Middle Grades Science

Moon Watch
Observing the Lunar Phases
with a Model

MATERIALS AND RESOURCES ABOUT THIS LESSON

P A G E S
T
his activity provides a deep, rich context
EACH GROUP TEACHER
for scientific understanding of the natural
adhesive, reusable marker, Sharpie® world. Students will discover that the phases
of the Moon are not random but occur in a regular,

T E A C H E R
copy of Lunar Layout
sheet (laminated) predictable fashion.
ping pong ball
OBJECTIVES
protractor, with hole
Students will:
• Determine the cause of the lunar phases as well
as name the phases using a representative model

LEVEL

Middle Grades: Earth

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 Middle Grades Science – Moon Watch

NEXT GENERATION SCIENCE STANDARDS COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS

(LITERACY) RST.6-8.1

Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of

science and technical texts.
DEVELOPING AND
USING MODELS (LITERACY) RST.6-8.3

Follow precisely a multistep procedure when carrying

out experiments, taking measurements, or performing
technical tasks.
(LITERACY) RST.6-8.7
PATTERNS

Integrate quantitative or technical information

expressed in words in a text with a version of that
information expressed visually (e.g., in a flowchart,
diagram, model, graph, or table).

P A G E S
ESS1: THE UNIVERSE (LITERACY) WHST.6-8.1

Write arguments focused on discipline-specific

content.
LESSON CONSUMABLES
(MATH) 7.EE.B

T E A C H E R
Item 1 – Lunar Layout Sheet
Solve real-life and mathematical problems using
numerical and algebraic expressions and equations.
(MATH) 7.RP.A

Analyze proportional relationships and use them to

solve real-world and mathematical problems.
(MATH) 8.EE.B

Understand the connections between proportional

relationships, lines, and linear equations.

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 Middle Grades Science – Moon Watch

ASSESSMENTS REFERENCES

The following types of assessments are embedded in Espenak, Fred. “Mr. Eclipse.” Background
this activity: information describing how solar and lunar eclipses
• Assessment of prior knowledge occur. www.mreclipse.com.
• Pre-lab discussion “HeyWhatsThat: Eclipses.” Simulations of solar and
• Formative assessment questions lunar eclipses, past and future.
www.heywhatsthat.com/eclipses.html.
• Summative assessment activity
Kavanagh, Claudine, Lori Agan, and Cary Sneider.
The following additional assessments are located on
“Learning about Phases of the Moon and Eclipses:
our website:
A Guide for Teachers and Curriculum Developers.”
• Middle Grades Assessment: Space Science— Astronomy Education Review 4.1 (2005): 19–52.
Earth-Moon-Solar System Review of research studies that focus on the
• Short Lesson Assessment: Moon Watch misconceptions students have about the phases of the
Moon and different teaching methods.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS “Lunar Cycle 1: Calendar.” Science NetLinks.

Sharpie® is a registered trademark of Sanford L.P., A
Newell Rubbermaid Company.
P A G E S
American Association for the Advancement of
Science. Resource for generating calendars that
students can use to create a Moon watch journal. http://
sciencenetlinks.com/tools/lunar-cycle-1-calendar.

T E A C H E R
“Lunar Cycle 2: The Challenge.” Science NetLinks.
American Association for the Advancement of
Science. Online activity that challenges participants to
predict the phase of the Moon based on past and future
Moon phases. http://sciencenetlinks.com/tools/lunar-cycle-
2-the-challenge.

Lunar Phase Simulator. Astronomy Education at

University of Nebraska – Lincoln. Online simulation
that demonstrates how the Sun-Earth-Moon angle
causes the phases of the Moon.
http://astro.unl.edu/naap/lps/animations/lps.html.

