TEACHER’S GUIDE:
LUNAR CYCLE
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
• Students will recognize that the Moon reflects light from the Sun.
• Students will recognize that the Moon follows the same cycle each month as it orbits the
Earth.
• Students will understand that the position of the Moon in its cycle changes how it looks
from Earth.
• Students will know the phases of the lunar cycle and place them in the correct order.
• Students will recognize the terms waxing and waning as they relate to the Moon cycle.
Estimated Viewing Time: Completing the entire episode will take approximately 10-18
minutes. A breakdown of time by segment follows:
• WATCH:
• TRY:
• APPLY:
6-7 minutes
2-5 minutes
2-6 minutes
SYNOPSIS OF THE WATCH SEGMENT
While Nermal, Arlene, Garfield, and Odie are walking to the movies, they notice it is getting
dark. Nermal thinks the Moon will be out soon and provide light. Arlene asks if he knows for
sure because sometimes, you can see a big Moon with lots of light, and, other times, you
cannot see any moonlight at all. Professor G and Dr. Nova pop up on the hotline to explain to
Nermal and Arlene that the reason for the differing amounts of moonlight is that the Moon
orbits around the Earth. He adds that the Moon does not make its own light but reflects only
the light from the Sun and that the Moon blocks part of the sunlight depending on what phase
it is in (or where it is located in its orbit around the Sun). That makes it look larger or smaller,
even though it really is always the same size. They show how the Moon phases look from
Earth and explain that the Moon is waxing as it gradually blocks less sunlight and waning as it
gradually blocks more sunlight. Garfield makes it back in time to see the movie as Nermal
confidently states that they will have plenty of moonlight that night.
BUILD BACKGROUND
Prepare for this lesson by doing the following:
Gathering photos (printed or electronic) of different things reflecting light (water, metal, bright
rocks, mirrors, clouds, animals’ eyes, etc., but do not include photos of the Moon) and different
things that produce light (flashlights, light bulbs, fire, stars, the Sun, etc.)
Painting exactly one half of a large white ball with flat black paint
Arranging the furniture in your room so there is a large empty space in the middle
Have students sit on the floor in the middle of the room. If possible, project the photos so that
all students can see.
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SAY:
I have several photographs here I want you to see.
Action: Cycle through the photos of the things that reflect light.
Does anyone see something that these photos have in common?
Action: Help students understand that they are seeing light. Some may jump ahead and say
that they are seeing light being reflected.
So, how are these next photos the same or different from the other photos?
Action: Show the second set of photos and end with the Sun. Guide a discussion so the
students conclude that all of these things make or produce light and that the first set of objects
reflect light.
Okay, so now we know that some things make light and other things reflect light. If we look outside in
the sky, what do we see that makes light?
Action: Having just seen the Sun and/or stars, students will identify these. Some may suggest
the Moon. If not, you could ask, “What about the Moon?”
Well, although we often talk about moonlight, the Moon doesn’t make light. It only reflects it. Where do
you think it reflects light from? [If a student doesn’t suggest the Sun, you should suggest it.] Yes,
the Moon is lit up only because it is reflecting light from the Sun.
You all know that the Moon goes around the Earth in an orbit, right? How long does it take for the
Moon to go all the way around the Earth one time? [If needed, prompt for the answer “about one
month.”] Since it goes around over and over again, we call this the lunar cycle because the word lunar
refers to the Moon. When you look up at the Moon, does it always look exactly the same? [If needed,
prompt for the answer “no, sometimes it’s bigger, and sometimes it’s smaller.”] So, why is this?
Let’s find out!
We’re going to pretend that our whiteboard (or blackboard, or another reference on a wall in the
room) is the Sun. Imagine that the Sun is sending light waves out towards you. Together, you are all
the Earth! This big ball I’m holding is the Moon.
Action: Stand with your back to the “Sun” but in front of the students (the “Earth”). Make sure
to hold the ball up so all can see it and so that the white side is facing the “Sun.”
Notice that one side is light and one side is dark. What side do you see?
Answer: the dark side
Why is this? [Guide students to understand that the “Moon” reflects the “Sun” on the side that
faces the “Sun” but that the side facing the “Earth” is dark. Remind them that the Earth does
not produce light but that the Sun does.] This is how the Moon looks some nights—we can’t even see
it because all the sunlight is hitting the side away from the Earth, and all the light is being reflected back
towards the Sun! It is just plain dark on the side we see. This is a phase of the lunar cycle called the
“new Moon.”
Action: Move counterclockwise around the students (the “Earth”) about 45 degrees, making
sure that the white side of the ball remains parallel to the “Sun.”
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The Moon is starting its orbit around the Earth. Now, you earthlings, what does the Moon look like
now? Focus on the white part of the ball since that part is reflecting the sunlight!
Action: Help students understand that they can now see a sliver of the Moon.
This sliver of the Moon is the phase called a crescent Moon.
Action: Repeat the same actions for a first-quarter Moon and a waxing gibbous Moon,
remembering to keep the white side of the ball parallel to the “Sun” and reminding students to
focus on the white part of the ball. Finally, move to the wall opposite the “Sun.”
Now, you can see all of the Moon that is reflecting sunlight. This phase is called a “full Moon.” This
takes about two weeks and is one half of our Moon’s orbit. In our lesson today, you’ll get to find out
what happens during the second half also!
