Summary of What Was Learned:
I have learned so much about the Moon over the past month. I didn’t realize how much I didn’t know until now. I knew that the Moon had phases and changed shapes, but I really didn’t understand why. Now I know how the Moon is actually rotating around the Earth causing differences in what parts of the Moon that we can see illuminated. It doesn’t really change shape. My view is what is changing. I never really thought about the fact that we can only see one side of the Moon.
I also now understand the position of the Moon in relation to the Sun for all of the Moon phases. The Moon is located between the Earth and the Sun during the New Moon phase because the side that the Sun is illuminating is the side that we cannot see. That is why it appears as if the Moon is not there. For the Full Moon, the Earth is located between the Sun and the Moon allowing the side we see to be fully illuminated.
I have enjoyed viewing the Moon each day and trying to take a picture. Trying to predict the times for Moon rise and set as well as where to look for the Moon became a part of my day. I can honestly say that I will never look at the Moon the same way again after having done this assignment.
Explanation of What Creates our Moon Phases:
One side of the Moon is always being illuminated by the Sun. Even though one side is always being fully illuminated, we can only see parts of that illumination due to the Moon’s rotation around the Earth. This explains why the Moon appears to have different shapes, called Moon phases. The placement of the Moon in relation to the Earth and Sun impacts our view causing us to observe these Moon phases.
Explanation Moon Rise and Set Times:
The Moon orbits the Earth once about every 27 days, so it is never stationary. Because it is constantly moving, it does not come into our view at a consistent time. The Moon will rise and set a little later each day because of its location relative to the Earth and Sun.
Teaching Method for Waxing and Waning:
The Phases of the Moon are kind of like pouring a glass of milk and drinking it. You begin with an empty glass – nothing is seen (New Moon). As you pour milk into that glass, the milk slowly increases (Waxing Moon) until finally you have a full glass of milk (Full Moon). Once you begin to drink that milk, it diminishes (Waning Moon) until finally the milk is all gone (New Moon). The process begins again by filling up another glass.
