Space innovators
View Sequence overviewStudents will:
- explore the phases of the Moon.
- determine if the Moon revolves and/or orbits.
Students will represent their understanding as they:
- record the changing shapes of the Moon over time.
- contribute to discussions about the appearance of the Moon.
- make notes about the Apollo 11 mission.
- contribute to discussions about the design of spacecraft.
In this lesson assessment is formative.
Feedback might focus on:
- students’ recognition of patterns in terms of the phases of the Moon.
- students’ understanding of the different points of view of the Moon.
- students’ understanding of how the relative positions of the Sun, Earth and Moon causes the phases of the Moon.
Class science journal (digital or hard-copy)
Equipment to access the internet and watch suggested video clips and view images
Demonstration copy of the Moon gazing Resource sheet
Demonstration copy of the Moon monitoring Resource sheet
Demonstration copy of the What’s in a rocket? Resource sheet
Footage from the 1969 Apollo 11 moon landing (1:27)
Humans in Space - Behind The News (3:59)
A device to access the internet
Stellarium Web’s sky viewer or NASA’s Daily Moon guide
One of the following videos:
- How the Apollo Spacecraft works: Part 1 (3:38)
- How the Apollo Spacecraft works: Part 2 (4:57)
- How the Apollo Spacecraft works: Part 3 (3:45)
The relevant section of the Mission to the Moon Resource sheet
Individual science journal (digital or hard-copy)
Moon monitoring Resource sheet (or make their own)
Lesson
Re-orient
Using the TWLH chart, refer back to anything students identified or any questions students asked about the Moon.
The Inquire phase allows students to cycle progressively and with increasing complexity through the key science ideas related to the core concepts. Each Inquire cycle is divided into three teaching and learning routines that allow students to systematically build their knowledge and skills in science and incorporate this into their current understanding of the world.
When designing a teaching sequence, it is important to consider the knowledge and skills that students will need in the final Act phase. Consider what the students already know and identify the steps that need to be taken to reach the level required. How could you facilitate students’ understanding at each step? What investigations could be designed to build the skills at each step?
Read more about using the LIA FrameworkIdentifying and constructing questions is the creative driver of the inquiry process. It allows students to explore what they know and how they know it. During the Inquire phase of the LIA Framework, the Question routine allows for past activities to be reviewed and to set the scene for the investigation that students will undertake. The use of effective questioning techniques can influence students’ view and interpretation of upcoming content, open them to exploration and link to their current interests and science capital.
When designing a teaching sequence, it is important to spend some time considering the mindset of students at the start of each Inquire phase. What do you want students to be thinking about, what do they already know and what is the best way for them to approach the task? What might tap into their curiosity?
Read more about using the LIA FrameworkLooking at the moon
Pose the question: Does the Moon look the same every night from Earth? How does its shape change over time?
Discuss with students what they have observed about the shape of the Moon, as from the 'Earth' view.
View the image gallery in the Moon gazing Resource sheet and ask student to describe the 2D ‘shapes’ of the Moon they can see.
Explain that scientists/astronomers refer to the changes in the Moon’s shape as phases, and that today we will be investigating these phases to find out what they are and what causes them.
Pose the question: What are the phases of the Moon?
The Inquire phase allows students to cycle progressively and with increasing complexity through the key science ideas related to the core concepts. Each Inquire cycle is divided into three teaching and learning routines that allow students to systematically build their knowledge and skills in science and incorporate this into their current understanding of the world.
When designing a teaching sequence, it is important to consider the knowledge and skills that students will need in the final Act phase. Consider what the students already know and identify the steps that need to be taken to reach the level required. How could you facilitate students’ understanding at each step? What investigations could be designed to build the skills at each step?
Read more about using the LIA FrameworkThe Investigate routine provides students with an opportunity to explore the key ideas of science, to plan and conduct an investigation, and to gather and record data. The investigations are designed to systematically develop content knowledge and skills through increasingly complex processes of structured inquiry, guided inquiry and open inquiry approaches. Students are encouraged to process data to identify trends and patterns and link them to the real-world context of the teaching sequence.
When designing a teaching sequence, consider the diagnostic assessment (Launch phase) that identified the alternative conceptions that students held. Are there activities that challenge these ideas and provide openings for discussion? What content knowledge and skills do students need to be able to complete the final (Act phase) task? How could you systematically build these through the investigation routines? Are there opportunities to build students’ understanding and skills in the science inquiry processes through the successive investigations?
