MOON PHASES

It's time for our Space Unit! Ms. Kobi joined us two different days this past week: Wednesday and Friday. Prior to our time together, we spent a bit of time discussing the terminology rotation and revolution. This also led into a discussion about the eight phases of the moon and how to determine if a moon is waxing or waning.

On Wednesday, Ms. Kobi helped to reinforce our terminology and concepts by bringing in spinning plates! The dowel acted as the axis of the Earth and the plate acted as the rotating planet Earth. Each student was given the opportunity to be the sun, Earth and moon. The sun was to stand in the middle with waving arms to simulate the sun’s hot rays. The Earth was to hold the spinning plate and slowly revolve around the sun. The moon was to quickly revolve around the Earth.

It was a great way to try out a circus skill and reinforce a fairly abstract concept. I have already ordered spinning plates for my classroom in the hope that I will be able to continue to utilize them during this unit!

The fun and learning didn’t end there, though. Once everyone got the opportunity to play each role, Ms. Kobi shared with us information about the art of contortion. She explained that contortionists bend their bodies in unusual ways; we then broke into groups to practice contorting our own bodies to spell the word M-O-O-N! 

 I asked groups to share how they were able to contort to spell the word M-O-O-N.Then, we contorted our bodies to look like each moon phase. I had no idea I had such skilled contortionists! My body could not bend in many of the options that were presented! 

Then, we contorted our bodies to look like each moon phase. I had no idea I had such skilled contortionists! My body could not bend in many of the options that were presented! 

Ms. Kelm was willing to share the Moon Phase song she created with her AIM artist last year for us to utilize again. Everyone practiced our new moves to the song.

 If you’d like to take a listen, the video can be found at this link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fdbvd-h7kU

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On Friday, our moon phase learning continued. Ms. Kobi shared with us clown attire. Everyone then jumped right into making a “clown hat” of a different moon phase. The students were responsible for coloring in the dark portion of the moon and cutting their moon out. Ms. Kobi and I then helped to assemble their “clown hats” which they wore proudly the rest of the day!

Ms. Kobi brought in a clown car shaped as the Earth. I challenged everyone by asking them to silently put themselves in order, beginning with the new moon. It was a challenge to stay silent, but everyone did very well putting themselves in order! They all got the chance to then jump out from behind the Earth –shouting their clown name. WAXING GIBBOUS! FIRST QUARTER! WANING CRESCENT! Just who wouldn’t want to be a moon phase clown?!

To end the lesson, students continued to jump out of the clown car. shaped as Earth. This time instead of saying their own name, the audience had to determine which clown had jumped out by looking at the moon phase on their clown hat. It was a great was to gain a deeper understanding and to assess all the learning that occurred!