Moon Phase Machine. Objective Students will understand how the positions of the Moon, Earth and the Sun in the Solar System create Moon phases.

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1 1 Moon Phase Machine Objective Students will understand how the positions of the Moon, Earth and the Sun in the Solar System create Moon phases. Suggested Grade Level Sixth grade This lesson may be adapted for higher- and lower-grade levels Subject Area Science Timeline One class period Background Students will need to be able to identify the phases of the Moon. A good visual manipulative for this is to use a dark blue 8-inch construction paper circle to represent a full Moon. Each other phase is made by using a white construction paper circle cut to represent the phase and glued onto another blue 8-inch circle. Note that one white circle will make two phases when it is cut into a Moon phase. (Included in the Addendum to this lesson are images of the Moon s phases which can be cut from white construction paper or printed from the images.) After this visual aid is made, orient all phases so that they are in correct order and label the phase name on the reverse side. This will help to easily keep the phases in order and to check that you are exhibiting the correct Moon phase. Refer to the Nine Planets web site referenced in the Resources for current information on the Moon. Note: Dark blue construction paper is used rather than black construction paper to make the models of the Moon phases. During the New Moon we often can still see that the Moon is in the sky. The Moon is receiving Earthshine. This is sunlight reflected from Earth s clouds and oceans back onto the Moon. Earthshine allows us to see the Moon during many Full Moons. Materials One long pipe cleaner for each student One large wooden bead for each student One pony bead or UV bead for each student Lesson 1. Vocabulary Dark Moon - Not visible

2 2 New Moon - Not visible, or traditionally: first visible crescent of the Moon Waxing Crescent Moon - Right 1-49% visible First Quarter Moon - Right 50% visible Waxing gibbous Moon - Right 51-99% visible Full Moon - Fully visible Waning gibbous Moon - Left 51-99% visible Third Quarter Moon - Left 50% visible Waning Crescent Moon - Left 1-49% visible New Moon - Not visible 2. Review the names and shapes of the phases of Earth s Moon. (See suggested manipulative in background information.) 3. Tell students that they will build a Moon Phase Machine that will help them model phases of the Moon and learn how to use the it. (See a graphic image of the Moon Phase Machine in the Addendum below.) 4. Each student should be given a long pipe cleaner, a large wooden bead and a pony bead. Tell students to keep the pipe cleaner straight. 5. Model holding the pipe cleaner in your left hand. Hold the pipe cleaner in its middle. Tell students to hold their pipe cleaner in the same manner. Place the large wooden bead on one end of the pipe cleaner. Push the bead to the center of the pipe cleaner. Loop the pipe cleaner over the top of the bead. While holding the bead and the pipe cleaner at the same time with your fingers, twist in a manner similar to using a bread tie. This movement should lock the bead onto the pipe cleaner. Tell the students to check to be sure the bead will easily turn similar to the rotation of the earth. Turn the pipe cleaner so that you can work on the longest open end of the pipe cleaner. The pony bead should be added to the open end of the pipe cleaner in a similar manner to the wooden bead. The pony bead should be oriented about 1 inch from the open end of the pipe cleaner. Then the bread tie movement should lock the pony bead onto the end of the pipe cleaner. Tell students to check to be sure the bead will easily turn similar to the rotation of the Earth. The pipe cleaner should be bent at the large bead into a 90 degree angle. The large bead to the pony bead will form one leg of the angle. The large

3 3 bead to the open end of the pipe cleaner will form the other leg of the angle. 6. Now the Moon Phase Machine is complete. Tell students that in this model of the Sun-Earth-Moon relationship, their head will represent the Sun, the large bead the Earth and the pony bead the Moon. The open end of the pipe cleaner will form the handle of the machine. Tell students to practice turning the handle of the machine. They should observe that the Moon (pony bead) orbits the Earth (wooden bead). (From the top of the beads looking down, the orbit will be in a counter-clockwise manner.) Have the students check that their Earth and Moon rotate just as the Earth and Moon rotate. 7. Tell students to hold the Moon Phase Machine out in front of them at arm s length. Remind students that their head will be the Sun. Have students rotate the machine to the position that they think will model the New Moon. You may want to have students work in pairs or groups of three. Check for understanding. Now have students rotate the machine to the position that they think will model the Full Moon. Check for understanding. If there are misunderstandings, the paper models of the Moon phases can be used with the machine so that the entire class can observe your modeling. 8. Students should observe that when the Moon is between the Sun and the Earth, the Moon phase is the New Moon. The light from the Sun falls on the far side of the Moon that cannot be seen from Earth. As the Moon Phase Machine is orbiting in a counter-clockwise manner, students should observe that the First Quarter Moon will be seen when the Moon Phase Machine points with the small bead heading toward their right. As the Moon Phase Machine continues to be turned in its orbit, the Full Moon should be observed when the Earth is between the Sun and the Moon. (Because of the inclination of the orbit path of the Moon, the Earth will not often cause an eclipse of the Sun.) Again, as the Moon Phase Machine is turned, the students should observe that when the Moon Phase Machine points with the small bead heading toward their left the Third Quarter Moon is observed. The Waxing and Waning Crescents and Gibbous Moons should also be modeled by using the Moon Phase Machine. The Waxing Crescent is observed after the Moon moves counterclockwise along its orbit following Full Moon, moving toward the First Quarter phase. The Waxing Gibbous is observed after the Moon moves counter-clockwise along its orbit following First Quarter. The Waning Gibbous is observed after the Moon moves counter-clockwise along its orbit following Full Moon.

4 4 The Waning Crescent is observed after the Moon moves counterclockwise along its orbit following Third Quarter. 9. Ask students to model all of the phases of the Moon that you are teaching. Extensions 1. Use the Moon Phase machine to explore how the Moon and Earth s inclination of orbit prevent an eclipse each month. 2. Have students use the Moon Phase Machine to show where the Moon s position would be during a solar and a lunar eclipse. 3. Using hard, inexpensive chocolate chip cookies, white canned icing, plastic knives and paper towels to have your students create moon phases. The icing is the light on the Moon. Once you get to Full Moon, students should brainstorm how to show the rest of the Moon phases. Don t let them lick the icing off! Don t let them scrape the icing off! Tell them to replace their knives in the icing cans. Let them model the waning Moon phases by biting off slivers of cookie to represent the Moon phases. They will love it! Evaluation Students did understand how the positions of the Moon, Earth and the Sun in the Solar System create Moon phases. Students did model the phases of the Moon using the Moon Phases Machine. Students did model making the Moon phases using the cookie and icing extension. Resources Space Foundation Summer Graduate Institute, 2006, Astronomy Principles for the Classroom

5 5 Addendum Illustration of the Moon Phase Machine Earth Sun Handle Moon Phases: These images can be used to help create Moon phase models from construction paper. New Moon Waxing Crescent First Quarter Waxing Gibbous Full Moon Waning Gibbous Third Quarter Waning Gibbous