Read more about using the LIA FrameworkMaking observations of the Moon
Investigation Part 1
Using Stellarium Web’s sky viewer (or NASA’s Daily Moon guide ), and the Moon monitoring Resource sheet, students chart and record what the Moon looks like over a four-week period, noting the date and recording an image of what the Moon looked like on that date.
Note: The shadows on the Moon are different in the southern hemisphere than the northern hemisphere. If using the Stellarium Web's sky viewer, it can detect your location and will show you the Moon accordingly. You can also select a location manually. If using NASA's Daily Moon guide, make sure to use the toggle to switch the view to 'Southern hemisphere'.
You might like to assign each group a different four-week period throughout the year, to establish a pattern. It’s also preferable if students begin their data collection on the date of a new Moon, as that represents the beginning of the lunar cycle, and matches the simulator they will view later.
Encourage students to view the Moon themselves over the course of the coming week, recording the shape of the moon at the same time and in the same location each evening, to see if their personal observations match the shapes shown by the Moon viewer.
Investigation Part 2
Discuss how in the previous lesson students turned a 3D model into a 2D drawing. Explain that this time, students have made 2D drawings of the Moon, and are now going to model the phases of the moon in 3D.
Place a lamp in the centre of the room to represent the Sun (alternatively, each group can use a torch to represent the Sun). Provide each collaborative team with a ball to represent the Moon. Explain that one student’s head will represent the Earth. That student will have an ‘Earth' view of the Moon. The other member/s of the team will have a an 'Astronaut' view of the moon.
Have teams spread out across the classroom, ensuring that the ‘Earth’ is not looking directly into the lamp.
Note to students that, whilst in reality the Earth would also be moving around the sun (as determined in previous lessons), it is not necessary to include that movement in this model to gain an understanding of how the phases of the Moon occur. Students may experiment with including this extra movement if they wish.
Teams move the Moon ball around the ‘Earth’ and observe how much of the surface of the ball is lit up as they do so.
Students should take turns changing roles so they can experience the 'Earth' view and the 'Astronaut' view.
Note: This investigation might also be carried out with each group using a torch to represent the sun. The torch should be held horizontally and pointed directly at the Earth.
Adapting to your context
What if you can’t access the websites used to view the moon?
If you are unable to access the websites used in this step, you can ask students to view the moon and record its shape (and any other observations) from the same location at the same time each night, over the course of at least seven days.
Allowing at least seven days means that students will see a clear change in the Moon’s shape and size. The longer the timeframe of the observations, the clearer the changes will be.
If you are unable to access the websites used in this step, you can ask students to view the moon and record its shape (and any other observations) from the same location at the same time each night, over the course of at least seven days.
Allowing at least seven days means that students will see a clear change in the Moon’s shape and size. The longer the timeframe of the observations, the clearer the changes will be.
The Inquire phase allows students to cycle progressively and with increasing complexity through the key science ideas related to the core concepts. Each Inquire cycle is divided into three teaching and learning routines that allow students to systematically build their knowledge and skills in science and incorporate this into their current understanding of the world.
When designing a teaching sequence, it is important to consider the knowledge and skills that students will need in the final Act phase. Consider what the students already know and identify the steps that need to be taken to reach the level required. How could you facilitate students’ understanding at each step? What investigations could be designed to build the skills at each step?
Read more about using the LIA FrameworkFollowing an investigation, the Integrate routine provides time and space for data to be evaluated and insights to be synthesized. It reveals new insights, consolidates and refines representations, generalises context and broadens students’ perspectives. It allows student thinking to become visible and opens formative feedback opportunities. It may also lead to further questions being asked, allowing the Inquire phase to start again.
When designing a teaching sequence, consider the diagnostic assessment that was undertaken during the Launch phase. Consider if alternative conceptions could be used as a jumping off point to discussions. How could students represent their learning in a way that would support formative feedback opportunities? Could small summative assessment occur at different stages in the teaching sequence?
Read more about using the LIA FrameworkWhat happening to the moon?
Teams share and compare their observations of how the lit part of the Moon changed over time in both the 2D model and the 3D model they have looked at.
