Today’s Agenda…

• Get your clickers

• Bellringer: What is the difference between a solstice and an equinox?

• Review

• Study Pack #3 – Moon Phases

Today’s Goals…

• I can explain why the moon has phases.

• I can describe the phases of the moon.

What do you know?

• True or False– The moon’s light comes from the sun.– When the moon is waxing it looks to be getting

smaller.– During a new moon the moon is not visible.– It takes 2 weeks for the moon to go through all

its phases.

Vocabulary

• New Moon • Waxing Crescent

• First Quarter• Waxing Gibbous

• Full Moon• Waning Gibbous

• Third Quarter• Waning Crescent

The Moon’s Changing Shapes

• The shape, or PHASE, of the moon depends on the position of the sun, moon, and earth

• As the moon revolves around the earth we see different amounts of the lighted side of the moon at different times

The Moon’s Changing Shapes

• 8 phases

• Takes about one month to go through all phases– Gradually moves from phase to phase

• Begin with new moon

• Waxing: “getting larger”

• Waning “getting smaller”

Why are the moon phases important?

• Planting crops

• Hunting and fishing

• Myths

New Moon

• The moon is between the earth and sun

• The half of the moon lit by the sun is opposite the half that faces the earth

What does new moon look like?

• Not visible from earth because its lighted half faces away from the earth

• You may think there is no moon that night

Waxing Crescent

• More than new moon, but less than first quarter

• A small slice of the moon is visible on the right side

• Some compare it to a thumb nail, others to a banana

What does waxing crescent look like?

First Quarter

• One half of sunlit side is visible

• The right side of the moon is visible

What does first quarter look like?

Waxing Gibbous

• More than first quarter but less than full moon

• The moon is lit on the right side

What does waxing gibbous look like?

Full Moon

• The earth is between the moon and the sun

• When all of the sunlit side is visible

• Subject of many myths

Is the myth true?

• Some people believe that babies are born on or around full moon!

• Is this true? Let’s investigate!

What does full moon look like?

Waning Gibbous

• Less than full moon, more than third quarter

• The left side of the moon is lighted

What does waning gibbous look like?

Third Quarter

• Sometimes called “last quarter”

• The left side of the moon is visible

What does third quarter look like?

Waning Crescent

• Less than third quarter, but more than new moon

• A small slice of the moon is visible on the left side

• Also compare it to a thumbnail or a banana

What does waning crescent look like?

The Phases of the Moon

NEW MOON

Waxing Crescent First Quarter Waxing Gibbous

Full Moon Waning Gibbous Third Quarter Waning Crescent

Phases of the Moon

• Let’s Try It!!

What did you learn?

• True or False– The moon’s light comes from the sun.– When the moon is waxing it looks to be getting

smaller.– During a new moon the moon is not visible.– It takes 2 weeks for the moon to go through all

its phases.