By, Jacquelyn Lesko & Nate Polich

Standard

Develop and use a model of the Earth-sun-moon system to describe the MS ESS1-1.

cyclic patterns of lunar phases, eclipses of the sun and moon, and seasons.

Lesson Overview

 After this lesson, the students will be able to:  Model the positioning of the earth with the relation of the sun to represent the four seasons.

 Explain the occurrences of solar and lunar eclipses due to the specific locations of the earth, sun, and moon.

 Describe the changing phases of the moon and why they occur.

List of Materials

 PowerPoint  Exploration Worksheets  Guided notes  Pencils  Elaboration science journals  Colored pencils  Access to projector, computer/internet  Foam ball on stick  Lamp

Engage

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W47 Wa7onrIQ&feature=share  Think-Pair-Share  Create a list that describes what you may already know or a description of what you see in relation to the video.

Explore

 3 Centers about 5 minutes each (could be longer in an actual middle school classroom setting)  Station 1: Lunar Phases ○ Students will explore how the moon’s position changes how much we can see  Station 2: Eclipses ○ Students continue to explore the moon to discover what happens when it falls into shadow and casts a shadow on earth  Station 3: Seasons ○ Students explore how the earth’s tilt and orbit about the sun affects our seasons on earth

Explore Center #1: Lunar Phases

Explore Center #2: Eclipses

Explore Center #3: Seasons

Explain

 Have students share their observations from the centers.

 PowerPoint   Many visuals and factual information that explains seasons, moon phases, and solar and lunar eclipses and why they occur.

Teacher’s verbal explanations.

 Guided notes  Students follow along with the explanations  Check your understanding questions built into guided notes.

Explain: PowerPoint

Explain: Guided Notes

Elaborate

   1. What if man established communities on the moon? How might their point of view be different from the point of view of those on earth during a solar eclipse? A lunar eclipse?

2. What if the moon revolved around the Earth’s poles instead of the Earth’s equator? What would the moon’s phases look like?

3. What if the Earth did not have a tilt along its axis? How would that effect the seasons?

  Students write and/or draw an explanation in their science journals. Students volunteer to share their conclusions with the class, which will stimulate a classroom discussion.

Evaluate

 Students will be evaluated by:  Teacher observations  Explorations worksheets  Check your understanding questions during explain.

 Elaboration science journals

Sources

 http://www.education.com/files/121301_ 121400/121349/learning-moon phases.pdf

- moon phases worksheet  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W47 Wa7onrIQ&feature=share – earth, sun, moon animation