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Moon Phase Mobile

Moon Phase Mobile

Products Used

UCreate® UCreate Watercolor Paper, White, Package, 90 lb., 9" x 12", 50 Sheets, White, Package, 90 lb.
Creativity Street® Creativity Street Jumbo Stems, Assorted, 12" x 6 mm, 100 Pieces, Assorted
Creativity Street® Creativity Street Tacky Glue, White, 4 fl. oz., 1 Bottle, White
Creativity Street® Creativity Street Natural Wood Dowels, 0.375" diameter, 0.375" x 12", 12 Pieces, 0.375" diameter
Trait-tex® Trait-tex 3-Ply School Roving Yarn Dispenser, Assorted Colors, 8 oz., 9 Cones, Assorted Colors

Additional Products

  • Scissors

Project Details

Lesson adapted from Rainbow Palette.

Grade Level

6-8th Grade

Key Vocabulary

• Moon/lunar Phases
• Waxing
• Waning
• Crescent
• Gibbous
• Rotation
• Revolution

Objective

Students will create a mobile that accurately models the Earth-sun-moon system to describe the and name cyclic patterns of the lunar phases.

Standards

MS-ESS1-1.  Develop and use a model of the Earth-sun-moon system to describe the cyclic patterns of lunar phases, eclipses of the sun and moon, and seasons.

Engagement

  1. Read about the phases of moon in textbook or from a non-fiction source. There are also some informational videos on-line that do a great job explaining this. Foster a discussion about how the sun and moon interact to create the phases of the moon we see on Earth. Students should identify that the moon appears different to us on Earth because different parts of it are lit by the sun depending on its position in its revolution around Earth. (This is also a great time to discuss the difference between revolution and rotation.)

  2. Using a flashlight (sun), golf ball (moon), and large ball (Earth) demonstrate the moon revolving around the Earth, taking special care to point out how half of the moon is always lit up, but how much of the lit up section we see from Earth varies. Review each of the moon phases during this demonstration, starting with the four main phases: new moon, first quarter moon, full moon, and third quarter moon. Once those four phases are established, add in the in-between phases: waxing crescent, waxing gibbous, waning gibbous, waning crescent. Show students a diagram that demonstrates how half of the moon is always lit up, yet we don’t always see the fully lit half of the moon from Earth, which creates the moon phases.

Steps

  1. Have students discuss and share how they can model the moon phases by creating a mobile. Students can share out ideas and put their own artistic spin on the project, but the following step-by-step can guide their artwork.

  2. First, each student should use eight sheets of watercolor paper and paint:
    • one page blue and green to represent Earth
    • two pages blue/black for the dark side of the moon
    • two pages light grey for the light side of the moon
    • two pages yellow/orange to represent the sun
    • Each of the eight moon phases (full, new, first quarter, third quarter, waning crescent, waxing crescent, waning gibbous, waxing gibbous)

  3. Once the watercolor papers are dry, cut out the following circles (folding the paper in half to cut two circles out at once will be most efficient):
    • 6 31⁄2 -inch circles from the Earth watercolor paper
    • 6 41⁄2 -inch circles from the sun watercolor paper
    • 24 2-inch circles from blue/black watercolor paper
    • 24 2-inch circles from light grey watercolor paper
    • Each of the eight moon phases

  4. Fold each of the black, white, sun, and Earth circles in half with the watercolor side on the inside of the fold. Do not fold the circles that are painted to represent each of the eight moon phases.

  5. To create the moon spheres, stack three light circles, and glue the unpainted touching sides together. Do the same with the three dark circles. Each of these stacks will complete half of a moon sphere.

  6. Using one of each of the stacks created in the previous step, glue the unpainted sides of the half spheres together to create a full sphere that is half dark and half light. Repeat this method for the seven other moons, the Earth and Sun spheres.

  7. Lay out the pieces how they would hang on a mobile, with the moons all circling the Earth, with the light sides facing the sun. This is a great time for students to review the diagram used in the beginning of the lesson, and review why all the moons will have the light side facing the sun, regardless of the phase we see on Earth.

  8. Using four chenille stems, twist two centers together to form two x-shapes. Twist the center of these two x-shapes together to form a starburst with eight arms. Repeat with an additional four chenille stems to make a total of two starbursts.

  9. Insert a chenille stem through the center of each of the starbursts, with about 3-inches hanging past the bottom starbursts’ center. Add a dab of tacky glue or hot glue on the end of the chenille stem you inserted through the center of the starburst. Insert this stem through the top of the Earth sphere.

  10. Bend each of the eight tips of the bottom starburst down 2-inches and the top starburst tips up 2-inches. (Students can also add a dab of glue between the two starburst arms to keep them aligned properly.) Dab some glue on each of the downward tips and attach a moon sphere to each tip—ensuring all the light sides face the same direction.

  11. Glue the eight moon phases that were painted in the beginning of this lesson to their appropriate place on the mobile. Allow students to confirm placement with diagram from beginning of lesson before gluing the moons onto the mobile. Remember, the moon phases that are glued on in this step are what we see from Earth in that phase.

  12. Next, put a dab of glue on the end of another chenille stem and insert it into the top of the sun sphere.

  13. Attach a 25-inch piece of yarn to the center of the wooden dowel.

  14. Next, attach the Earth/moon chenille stem to the dowel by twisting the chenille stem around the dowel and securing in place. Do the same with the chenille stem that is attached to the sphere representing the sun.

  15. At this point, students need to slide their chenille stems along the dowel to find the balancing point of their mobile. This is best done if the mobile is hanging freely by Step 13 the yarn that was attached in the previous step.

       

    Assessment

    Students can use their moon phase mobile to name the phases of the moon and give rationale for why the moon appears different from Earth at each phase. Students will be able to explain the difference between a waxing and waning moon. Optional: Have students label the moon phases as part of their mobile.

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