Students will describe their current understanding of what causes the phases of the moon, and compare their ideas with classmates.
Students will be asked to consider if the moon looks the same when viewed from the Northern and Southern Hemispheres in order to develop ideas about the Earth-Sun-Moon system.
Students will model the moon phase on June 1, 2010 in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.
Students will use Moon Pops to model the relationship between the positions of the Earth, Sun, and Moon and the Lunar phases through a group demonstration.
Students will identify and label the correct phases of the moon in relationship to the Earth-Sun-Moon model, and answer analysis questions.
Students will use a model and video to consider how Earth has phases when viewed from the moon, and how these phases relate to the position of the Earth, Sun, and Moon.
Students will demonstrate their understanding of the relationship between the Earth-Sun-Moon system and lunar phases by correctly predicting what phase the moon would be in based on the position of the Earth and moon in relation to the Sun and determining the relative positions of the Earth, Sun, and Moon when given a Moon phase.
Students will investigate historical and current Moon exploration missions.
In the previous concept, students developed models of the Earth-sun system to explain the relationship between Earth’s counterclockwise rotation on its’ axis and day and night. They also developed models of the Earth-sun system to explain the relationship between Earth’s axial tilt, Earth’s counterclockwise revolution around the sun, and seasons on Earth.
In this cycle, students will construct an explanation that answers the guiding question: What causes the appearance and position of the moon in Earth’s sky to change in a predictable pattern? Students will answer this guiding question by developing models of the Earth-sun-moon system to explain cyclic patterns of lunar phases. The will use their models to explain that solar energy from the sun reflects off of the moon and is viewed on Earth as phases. The illuminated part of the moon changes over the course of a month as the location of the moon relative to Earth and the sun changes. Next, students will apply their understanding of the Earth-sun-moon system to develop explanations about Earth phases as viewed from the moon.
In the next cycle, students will develop and use a model of the Earth-sun-moon system to explain the cyclic patterns of solar and lunar eclipses.