An exploration of the cause of the changing appearance of the Moon as seen from Earth.

Standard 1, Objective 1 of the Utah State Science Core Curriculum for 6th Grade (2002)

Welcome to the Lunar Phases Online Learning Activity

Lesson Directions: There are three activities in this lesson. For each activity, read through the entire activity before beginning. The websites you are visiting may have more information than you need. Be sure to look for the information that will help you complete each activity.

Activity 1: Describe the changes in the appearance of the moon during a month.

Directions:
  1. Watch this video. As you are watching, notice the way in which the appearance of the moon changes.

  2. Create a new entry in your science journal and describe the changes you observed in the appearance of the moon during a month as you watched the video.

Activity 2: Identify and describe the phases of the moon.

Directions:
  1. Visit this website: Read Neat Facts About the Moon.

  2. In your science journal create an entry for each of the phases of the moon. Be sure to include:

    • the name of the phase

    • a picture of the phase

    • and a written description of the phase

Activity 3: Construct a chart depicting the phases of the moon.

Directions:
  1. Visit the following websites. While at each website, explore the content presented. Also, observe the movement and position of the moon relative to the Sun and the Earth. Observe the position of the moon relative to the position of Earth during each of the phases of the moon.


  2. In your science journal, draw a chart that shows the Sun, the Earth, and the moon. Show the phases of the moon at each part of its revolution around the Earth.

Optional activities

Directions:
  1. Below are links to some websites you may find useful or interesting. Enjoy!