Lunar Lollipops: Reproducing the Moon Phases
Students work in teams of two to discover the relative positions of the Earth, Sun and Moon that produce the different phases of the Moon. Groups are each given a Styrofoam ball that they attach to a pencil so that it looks like a lollipop. In this acting-out model exercise, this ball on a stick represents the Moon, the students represent the Earth and a hanging lightbulb serves as the Sun. Students move the "Moon" around them to discover the different phases. They fill in the position of the Moon and its corresponding phase in a worksheet.
What causes the various phases of the Moon?Copyright 2004 Microsoft Corporation, One Microsoft Way, Redmond, WA 98052-6399 USA. All rights reserved. http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/images/results.aspx?qu=moon&ex=1#ai:MP900422254|mt:0|
The Apollo Moon landings were one of the most important engineering achievements of the 20th century, and a thorough understanding of the positions of the Earth, Moon and Sun in space made it possible.
After this activity, students should be able to:
- Explain why the Moon is visible from Earth.
- Describe the placement of the Earth, Sun and Moon during the different phases of the moon.
- Explain why the Moon appears slightly different in shape each night.