When can you see the full moon?

When can you see the full moon?
Lesson narration:
English Spanish
Scroll for prep
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DISCUSS (1 of 2):

How can you show the shape of the full moon with your arms?

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This is what we thought. But the Moon doesn't always look like this.
Sometimes, the Moon DOESN'T look like a circle.
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DISCUSS (2 of 2):

What OTHER shapes can the Moon look like?

Try making one of those shapes with your arms.

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DISCUSS:

What events happen over and over again on the same schedule?

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DISCUSS:

Suppose we watched the Moon night after night.

Do you think you'd see the Moon's shape change in a cycle?

Why or why not?

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Step
01/24
Get your supplies.
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Step
02/24
Find a partner. You and your partner will help each other make your
Moon Books.
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Step
03/24
Cut on the solid black line on your Moon Book sheet.
When you’re done, you’ll have two equal pieces.
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04/24
Flip both pieces of your Moon Book over. Fold each piece in half, like
this, so that the words are on the outside. Make sure to line up the
corners and edges before you fold.
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05/24
One folded paper has a TRIANGLE on it. The other one has a STAR.
Turn the papers so you can see the triangle and and the star. Set the
papers on your table, like this.
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06/24
Fold each paper in half like a book. Be sure to match up the corners
and run your finger over the fold. After you have folded them, unfold
them both, like this.
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07/24
Find the paper that has a STAR on it.
Set it on top of the paper that has a TRIANGLE on it.
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08/24
Bring the ends of your pipe cleaner together to make a loop.
Then squeeze the sides of the loop together, like this.
You’ve folded your pipe cleaner in half.
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09/24
Have your partner hold your book open. Slide one half of the pipe
cleaner into the middle of the book. The other half is on the outside.
Twist the ends of the pipe cleaner together.
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10/24
Write your name on the front of your book. Now you can watch the
Moon and draw pictures of its shape in your book. Those pictures will
help you remember all the moon shapes and when they appear!
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If you need a natural stopping point!

Teachers: If you are short on time, this is a good stopping point.

You can come back and finish your Moon Book later.

If you’re continuing right now, advance to the next slide.

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The full moon is round and bright. Look at the white circle on page 1
of your Moon Book. Let’s outline the shape of the full moon. With
your pencil, draw a line on the edge of the circle.
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Turn to page 2. Use your pencil to outline where you see the bright
part of the Moon, like this. Then shade in the part of the Moon that’s
dark.
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On page 3, use your pencil to outline where you see the bright part
of the Moon, like this. Then shade in the part of the Moon that’s dark.
When you’re done, make sure it looks like the Moon in our photo.
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On page 4, use your pencil to outline where you see the bright part
of the Moon, like this. Then shade in the part of the Moon that’s dark.
Make sure the Moon in your book matches the Moon in our photo.
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A few days later, the Moon is dark. The Moon is still there, but it looks
like it’s gone! On page 5, use your pencil to shade in the whole Moon
so it looks like our photo.
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Use your Moon Book to see what’s happened with the Moon so far.
Start on page 1 where you drew the full Moon. Then look at the
Moon’s shape on page 2, page 3, page 4, and page 5. Discuss:
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Here’s what we noticed. The bright part of the Moon got smaller and
smaller as the days went by. The Moon went from a bright circle, to
a half moon, to a crescent, and now it’s completely dark! Discuss:
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Here’s what happened next. It’s a crescent moon again! But wait a
minute — compare this moon shape to the one on page 4. Discuss:
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On page 6, use your pencil to outline where you see the bright part
of the Moon, like this. Then shade in the part of the Moon that’s dark.
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On page 7, use your pencil to outline where you see the bright part of
the Moon, like this. Then shade in the part of the Moon that’s dark.
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Turn to page 8. Use your pencil to outline where you see the bright
part of the Moon, like this. Then shade in the part of the Moon that’s
dark.
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We took our last photo a few days later. That’s FOUR weeks after we
started taking pictures. Here’s what the Moon looked like. Discuss:
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Now let’s look at what happened after the Moon was completely
dark. Start with page 5. Look at the Moon’s shape on page 6, page 7,
page 8, and page 1. Discuss:
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Here’s what we noticed. The bright part of the Moon got bigger and
bigger as the days went by. The Moon went from completely dark, to
a crescent, to a half moon, and now it’s full again. Discuss:
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Moon


1 of 8

a large round object that you can usually see in the night sky
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full moon


2 of 8

when the Moon looks like a big, round circle
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crescent moon


3 of 8

when the Moon looks like a tiny sliver
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half moon


4 of 8

when the Moon looks like half of a circle
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observe


5 of 8

to pay close attention to something
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cycle


6 of 8

a set of events that repeats in the same order over and over
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pattern


7 of 8

something that happens again and again and again in a way that can be predicted
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predict


8 of 8

to guess what will happen based on things you know
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Lesson narration:
English Spanish

Activity Prep

Print Prep
In this lesson, students explore all of the different shapes of the Moon that can appear on different nights. In the activity, My Moon Book, students observe photos of the Moon taken over the course of four weeks and draw pictures of the Moon's phases in their book. They use these observations to discover patterns in how the Moon’s shape changes and predict when the next full moon will appear.
Preview activity
Number of students:

I have a Mystery Pack

Moon Book printout 1 per student
Pencil
1 pencil per student
Scissors
1 pair per student
Pipe Cleaners
1 pipe cleaner per student
Prep Instructions

We suggest students work in pairs.

Each student will construct a Moon Book. Then they will observe photos of the Moon taken over the course of four weeks and draw pictures of the Moon's phases in their book.

Plan Your Time

This is a long activity. If you have limited time, you can divide this lesson into two sessions. We have marked a natural stopping point after the construction of the book.

Part 1 (create a Moon Book) takes 10 to 15 minutes.

Part 2 (record observations of the Moon in your Moon Book) takes 15-20 minutes. Part 2 begins here.

Teacher Background

You may have heard the term “quarter moon” — the name astronomers use to describe the Moon when half its surface is bright. In this lesson, we have opted instead for the descriptive term “half moon" that matches what students see in the sky.

Exploration

15 mins

Hands-On Activity

35 mins

Wrap-Up

5 mins

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Vocabulary

Activity

Activity

Activity

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