Moon Phases

MOON PHASES
I. PURPOSE
TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE PHASES OF THE MOON BY BUILDING A PHASE CHART

BACKGROUND
THE MOON EFFECTS THE EARTH IN OBSERVABLE WAYS. FOR EXAMPLE, THE TIDES ARE A RESULT OF
THE MOON’S GRAVITY.

THE MOON REVOLVES AROUND THE EARTH ONCE EVERY 29.5 DAYS CAUSING THE PHASES.

THE MOON’S SHINE IS A RESULT OF REFLECTED LIGHT FROM THE SUN.

HALF OF THE MOON IS ALWAYS ILLUMINATED.

PHASES OF THE MOON:
NEW MOON: THE MOON LOOKS DARK, THE SUN LIGHTS THE BACK SIDE OF THE MOON.
THE SIDE THAT FACES EARTH IS DARK.

WAXING CRESCENT: OBSERVED FROM EARTH, THE MOON LOOKS LIKE A CRESCENT ON THE RIGHT SIDE.

FIRST QUARTER: THE MOON HAS COMPLETED A QUARTER OF ITS ORBIT AROUND EARTH,
OBSERVED FROM EARTH THE RIGHT SIDE OF MOON APPEARS AS A HALF CIRCLE.

WAXING GIBBOUS: OBSERVED FROM EARTH THREE-FOURTHS OF THE RIGHT SIDE
OF THE MOON'S SURFACE IS LIT.

FULL: THE ENTIRE SIDE OF THE MOON FACING EARTH IS LIT.

WANING GIBBOUS: THREE-FOURTHS OF THE LEFT SURFACE FACING EARTH IS LIT.

LAST QUARTER: THE MOON HAS COMPLETED A THREE QUARTERS OF ITS ORBIT AROUND EARTH,
OBSERVED FROM EARTH THE LEFT SIDE OF THE MOON APPEARS AS A BACKWARD “D”.

WANING CRESCENT: OBSERVED FROM EARTH, THE MOON LOOKS LIKE A CRESCENT ON THE LEFT SIDE.

NEXT IS ANOTHER NEW MOON

II. MATERIALS
BLACK PAPER SCISSORS COLORED PENS PRECUT LIGHT COLORED PAPER GLUE

III. PROCEDURE
1. FOLD THE BLACK PAPER IN HALF HAMBURGER.
2. FOLD THE BLACK PAPER IN HALF HOTDOG.
3. REPEAT STEP 2.
4. UNFOLD THE BLACK PAPER.
5. FOLD THE BLACK PAPER IN HALF HOTDOG.
6. UNFOLD THE BLACK PAPER.
7. ORIENT THE BLACK PAPER SO THAT THE SHORT SIDE IS PARALLEL TO YOU.
8. CUT EACH FOLD ON THE LEFT SIDE ON THE LINES UP TO THE MIDDLE FOLD.
9. CLOSE EACH CUT FOLD OVER TO THE RIGHT.
10. ORIENT THE BLACK PAPER SO THAT THE SHORT SIDE IS PARALLEL TO YOU
AND THE FOLDS ARE ON TOP.
11. RECORD EACH MOON PHASE NAME ON THE LEFT OF EACH FLAP WITH COLORED PENS.
12. DRAW THE MOON PHASE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF EACH FLAP WITH COLORED PENS.
13. UNFOLD THE BLACK PAPER.
14. SECURE THE COLORED RECTANGULAR PIECES TO EACH SECTION ON THE RIGHT SIDE.
15. RECORD INFORMATION ABOUT EACH MOON PHASE ON THE MATCHING INSIDE FLAP.

IV. RESULTS
THIS IS THE MOON PHASE CHART




V. CONCLUSION
1. HOW DID THE MOON FORM?





2. DESCRIBE THE SHAPE OF THE ORBIT OF THE MOON.





3. DESCRIBE THE LAYERS OF THE MOON.





4. HOW MANY PHASES OF THE MOON ARE THERE?





5. WHAT IS THE ORDER OF MOON PHASES STARTING AT THE NEW MOON?





6. HOW OFTEN IS THERE A NEW MOON?





7. WHICH MOON PHASES ARE SIMILAR?





8. HALF OF THE MOON IS ILLUMINATED BY THE SUN. EXPLAIN WHY THE MOON HAS PHASES.





9. PREDICT WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF THE MOON REVOLVED AT THE SAME RATE
AS THE EARTH’S ROTATION?





10. WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MASS AND GRAVITY? (HINT: _____ MASS = _____GRAVITY)





11. DEVELOP A HYPOTHESIS THAT EXPLAINS WHAT EFFECT THE MOON’S MASS
HAS ON THE EARTH’S OCEANS.