Lesson Plan

Moon Phases and Eclipses

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet
This Moon Phases and Eclipses lesson plan also includes:

Starry-eyed astronomers draw different views of the Moon in order to introduce its phases. Then they experiment with a ball and a lamp to recreate the phases. A demonstration ensures every pupil understands the process, and the evaluation portion requires scholars to predict future Moon phases.

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Instructional Ideas
  • Try to align the lesson with a real solar or lunar eclipse to observe the phenomenon, rather than just viewing it through photos
Classroom Considerations
  • Requires prior knowledge of the Sun, Earth, and Moon system as well as knowing about the existence of other stars
  • Experiment requires a very dark room
Pros
  • The lesson is in a 5E format
  • Materials are all readily available
  • Includes connections to Einstein's predictions and if they stood the test of time
Cons
  • None