- How were you viewing the moon when you were tracking its shape—using an 'Earth' view or the 'Astronaut' view?
- How did the 2D appearance of the Moon change during the time frame you tracked?
- Was there any order, or pattern, to the way its appearance changed? If so, what was this pattern?
- Did you observe a full lunar cycle? How do you know?
- The first shape of the cycle appears again.
- What do you think causes the phases of the Moon?
Discuss the comparison between the 2D model and the 3D models of the Moon at different stages.
- How much of the Moon was lit up as you moved it around the ‘Earth’?
- Did the Moon become more or less bright?
- What view are you taking in each role? An Earth view or an Astronaut view?
- What were the similarities/differences in what you could see in each position?
- Is the far side of the Moon always dark? How do you know? Which view are you using to see this?
Discuss students’ thoughts about the Moon as a source of light, and if they think it makes its own light. Present the claim that the Moon does not create its own light (as some parts of the Moon can be dark) and is only reflecting the light of the Sun.
Introduce the terms ‘waxing’ (to increase) and ‘waning’ (to decrease). Note for students that this particular definition of ‘waxing’ comes from Old English, and is rarely used in that sense today in modern language. Acknowledge the more common usages of the words wax and waxing as in candles, ear wax and hair removal.
Show students the terms for all the phases of the Moon and attempt to match them to the images using deductive reasoning connected to the definitions of the terms used.
Relate the language to what part of the Moon can be seen.
- New Moon: No Moon can be seen at all, or only the edge can be seen. It’s the start of the cycle.
- Waxing crescent: The part of the Moon that can be seen is a crescent. The crescent is growing.
- First quarter: A quarter of the Moon can be seen. Discuss why it is called a ‘quarter’ when it actually looks like half (because it’s only half of a half—remember there is a full half of the Moon we can’t even see!).
- Waxing gibbous: When the moon looks between half and full. ‘Gibbous’ comes from the Latin word for hump, and is often used to describe something that is rounded or convex in shape.
- Full Moon: The full face of the Moon can be seen.
- Waning gibbous: The Moon looks the same as the previous ‘gibbous’ phase, only on the opposite. It is said to be waning because it is decreasing towards a new Moon again.
- Third quarter: We see only the other half of the half of the Moon we see.
- Waning crescent: Again, a crescent shape, but waning to a new Moon.
Discuss how the Moon travels around the Earth. Reintroduce the term ‘orbit’ as a way of describing how the Moon moves around the Earth.
Review the original questions posed: Does the Moon look the same every night from Earth? How does its shape change over time? What are the phases of the Moon? Construct a sentence or paragraph to answer the questions.
The Inquire phase allows students to cycle progressively and with increasing complexity through the key science ideas related to the core concepts. Each Inquire cycle is divided into three teaching and learning routines that allow students to systematically build their knowledge and skills in science and incorporate this into their current understanding of the world.
When designing a teaching sequence, it is important to consider the knowledge and skills that students will need in the final Act phase. Consider what the students already know and identify the steps that need to be taken to reach the level required. How could you facilitate students’ understanding at each step? What investigations could be designed to build the skills at each step?
Read more about using the LIA FrameworkIdentifying and constructing questions is the creative driver of the inquiry process. It allows students to explore what they know and how they know it. During the Inquire phase of the LIA Framework, the Question routine allows for past activities to be reviewed and to set the scene for the investigation that students will undertake. The use of effective questioning techniques can influence students’ view and interpretation of upcoming content, open them to exploration and link to their current interests and science capital.
When designing a teaching sequence, it is important to spend some time considering the mindset of students at the start of each Inquire phase. What do you want students to be thinking about, what do they already know and what is the best way for them to approach the task? What might tap into their curiosity?
Read more about using the LIA FrameworkMan on the moon
View Footage from the 1969 Apollo 11 moon landing (1:27) and discuss what students know about the moon landing. Refer to anything on the TWLH chart that students might have shared at the beginning of the sequence.
Discuss how space exploration has allowed humans to get much closer to the Moon and explore more about space than telescopes could.
Pose the question: How did humans first get into space?
The Inquire phase allows students to cycle progressively and with increasing complexity through the key science ideas related to the core concepts. Each Inquire cycle is divided into three teaching and learning routines that allow students to systematically build their knowledge and skills in science and incorporate this into their current understanding of the world.
