Lunar Lessons for
Little Learners
Curriculum linked to match ‘A Curriculum for Excellence’:
Science > Planet Earth > Astronomy > SCN 004E, SCN 105E.
Throughout these Lunar Lessons, early years pupils will have the opportunity to explore,
understand and explain why the Moon appears to change shape in the sky.
The lesson is comprised of various activities exploring three main themes:
• The shapes and names of the phases of the Moon.
• The reasons why we see phases of the Moon.
• The order in which the phases appear.
Individual activities may be used on their own or combined to form an entire lesson. The ‘Flash Cards’
and ‘Moon Posters’ lend themselves to a variety of instructional activities; not only those outlined
below.
IntroDuctory Activity:
Does the Moon change shape?
Materials Required:
‘Flash Cards’ (1 set per pupil) ‘Moon Posters’ Blu-Tac and Scissors
1.
Ask pupils whether they have ever seen the Moon.
Ask them to describe what they have seen.
2.
Use Blu-Tac to display the Moon Posters on the board.
3.
Tie in pupils’ observations with the images and introduce the terms ‘Full Moon’, ‘New Moon’, ‘First Quarter’, ‘Last Quarter’ and ‘Crescent Moon’. Write each term under the appropriate image.
4.
Distribute sets of pupil flash cards (each page contains two sets of flash cards; enough for two pupils).
5.
Ask pupils to complete their flash cards by shading the circles to
show shadows on the Moon. By printing in greyscale and by using a pencil, pupils’ shading should blend in with the background to highlight the shape of the Moon.
6.
Pupils should then cut out the cards so that they each have five separate flash cards.
7.
Ask pupils whether they think the Moon is really changing shape. What do they think is happening? Introduce discussion about light and shadows.
Copyright © 2008 Glasgow Science Centre
Practical Activities
2
Shadows and Shapes
There are two variations of this activity. Both work best in a darkened room. Whilst the
demonstration will work for most age groups, the practical task (see p.3) is best suited
to slightly older pupils (P2 and up).
Shadows and Shapes demonstration
Materials Required:
Lamp
Light coloured
Completed
Basketball
‘Flash Cards’
1.
Arrangepupilsinaclosegroupsittingonthefloor.
2.
With the lights dimmed, place the lamp, torch or OHP to one side of the room.
Switch on the lamp.
3.
Explain to pupils that you are going to make a model of the Earth, Moon and Sun in the
classroom. The torch represents the Sun, the basketball, the Moon and the pupils, the Earth.
4.
The set-up is shown below.
5.
Instruct pupils to watch ‘the Moon’ and see how much of it is lit up.
6.
When pupils recognise the shape of the Moon they should hold up the corresponding ‘Flash
Card’.
7.
Starting with a full moon, work around each of the four positions highlighted, explaining as
you go that you are moving on, a week at a time.
8.
Ifpossible,itmaybeusefultopainthalfthebasketballblack(torepresentthathalfofthe
Moonisalwaysinshadow,liketheEarth).Thishelpsstudentvisualiseourperspectiveofthe
complex Earth-Moon-Sun system.
Copyright © 2008 Glasgow Science Centre
Practical Activities cONT.
3
Shadows and Shapes: Practical Task
Materials Required:
Lamp
Apple-sized
balls of plasticine
(1 per pupil)
1.
Distribute a pencil and a ball of plasticine to each pupil. The pencil
placed in the plasticine as shown.
2.
Explain to pupils that you are going to make a model of the Earth,
Moon and Sun in the classroom.
3.
The torch represents the Sun, the plasticine, the Moon and the pupils,
4.
Position the lamp in the centre of the room and arrange pupils in a
circle around the lamp. Instruct pupils to hold ‘the Moon’ at arms
length and to slowly spin around on the spot watching the shadows
on ‘the Moon’.
Copyright © 2008 Glasgow Science Centre
Pencils
(1 per pupil)
should be
the Earth.
Consolidation Activities
4
Matching Moon Pairs
Completed
Materials Required:
Scissors
‘Flash Cards’
1.
Arrange pupils into pairs.
2.
Ask pupils to cut their completed ‘Flash Cards’ in two so that they each have five cards showing drawings of the phases of the Moon and five cards with the names of those phases.
3.
In their pairs, pupils should mix up their combined twenty cards and then arrange them neatly, facing down on the desk.
4.
Pupils should then take turns to turn over two cards at a time.
5.
If a pupil reveals two cards that do not match, they must turn the cards back over and it is the other pupil’s turn.
6.
If a pupil reveals a matching pair (any combination of corresponding diagrams or words), they get to keep those cards and have another go.
or
First
Quarter
7.
First
Quarter
or
First
Quarter
The winner is the pupil with the most cards when there are no cards left to turn over.
what Happens When?
Materials Required:
Completed
‘Moon
‘Flash Cards’
Posters’
Scissors
1.
Assign five pupils each one of the ‘Moon Posters’. The assigned pupils should come to the front and display their ‘Moon Poster’ to the rest of the class.
2.
Ask pupils to think about the order that we see phases of the Moon. Working together as a class, ask pupils to arrange the ‘Moon Poster Pupils’ in a line, in the correct order.
3.Once pupils have established the correct Crescent
Moon
New
Moon
Last
Quarter
First
Quarter
Full
Moon
order, ask pupils to consider what happens once a cycle has been completed (It should be highlighted that the phases of the Moon are cyclical).
4.The cards can also be used at the beginning or at the end of the topic as an ‘Assessment is for Learning’ task in which pupils glue their completed ‘Flash Cards’ in order in their workbooks or on a sheet of paper.
Copyright © 2008 Glasgow Science Centre