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 Middle Grades Science – Moon Watch

TEACHING SUGGESTIONS

I
nuit legend tells of the moon god Annigan chasing demonstrate how the changing angle between the
his sister Malina, the sun goddess, through the sky. Sun, Earth, and Moon cause the phases. This model
When the full moon wanes and become the new illustrates the process of the Moon’s phases, but it can
moon, Annigan is weak from the chase and becomes be unwieldy owing to the amount of space needed to
thinner. When he eats and is reinvigorated, the moon conduct the activity. It is also difficult to ensure that
waxes and becomes full. Although we no longer all your students are able to see the Moon’s phases
ascribe the phases of the moon to activities of deities, uniformly.
our lunar fascination has not waned. Indeed, one of
our greatest scientific and engineering achievements
is the lunar landing, and efforts to visit our closest
celestial neighbor continue to this day.
Still, misconceptions about the Moon persist. Students
and adults alike believe the phases of the Moon are
the result of the Moon passing through the Earth’s

P A G E S
shadow. Although the passing of a celestial body
through the shadow of another celestial body causes
an eclipse, it is the angle between the Sun, Earth, and
Moon that causes the Moon’s changing appearance
(Figure A). Figure A. The orbit of the Moon is tilted 5 degrees with

Only when the Sun, Earth, and Moon are in the same
plane can a lunar eclipse occur. Light from the Sun
radiates in all directions, therefore all objects in the
solar system are illuminated by the Sun, including the
Moon. However, because only half of any object can
face the Sun, only the sun-facing half is illuminated. A
new moon occurs when the unilluminated half of the
Moon faces Earth and the Moon “disappears” from the
sky (Figure B).
Understanding the phases of the Moon can be quite
difficult, and there are a number of models to help
your students explore how the phases of the Moon
occur. One of the most popular and delicious uses
chocolate sandwich cookies. Students separate the
cookie halves and scrape away the cream to recreate
the moon phases. This activity is great for getting
students to recognize the Moon’s phases but does
nothing to help students learn how they occur. Another
model uses a light source and spherical objects to
T E A C H E R
respect to the plane of the Earth’s orbit with the Sun.
The ping pong ball model used in “Moon Watch”
addresses the disadvantages of the previous models:
the students are able to recognize the Moon’s phases
and see how they occur without needing all the
space of the light source model. Students place the
“moon” on the lunar layout sheet, making sure that
the illuminated side of the moon always faces the
“sun,” and then they view the moon from an earthly
perspective. As the moon orbits the earth, new moon
to full moon and back again, the phases are seen as a
continuum. The changing angle between the sun, earth
and moon give rise to the moon’s phases: first waxing
crescent, quarter moon, waxing gibbous, full moon,
waning gibbous, waning crescent, and the cycle begins
again.

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 Middle Grades Science – Moon Watch

TEACHING SUGGESTIONS (CONTINUED)

To prepare students for this activity and ascertain moon will be painted black to demonstrate the
prior knowledge about the Moon, ask your students to unilluminated portion of the Moon. The remaining
go outside and observe the Moon six to eight weeks half will remain white to represent the illuminated
before the start of the activity. In lieu of keeping a side. Our earthly perspective prevents us from seeing
journal, students can take pictures of the Moon using the full illuminated portion, and gives rise to the
a digital camera or the camera available on various phases of the Moon.
smartphones. Other options include providing your
students with a calendar template with room to sketch
the appearance of the Moon and provide any ancillary
comments. You may want to suggest that your students
make observations around sunset to avoid having
them out too late at night. However the students make
their observations, encourage them to be as consistent
as possible when taking their pictures, paying close
attention to the time and location. If your students

P A G E S
take digital images of the Moon, ask them to e-mail
their photos to you for use in a summative assessment
piece.
During your pre-lab discussion, direct your students

T E A C H E R
to take a few minutes and view their pictures in
chronological order. The following questions could be
used during your pre-lab discussion:
• What words could you use to describe the way
the Moon looks?
• Where does the Moon get its light?
• What patterns do you see in the way the Moon
looks at night?
• Is there a correlation between the time of the
month and the phase of the Moon?
• What do you think causes the changing
appearance of the Moon?

The mechanics of “Moon Watch” are simple. Students

Figure B. When the Moon appears full, the Moon is
will move a ping pong moon through its orbit around
opposite the Sun and the full illuminated portion of the
the earth and sketch the moon’s appearance from their Moon is visible
vantage point on earth. Because the Sun illuminates
half of the Moon at all times, half of the ping pong

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 Middle Grades Science – Moon Watch

TEACHING SUGGESTIONS (CONTINUED)

Many lunar phases activities use a light source and created by the University of Nebraska–Lincoln
a sphere to model the Moon’s changing appearance, Astronomy Education Group (http://astro.unl.edu/naap/
but it is difficult to determine if all students have seen lps/lps.html, Figure C).
the phase from the correct angle, if they have actually
Formative assessment questions you can use during
seen what is intended, and if they understand that half
the activity and before the Conclusion Questions may
of the “Moon” is always illuminated. With this model,
include:
half of the sphere will always be white, and thus
• Does every waxing crescent look the same?
“illuminated.”
Every waning gibbous?
At the end of the activity, have students demonstrate
• Do the terms crescent and gibbous refer to a
their understanding of the phases of the Moon by
specific phase of the Moon?
using their photos to create cards showing the phases.
• What is the difference between a new moon and a
Place the cards in a container, and have students pick a
full moon?
card and reproduce the phase of the Moon pictured on
their card by placing the ping pong ball in the correct • Can you think of factors not accounted for in this
model?

P A G E S
location. You may also use the lunar phases simulator

T E A C H E R

Figure C. By turning off the moon phase display, you can project the simulation and place the moon
in various positions and have the students predict the phase of the moon.

Copyright © 2013 National Math + Science Initiative, Dallas, Texas. All rights reserved. Visit us online at www.nms.org. vi

TEACHING SUGGESTIONS (CONTINUED)
Ping pong balls can be purchased at sporting goods
suppliers or other discount stores. You may substitute
another small sphere to take the place of the ping pong
ball, such as a polystyrene ball or wooden drawer
pulls. To color the ping pong ball half black and half
white, use permanent marker or black spray paint.
When looking at the ping pong ball, find the seam
along the mid-line and lay painter’s tape or masking
tape along this seam. This will ensure that only half of
the ball will be painted.
Students must have the white half of the “Moon”
facing the side of the paper where the “Sun” is
positioned. One way to help with this setup is to tell
students to keep the mid-line of the ping pong ball
aligned with the vertical line at each location.
Also, students must observe the Moon phase as if
standing on Earth in the middle of the Lunar Layout
sheet. They must observe the ping pong ball with their
head level with the paper, and look along the line that
connects the “Moon” and “Earth.”
The reusable adhesive is used to keep the ping pong
ball in place. This adhesive could be the material
Copyright © 2013 National Math + Science Initiative, Dallas, Texas. All rights reserved. Visit us online at www.nms.org.
Middle Grades Science – Moon Watch
that holds posters on walls, modeling clay or, if your
Lunar Layout sheets are laminated, the students could
use tape. Any material that will temporarily allow the
“Moon” to sit in the correct orientation on the Lunar
Layout sheet will work.
Some students may not be familiar with protractors
and may require help. Test their prior knowledge by
asking students how to use the protractor or measure
given angles. The important thing to remind them is
that measurements should range from 0° to almost
360°. In other words, they should not start over at 0°
once they measure past 180°.
A few notes of explanation:
• The angle measures for the different phases are
P A G E S
not equal increments. Using this setup, a student
cannot simply find the pattern and add the
increment to avoid using the protractor.
• There are multiple waxing and waning phases to
T E A C H E R
emphasize that there exist a continuum of waxing
or waning phases between the new moon, full
moon, and quarter moons.
vii
 Middle Grades Science – Moon Watch

DATA AND OBSERVATIONS

Table 1. Phases of the Moon

Position Sketch of Moon Angle Measure Phase Name

1 0° New moon

2 23° Waxing crescent

3 67° Waxing crescent

4 90° First quarter

5 120° Waxing gibbous

K E Y
6 141° Waxing gibbous

A N S W E R
7 180° Full moon

8 230° Waning gibbous

9 258° Waning gibbous

10 270° Third quarter

11 304° Waning crescent

12 326° Waning crescent

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 Middle Grades Science – Moon Watch

CONCLUSION QUESTIONS

1. A friend says there are two new moons during
any given lunar cycle. Explain why you agree or
disagree.
Each lunar cycle includes one new moon. Every
29.5 days, we observe a new moon from Earth.
2. Calculate the number of days during any given
lunar cycle when a waning crescent is visible.
Show your work.
A waning crescent is visible for 7.4 days.
The phases between a third quarter moon and
a new moon are all waning crescents. A third
quarter moon is three quarters of the way through
the 29.5-day cycle, and a full moon would be
halfway through the cycle. From Day 22.1
(29.5 × ¾) to Day 29.5 would be 7.4 days of
waning crescent.
4. While the Northern Hemisphere is experiencing
a waxing crescent from the right, the Southern
Hemisphere is experiencing a waxing crescent
from the left. Both hemispheres experience a new
moon or a full moon on the same day, but the rest
of the phases are seen from opposite directions.
How could you use the model (the ping pong ball
and Lunar Layout sheet) to show the lunar cycle
as experienced in the Southern Hemisphere?
To show the lunar cycle in the Southern
Hemisphere, you would move the ping pong ball
around the Lunar Layout in reverse order
(1, 12, 11, 10…2).
5. What are three limitations of the model used in
this activity?
Answers will vary but may include lack of

K E Y
rotation of the Moon on its axis, the size of the
3. If a full moon is approximately Day 14 of the
model, and the relative distance between celestial
lunar cycle, what would the angle measure be for
bodies.

A N S W E R
Day 22? Use your angle measure for a full moon
to set up a proportion, and show your work and 6. Approximately every 2.7 years, we experience a
all units. blue moon, or a second full moon in one month.
How is this possible?
180 x
 The lunar cycle is 29.5 days whereas most
14 days 22 days
months are 30 or 31 days. If a full moon occurs
x(14 days) = (22 days)(180°) within the first three days of a month, we would
have a second full moon before the month is over.
3960  days
x  282.9
14 days
The actual mathematical value is 282.86°, or
282.9° with the correct number of significant
digits.

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 Middle Grades Middle
ScienceGrades
– MoonScience
Watch

Moon Watch
Observing the Lunar Phases with a Model

T
he Moon goes through a continuous repetition of its phases as it orbits
Earth. The average duration of one cycle is 29.5 days. A lunation, or
complete cycle of the moon phases, begins with a new moon. A new moon
is the phase when the Moon is not visible; the illuminated side of the Moon is
MATERIALS facing away from Earth. Except during a lunar eclipse, half of the Moon is always
adhesive, reusable illuminated.
copy of Lunar Layout sheet The different phases are caused by the illuminated surface of the Moon not always
(laminated)
being visible from Earth. The halfway point of a lunation is a full moon, when the
ping pong ball entire illuminated side of the Moon is visible from Earth. The other phases are all
protractor, with hole in-between steps of the cycle from new moon to full moon to new moon.
When we can see more of the illuminated side than the previous night, the Moon
is considered to be in its waxing phases. When the illuminated portion is smaller
than the previous night, the Moon is considered to be in its waning phases. For
example, if you can see half of the Moon one night and the next night you can see
more than half, the Moon is waxing.
Another pair of descriptive terms used in naming lunar phases are gibbous and
crescent. A gibbous moon occurs when the Moon is more than half visible, and a
crescent moon occurs when the Moon is less than half visible (Figure 1).

