Moon Phase Book

Home

Chat

Blogs

Collection

Directory

Home : 2002 : January : 11

Moon Phase Book
By Lori 2

A neat project that I have done with much success is a moon phase book. We do this project after I have read The Moon Seems to Change by Franklyn Branley and/or Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me. We also do this after the
students have observed the changes in the moon over a period of time or we have shown how the moon phases work in class with a flashlight, globe and ball.
Supplies:
4 cheap paper plates -- the real flimsy kind that you don't want to eat on because the won't hold the food -- per student
Brads -- 1 per student
crayons -- at least one black for each student
scissors
Hole punch
Procedure:
Color

one whole plate black.

Students may color the other plates yellow or just leave white. If they want they may draw moon features on the other plates. Leave one of these plates whole. Cut one of the plates in half. Keep half and discard the other half. Cut the other plate so that you wind up with a crescent and gibbous moon shape.

Now stack the plates together beginning with the black whole plate on bottom, the crescent shape next, then the half, then the gibbous moon shape and top it off with the whole white plate.

Punch a hole through all layers at the bottom. Make sure you catch the crescent and gibbous shapes.

Now flip your book open so that the black plate shows. This is your new moon. Flip the crescent shape over the full moon to represent the waxing crescent. Then the half plate for a waxing quarter and the gibbous for a waxing gibbous. Then turn up the full plate for a full moon. Now hold the book the opposite way and repeat the process folding down the plates for the waning phases of the moon.

I hope that makes sense. It's difficult to write without pictures to show how to put it together and use it. Once we get our moon books made and practice a few times, I'll ask the class to show say a waxing gibbous and have them hold their books up for me to see. I can easily see if anyone is having difficulty.