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free lesson plan and resources about the moon

Earth's Satellite - All About the Moon

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Objectives:

  • The students will learn about Earth’s moon.

  • The students will be able to describe the moon’s characteristics.

  • The students will be able to describe the phases of the moon.

  • The students will be able to explain why the moon has craters.

Questions that encompasses the objective:

  • Think about the moon. When do we usually see the Moon?

  • Does the Moon look the same all the time?

  • What are the circles on the moon?       

Prepare the Learner: Activating Prior Knowledge. 

How will students prior knowledge be activated?

Warm up by asking students:

  • What do you know about the moon?

Common Core State Standards:

  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.2.1

  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.2.1 B

  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.2.4

  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.2.2

  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.2

  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.2 B

  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.3.1

  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.3.4

Materials and Free Resources to Download for this Lesson: 

**Note to Teacher: This project is optional and takes one-month to complete. Each night, the students will write the date and color in the circle to represent what the Moon looks like that night**

**When the unit is over, download the final assessment for all of the lessons on space for free.

**Here's the answer key.**

Input:
What is the most important content in this lesson?
To reach this lesson’s objective, students need to understand:

  • The characteristics of the moon (including diameter).

  • The phases of the moon.

  • Why the moon has craters and what caused them.

  • The planets that have moons.

How will the learning of this content be facilitated?

  • For the first few minutes, the students will fill out the “What I Know About the Moon” worksheet.

  • The teacher should begin class by showing the video, “Viewing the Earth from the Moon” (Source:. The video is about 45 second long and shows a view from of the Earth from the Moon as it goes through each phase. After the video is over, the teacher should hand out the worksheet/writing prompt: “Would You Like to Travel to the Moon?” The teacher should allow the students about 5 minutes to write a paragraph explaining why they would or would not like to travel to the Moon. After the students are done, the teacher should lead a discussion. The teacher should invite some students (if the class is small, all the students) to present their paragraphs. 

  • After the presentations are done, the teacher will begin presenting the information on the Solar System. If it is possible, project each page of the teacher’s copy of the “All About the Solar System” Science Journal worksheet onto the board using a projector or put into a PowerPoint document and project.  The teacher’s copy of the journal has certain words/phrases that are bolded red and highlighted. It is important the teacher explain to the students those words/phrases are to be highlighted in their (students) journal. For this lesson, the teacher should review these pages:

    • Page 47: Moon Facts

** This page reviews basic information about the Moon, including diameter, distance from the Earth, and age**

  • Page 48: What’s It Like on the Moon?

**This page reviews the characteristics of the Moon, including craters**

  • Pages 49-50: Phases of the Moon

**These pages review the phases of the Moon. The teacher should show the video: “The Moon: An Hour-by-Hour Visualization for a Full Year” (Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JqVqvIlrwA)**

  • Pages 51-52: Moons in the Solar System

**These pages review the moons that orbit the other planets in the Solar System**

  • After the information has been presented, the students will create a “Phases of the Moon” craft. Each student will get a piece of cardstock or construction paper, a “Phases of the Moon” worksheet, and an “Earth” picture. The students will cut out the picture of the Earth and the “Phases of the Moon” pictures. The students will glue the picture of the Earth in the center of the paper. The students will glue the “Phases of the Moon” pictures around the Earth in order. Under each phase, the students will write which phase it is. Allow the students about 15 minutes to complete the activity.  

 

Closure

  • The students should reconvene and the teacher should discuss the activities.

  • The students will then fill out the “What I Learned About the Moon” worksheet.

  • They will then share with the class, or with a partner, some things they wrote down in their “What I Learned About the Moon” page.

  •  **The students should keep both of the "What I Know" and "What I Learned" sheets in a folder to put them all together into a book when the unit is finished.​**

Time/Application
3-5 minutes
Guided Introduction

Review the class/ agenda with the students:

  • “What I Know About the Moon” Worksheet

  • Introductory Activity: Writing Prompt: “Would You Like to Travel to the Moon?”

  • Discussion: Science Journal (Pages 47-52)

  • Activity: “Phases of the Moon”

  • Discussion of Activity

10 minutes

Introductory Activity: Writing Prompt: “Would You Like to Travel to the Moon?”

  • Give each student a “Would You Travel to the Moon?” worksheet.

  • Gather all the students around a table to conduct the experiment as a class.

  • Allow the students about 5 minutes to write a paragraph explaining why the would or would not like to travel to the Moon.

20 Minutes

Moon Facts | What’s It Like on the Moon? | Phases of the Moon | Moons in the Solar System

  • Instruct the students to open to page 47 in their science journals.

  • Project each page of the science journal onto the board either through a projector or PowerPoint presentation.

  • The teacher copy has bolded red and highlighted words. The students will highlight those words in their science journal.

  • Begin presenting the information. The pages that will be presented include: pages 47-52.

15 Minutes

Activity: “Phases of the Moon”

  • Give each student  a piece of cardstock or construction paper, a “Phases of the Moon” worksheet, and an “Earth” picture.

  • Instruct the students cut out the picture of the Earth and the “Phases of the Moon” pictures.

  • Instruct the students to glue the picture of the Earth in the center of the paper.

  • Instruct the students to glue the “Phases of the Moon” pictures around the Earth in order. Under each phase, the students will write which phase it is.

  • Allow the students about 15 minutes to complete the activity.

  • Reconvene and review when the students are finished.

Closure/Assessment
10 minutes

  • The students should reconvene and the teacher should discuss the activities.

  • The students will then fill out the “What I Learned About the Moon” worksheet.

  • They will then share with the class, or with a partner, some things they wrote down in their “What I Learned About the Moon” page.

 **The students should keep both of the "What I Know" and "What I Learned" sheets in a folder to put them all together into a book when the unit is finished.​**


Individualized Instruction/Scaffolding

English Language Learners will be supported in this lesson through data-based heterogeneous grouping, verbal and written repetition of new vocabulary words, and multiple representation of vocabulary words through printed images and video.

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