The phases of the Moon are caused by the motion of the Moon around the Earth relative to the Sun. As the Moon moves around the Earth, parts of it are illuminated and others are in shadows. The Moon takes 28 days to make a full orbit of the Earth, and during this time, the Moon looks different from Earth depending on its position. In this activity, students will create a model to explain each of the phases of the Moon using a grid storyboard.
Note: The moon appears different in the sky depending on the hemisphere. The example storyboard shows both Northern and Southern Hemispheres, but the activity template and instructions only call for one hemisphere.
As an alternate layout, students may want to use the timeline layout to show the sequence of moon phases. After completing this activity, there is a great opportunity for students to evaluate their models. Lead students through pointing out the strengths and limitations of the models by giving them an opportunity to make suggestions for improvements.
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Create a grid that explains the different phases of the Moon by relating the position of the Moon to the Earth and Sun.