phases-of-the-moon.

Understanding the moon phases. (2013). Retrieved from             http://www.moonconnection.com/moon_phases.phtml.

What is the moon doing? (2012). Retrieved from http://star-www.st-and.ac.uk/~fv/sky/moon-general.html.