Exploring The Moon
Students will explore the Moon, learning about its surface and features through observation and hands-on activities.
Materials:
- Pictures of the Moon
- