When teaching about the moon phases and perspective, students use small spheres to model the phases. It is SO EASY! Have students place the ball on #1 (see free printable below) and view the moon from the perspective of Earth. Be sure to emphasize that for the model to work they will need to MOVE to put their eyes on Earth looking toward the moon. My students love an opportunity to use their phone and this proved to be a great opportunity. I had them place their phone at the Earth location and take a picture of the moon as it moved from item 1-8. The result? Digital flashcards! (The kids easily added text to their photos with the phase names.)
Set-up:
Print one moon mat for each pair of students. (see below)
Water bottle cap for each pair of students (keeps ball from rolling away)
Moon Sphere Suggestions:
In the picture I colored 1/2 of a ping-pong ball with permanent marker (acrylic paint will probably work better!) and then did a clear coat over the ping pong ball with a clear acrylic sealer. Full disclosure....This worked for one year but the black started to scratch off. SO....I found these 1 1/2 inch wood spheres at Michael's Craft Store and I plan to paint them 1/2 white and black. I'm pretty confident they will work a lot better :)
Free Printable Mat:
I think it is a good idea to take the time to talk about the model and what it does well and what it is lacking (scale, light source etc.) When kids understand the benefits and drawbacks of models they can better apply them to their understandings!
Are your kids ready for a challenge? Instead of giving them directions....Give them photos of the 8 phases and have THEM figure out how to make the model work! It is amazing what kids can do when we challenge them!
Hope this helps! Be sure to follow us on Instagram @katesclassroomcafe6 - we have some big announcements and free materials coming soon!
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