Earth and the Moon
Outcomes from this lesson:
What is the first thing that we think about when we hear the term Earth? Do we think about Earth and the Moon? Do we think about all the other planets that share our solar system with Earth? Or do we think, Mr. B, we know all about space and the stars so lets just have a pizza party.
Well, we are going to work together to find new and interesting facts about our solar system over the next few days. We will work together to learn new information that we may not have known before.
Based from the introduction to Sky Science, we have learned all about Earth and why it moves around the sun. Now, we will shift our focus to the Moon and why it moves they way it does, why it looks different sometimes when we look at it, and then move beyond our Moon.
Watch the introductory video about our moon up until the 3:45 mark.
- 6.7.1 - Recognize that the Sun and stars emit the light by which they are seen and that most other bodies in space, including Earth’s Moon, planets and their moons, comets, and asteroids, are seen by reflected light.
- 6.7.7 - Recognize that the Moon’ s phases are regular and predictable, and describe the cycle of its phases.
- 6.7.8 - Illustrate the phases of the Moon in drawings and by using improvised models.
What is the first thing that we think about when we hear the term Earth? Do we think about Earth and the Moon? Do we think about all the other planets that share our solar system with Earth? Or do we think, Mr. B, we know all about space and the stars so lets just have a pizza party.
Well, we are going to work together to find new and interesting facts about our solar system over the next few days. We will work together to learn new information that we may not have known before.
Based from the introduction to Sky Science, we have learned all about Earth and why it moves around the sun. Now, we will shift our focus to the Moon and why it moves they way it does, why it looks different sometimes when we look at it, and then move beyond our Moon.
Watch the introductory video about our moon up until the 3:45 mark.
Download this file and use it as a way to track what you learn from today. You are able to copy the entire document and paste it to Google Docs. After it is completed, please add to your folder where you will be keeping all of your assignments.
day_1_–_phases_of_the_moon_worksheet.docx | |
File Size: | 2195 kb |
File Type: | docx |
(All information on this page was developed with the Edmonton Public Schools Grade 6 Sky Science resource)
The Moon, our closest neighbor in space is a satellite of the Earth.
The proper term for ‘moons’, those bodies that orbit other planets, is satellites.
Some Facts
The moon shows progressively different phases as it revolves around the Earth.
The Moon, our closest neighbor in space is a satellite of the Earth.
The proper term for ‘moons’, those bodies that orbit other planets, is satellites.
Some Facts
- The Moon is about one-fourth the size of the Earth.
- The moon moves in an elliptical orbit, about 400 000 km above the Earth.
- It travels at an average speed of 3 700 km/h.
- The moon rotates on its axis once in about the same period of time it takes to complete one revolution around the Earth, accounting for the fact that the same portion of the moon is always facing the Earth.
The moon shows progressively different phases as it revolves around the Earth.
Half the Moon is always in sunlight, just as half the earth has day while the other half has night.
The phases of the moon depend on how much of the sunlit half can be seen at any one time.
With the Moon making its monthly trek around the Earth it looks like it is changing shape. This
change in shape is known as the “Phases of the Moon.” The phases of the moon are predictable and there is nothing that anyone can do to change the phases of the moon. The phases can be calculated in advance to give precisely the phase of the Moon 4 months from today.
TRY IT: Google January 2017 Moon Schedule - What did you find? How do astronomers know?
Half of the Moon is always in Sunlight and it is the vantage point from Earth that causes the observer to notice a change in the phase.
The Moon travels in a counter clockwise motion around the Earth.
The phases of the moon depend on how much of the sunlit half can be seen at any one time.
With the Moon making its monthly trek around the Earth it looks like it is changing shape. This
change in shape is known as the “Phases of the Moon.” The phases of the moon are predictable and there is nothing that anyone can do to change the phases of the moon. The phases can be calculated in advance to give precisely the phase of the Moon 4 months from today.
TRY IT: Google January 2017 Moon Schedule - What did you find? How do astronomers know?
Half of the Moon is always in Sunlight and it is the vantage point from Earth that causes the observer to notice a change in the phase.
The Moon travels in a counter clockwise motion around the Earth.
Double click an area on the wall below and write down something that you didn't know, and one thing that you want to learn more of!