Figure 1. Gibbous and

crescent moons

Gibbous Crescent

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 Middle Grades Science – Moon Watch

In the northern hemisphere, a new moon becomes illuminated from the right to
the left and a full moon becomes dark from right to left. If you see a moon that
looks similar to the gibbous diagram shown in Figure 1, you know it must be a
waning gibbous as the illumination on the Moon is moving toward a new moon,
not a full moon. If you see a moon similar to the crescent in Figure 1, you know
it is a waxing crescent as the illumination is starting from the right and is moving
toward a full moon.

Figure 2. First and third

quarters

First Quarter Third Quarter

Halfway between a new moon and full moon there is a phase where the right half
of the Moon appears illuminated. This phase is known as the first quarter
(Figure 2). Halfway between the full moon and new moon, the left half of the
Moon appears illuminated. This phase is known as the third quarter (sometimes
known as the last quarter). There are several days of waxing crescents but only
one first quarter. The same applies for all crescent and gibbous moons.

PURPOSE

You will use a model to determine the cause of the lunar phases, as well as name
the phases.

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 Middle Grades Science – Moon Watch

PROCEDURE

1. Place the small amount of adhesive on the ping pong ball in one place where
the white and black sections meet (see Figure 3).

Figure 3. Colored ping

pong ball ping pong ball
reusable adhesive

2. Place the ping pong ball (adhesive side down) on the circle at Position 1 of
the Lunar Layout sheet where the straight line and arc of the circle intersect.
The white part of the ping pong ball should be facing the direction of the Sun
at all times. Align the mid-line of the ping pong ball with the vertical line at
Position 1. This signifies that half of the Moon is always illuminated even
though we do not always see the illuminated side.
3. Observe the ping pong ball from the level of the paper, looking along the
straight line from the location of Earth to Position 1 as if you were standing
on Earth. Fill in the circle on your data sheet so that it reflects the image you
observe.
The angle measurement for Position 1 will be 0°. For the remainder of
the positions, you will use your protractor to measure the angle based on
Position 1. Position 8 through Position 12 will have angle measures greater
than 180°.
Based on the introductory descriptions of the different phases and the image
you observed, name the lunar phase modeled at Position 1.
4. Remove the ping pong ball from Position 1 and, using the adhesive, mount
the ping pong ball at Position 2. Remember to orient the white side of the
ping pong ball so it faces the side where the Sun is positioned (Figure 4).

Figure 4. Position of
ping pong ball

5. Complete Step 3 and Step 4 with the ping pong ball positioned at all 12
locations. Be sure to always observe the ping pong ball while looking along
the line from the location of Earth to the position of the ball

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 Middle Grades Science – Moon Watch

DATA AND OBSERVATIONS

Table 1. Phases of the Moon

Position Sketch of Moon Angle Measure Phase Name

10

11

12

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 Middle Grades Science – Moon Watch

CONCLUSION QUESTIONS

1. A friend says there are two new moons during any given lunar cycle. Explain
why you agree or disagree.

2. Calculate the number of days during any given lunar cycle when a waning
crescent is visible. Show your work.

3. If a full moon is approximately Day 14 of the lunar cycle, what would the
angle measure be for Day 22? Use your angle measure for a full moon to set
up a proportion, and show your work and all units.

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 Middle Grades Science – Moon Watch

CONCLUSION QUESTIONS (CONTINUED)

4. While the Northern Hemisphere is experiencing a waxing crescent from the

right, the Southern Hemisphere is experiencing a waxing crescent from the
left. Both hemispheres experience a new moon or a full moon on the same
day, but the rest of the phases are seen from opposite directions. How could
you use the model (the ping pong ball and Lunar Layout sheet) to show the
lunar cycle as experienced in the Southern Hemisphere?

5. What are three limitations of the model used in this activity?

6. Approximately every 2.7 years, we experience a blue moon, or a second full

moon in one month. How is this possible?

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 Middle Grades Science – Moon Watch

ITEM 1 – LUNAR LAYOUT SHEET

7
8

6
9

5
Location

C O N S U M A B L E
4
Earth
of
10

11

L E S S O N
12

Lunar Layout Sheet

1
Direction of Sun’s rays

Location of Sun

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