Week 3: Moon

 Week 3: The Moon 

What did you do in lab today? 

What direction does the Earth rotate? 

• Counter clockwise 

• Rises in the east 

• Sets in the west 

How long does it take the moon to go around the Earth? 

• 28 days 

We have only ever seen one side of the moon. 

Russians took photos on October 7th 1959 of the dark side of the moon. 

The moon rotates, so earth only sees one side of the moon 

Phases of the moon 

1. New Moon (meaning we can’t see any of the moon being lit up by the sun) 

2. ¼ or ¾ Moon. That means we can see ¼ of the Moon but your mind may be telling you that it is ½ of the Moon. 

3. Full Moon. That really means we can see ½, the whole 1/2 that is facing Earth. 

2 full moons in 1 month is called a blue moon. 

Investigation: Bowl = Moon Metal Balls = Metanoetes 

The crust on the near side of the moon is thinner than the dark side, making it easier for creators to be created/seen. 

Statement:  depending on the size of the meteorite, the crater is bigger/smaller. 

The bigger the meteorite, the bigger the crater. 

The smaller the meteorite, the smaller the crater.

 The bigger the meteorite, is more cocoa powder we saw, meaning that the bigger meteorites show layers underneath the surface of the moon. 

What was the big question? 

• What are the phases of the Moon, and why do they occur? 

• How does the Moon affect life on Earth? 

• What have we learned about the Moon’s surface, structure, and history? 

What direction does the Earth rotate? - Counterclockwise 

How long does it take the moon to go around the Earth?

 - 28 days

 2. What did you learn in Thursday’s discussion?

• Earth Facing side: 200 Degrees F Warmer 

• Near side acts as a more plastic than solid substance. 

• More prone to volcanic activity, including magma fields (the dark spots on the near side) 

No more volcanic activity 

• Residual heat from radioactive decay? 

Earth’s gravity, due to tidal locking, pulled early molten material toward the observable side? 

• Once hit by a meteor that thickened the crust on the far side? 

What causes the different phases of the moon? 

• Part of the moon reflect light depending on the position of the earth in relation to the sun and moon 

3. Read the online textbook, chapter 3: https://pressbooks.uiowa.edu/methodsii/chapter/earth/ 

1. What did you learn? 

New: The Moon’s face is not visible from Earth 

Crescent: Between a new moon and a quarter moon 

Quarter: From Earth, we can see half of the moon’s face, which is a quarter of the entire moon 

Gibbous: Between a quarter moon and a full moon 

Full: All of the Moon’s face is visible from Earth 

Phases of the Moon: The different shapes of the Moon visible from Earth as it orbits our planet. 

Tidal Locking: The phenomenon where the Moon rotates on its axis in the same time it takes to orbit Earth, so the same side always faces us. 

Maria: Large, dark, basaltic plains on the Moon, formed by ancient volcanic eruptions. 

Crater: A bowl-shaped depression caused by the impact of a meteorite or other celestial body. 

Regolith: The layer of loose, fragmented material covering solid rock on the Moon’s surface. 

2. What was most helpful? 

It was most helpful to have examples and a vocabulary list so I could learn the definitions of the words while explaining what they mean through the examples. 

3. What do you need more information on? 

I feel like I could use more information on how to make what we have learned in class into a structured lesson plan and activities for my students to do. 

4. What questions, concerns, and/or comments do you have? N/A