When designing a teaching sequence, it is important to consider the knowledge and skills that students will need in the final Act phase. Consider what the students already know and identify the steps that need to be taken to reach the level required. How could you facilitate students’ understanding at each step? What investigations could be designed to build the skills at each step?
Read more about using the LIA FrameworkThe Investigate routine provides students with an opportunity to explore the key ideas of science, to plan and conduct an investigation, and to gather and record data. The investigations are designed to systematically develop content knowledge and skills through increasingly complex processes of structured inquiry, guided inquiry and open inquiry approaches. Students are encouraged to process data to identify trends and patterns and link them to the real-world context of the teaching sequence.
When designing a teaching sequence, consider the diagnostic assessment (Launch phase) that identified the alternative conceptions that students held. Are there activities that challenge these ideas and provide openings for discussion? What content knowledge and skills do students need to be able to complete the final (Act phase) task? How could you systematically build these through the investigation routines? Are there opportunities to build students’ understanding and skills in the science inquiry processes through the successive investigations?
Read more about using the LIA FrameworkGetting into space
In collaborative teams, students watch one of the following video clips: How the Apollo Spacecraft works: Part 1, Part 2 or Part 3.
Using the relevant section of the Mission to the Moon Resource sheet, they take notes and/or draw diagrams in relation to the question prompts and anything else they found interesting.
The Inquire phase allows students to cycle progressively and with increasing complexity through the key science ideas related to the core concepts. Each Inquire cycle is divided into three teaching and learning routines that allow students to systematically build their knowledge and skills in science and incorporate this into their current understanding of the world.
When designing a teaching sequence, it is important to consider the knowledge and skills that students will need in the final Act phase. Consider what the students already know and identify the steps that need to be taken to reach the level required. How could you facilitate students’ understanding at each step? What investigations could be designed to build the skills at each step?
Read more about using the LIA FrameworkFollowing an investigation, the Integrate routine provides time and space for data to be evaluated and insights to be synthesized. It reveals new insights, consolidates and refines representations, generalises context and broadens students’ perspectives. It allows student thinking to become visible and opens formative feedback opportunities. It may also lead to further questions being asked, allowing the Inquire phase to start again.
When designing a teaching sequence, consider the diagnostic assessment that was undertaken during the Launch phase. Consider if alternative conceptions could be used as a jumping off point to discussions. How could students represent their learning in a way that would support formative feedback opportunities? Could small summative assessment occur at different stages in the teaching sequence?
Read more about using the LIA FrameworkHow did they do it?
Teams share notes, answers and any diagrams on the relevant part of How the Apollo Spacecraft works. Record a version in the class science journal.
Using a demonstration copy of the What’s in a rocket? Resource sheet, discuss and label the main parts of the Saturn V rocket and the Apollo 11 spacecraft, including a description of the purpose of each part.
Create a Venn diagram to compare and contrast the similarities and differences between the lunar module and the command module, with a focus on the design features that enables each module to achieve its purpose:
- Both modules had a similar purpose—to land the astronauts safely at the desired location.
- The purpose of the lunar module was to land on the surface of the Moon.
- The purpose of the command module to land the astronauts safely back on Earth.
- Each module was designed specifically to achieve this purpose in light of the conditions.
Discuss how the design on a rocket might differ depending on its purpose. For example, if the rocket was delivering a communications satellite into Earth’s orbit it would not need to return to Earth.
Optional: Look at a diagram of a rocket/spacecraft designed for an alternative purpose and discuss how they differ from the Apollo 11 rocket/spacecraft.
Watch Humans in Space - Behind The News (3:59). Discuss how space exploration technology has come a long way since the Moon landing in July 1969, with many space missions achieved, remote-controlled ‘cars’ landing on and exploring Mars, and even the launch of the International Space Station that has had astronauts living on it continuously since November 1998. Also accept, acknowledge, and discuss other information students may have pertaining to space exploration.
Reflect on the lesson
You might:
- consider the two questions posed before each investigation: What are the phases of the Moon? and How did humans first get into space? Jointly construct a sentence or two to answer these questions and record them in the class science journal.
- add relevant terms to the class word wall or glossary.
- add to the L and H columns of the TWLH chart.