INTRODUCE VOCABULARY
Write and discuss the definition of each keyword. Pause after each definition to answer
questions and provide examples. Use each keyword in a sample sentence to show students
how each is used in context.
moonlight
sunlight
light from the Sun that is reflected on the surface of the Moon
lunar
light that bounces off a surface
reflected light
light that is produced by the Sun
phase
having to do with the Moon
orbit
a pattern that repeats over and over again
cycle
waxing
waning
a part of a cycle; in the lunar cycle, it refers to what the Moon
looks like from Earth
a circular path made by different objects in space as they go
around other bodies, like how the Moon goes around the Earth
the part of the Moon cycle between the new Moon and the full
Moon (the Moon looks like it is getting bigger)
the part of the Moon cycle between the full Moon and the new
Moon (the Moon looks like it is getting smaller)
SAY:
Now, we’re going to complete an interactive lesson containing characters from Garfield and Friends.
The lesson will help us learn more about the lunar cycle.
GUIDE THE VIEWING OF LUNAR CYCLE
TRY Answer Key
Students choose the Moon phase that matches the picture shown by Officer Bob.
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Correct answers in bold:
1. New
2 Crescent
3 Full
4. Waning
APPLYANSWER KEY
Students will click and drag the picture of the Moon to match it with the correct phase.
New
Waxing
Full
Waning
1
2
3
4
5
6
MONITOR COMPREHENSION
Begin a class discussion by asking the students what they thought about the story.
ASK:
Why was Arlene worried about having to walk in the dark?
Answer: The Sun was going down.
Did Nermal feel worried? Why not?
Answer: No. He was sure the Moon was going to shine.
Why wasn’t Arlene sure that the Moon would provide light?
Answer: Because, the Moon changes every night. Some nights, it provides lots of light, and,
other nights, it does not provide any.
Does the Moon actually produce light?
Answer: No, it just reflects sunlight.
How did Dr. Nova and Professor G explain that the Moon looks different every night?
Answer: It moves around the Earth, and the amount of reflected sunlight we can see on the
Moon changes every day.
What do the words “waxing” and “waning” mean?
Answer: “Waxing” means that the lit part of the Moon is getting bigger. “Waning” means that
the lit part is getting smaller.
Does the Moon really change shape?
Answer: No, it just looks like it because, as the Moon orbits, we continually see more or less of
the reflected sunlight.
SAY:
Okay, let’s look at our big ball again.
Action: Have the students get back in the center of the room and “orbit” them as you did
before. Make sure that the white side faces the “Sun” at all times.
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Okay, did the “Moon” change shape at all?
Answer: Likely, some will say “yes,” and some will say “no.” Get the students to the point
where all agree that the “Moon” (the ball) did not change shape itself.
So, the Moon looks different in the night sky because it blocks part of the Sun’s light and because the
amount it blocks changes as it orbits around the Earth. It’s not because the Moon itself is changing
shape.
CONSOLIDATE LEARNING
Provide each student with a copy of the attached Moon Flip Book sheet. Ask them to create
their own flip books showing the phases of the Moon as it goes from a new Moon to a waning
crescent Moon.
EVALUATE
Evaluate all the students’ flip books to make sure they understood the order of the phases.
Administer the Lunar Cycle Quiz to assess whether they have met the learning objectives for
the lesson. After evaluating the results of the assessment, you may wish to revisit any learning
objectives that the students did not grasp.
QUIZ ANSWER KEY
1. How does the Moon travel?
b. Around the Earth in a circle
2. During each month, the appearance of the Moon changes. What are these changes called?
d. Phases
3. How many times would you expect to see a full Moon during a month?
b. Once
4. When the Moon seems to grow bigger in the sky, it is_____?
b. Waxing
5. What does a crescent Moon look like?
c. A thin slice
6. About how much time passes between a new Moon and a full Moon?
c. Two weeks
7. Which of the following comes right at the very end of a waning Moon?
a. New Moon
8. Answers will vary (should include something about it happening over and over again).
9. Answers will vary (should include something about the reflection of the Sun’s light and
the orbit of the Moon around the Earth).
10. Answers will vary (should include something about the reflection of the Sun’s light).
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Moon Flip Book: Use the circles below to show what the Moon looks like in all eight phases of
the Moon cycle by coloring in the darker part of the Moon for each phase. Cut out the
rectangles and place them in order to make a flip book that shows the cycle from the New
Moon to the waning crescent Moon.
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QUIZ:
LUNAR CYCLE
NAME
DATE
MULTIPLE CHOICE
Circle the choice that best answers each question. Choose only one:
1. How does the Moon travel?
a. Toward the Sun in a straight line
b. Around the Earth in a circle
c. Around the Sun in a circle
d. Around the stars in a circle
2. During each month, the appearance of the Moon changes. What are these changes called?
a. Forms
b. Positions
c. Orbits
d. Phases
3. How many times would you expect to see a full Moon during a month?
a. None
b. Once
c. Twice
d. Three times
4. When the Moon seems to grow bigger in the sky, it is_____?
a. Waning
b. Waxing
c. A quarter
d. Full
5. What does a crescent Moon look like?
a. A bright circle
b. A dark circle
c. A thin slice
d. You cannot see it
6. About how much time passes between a new Moon and a full Moon?
a. Four weeks
b. One week
c. Two weeks
d. Three weeks
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NAME
DATE
7. Which of the following comes right at the very end of a waning Moon?
a. New Moon
b. Crescent Moon
c. Quarter Moon
d. Full Moon
Short Answer
Read the following statements and write your responses on the lines below.
8. Explain why the Moon’s changing appearances from month to month are considered cycles.
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9. Explain why you cannot see a new Moon.
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10. Explain why the Moon seems to shine in the sky.
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© PAWS all rights reserved