Lunar cycle
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A lesson plan for grade 3 Science
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In this lesson, students learn about the phases of the moon. The activities in this lesson involve both individual and class work to facilitate students’ learning about the predictability of the moon’s phases. Beginning with a hands-on activity to give students a tangible demonstration of the moon’s rotation, this lesson incorporates student observation, documentation, and online activities, which encourage students to recognize the pattern of the moon’s phases. Class discussions encourage students to understand the lunar cycle as one example of a pattern that we can find in nature. Science NetLinks provides student handouts, a lunar calendar, questions for consideration, and detailed instructions for completing the activity. This lesson plan also contains links to similar lessons from Science NetLinks, and web resources that challenge students to expand their scientific investigations.
North Carolina Curriculum Alignment
Science (2005)
Grade 3
- Goal 3: The learner will make observations and use appropriate technology to build an understanding of the earth/moon/sun system.
- Objective 3.02: Observe that objects in the sky have patterns of movement including:
- Sun.
- Moon.
- Stars.
- Objective 3.04: Use appropriate tools to make observations of the moon.
- Objective 3.05: Observe and record the change in the apparent shape of the moon from day to day over several months and describe the pattern of changes.
- Objective 3.06: Observe that patterns of stars in the sky stay the same, although they appear to move across the sky nightly.
- Objective 3.02: Observe that objects in the sky have patterns of movement including:
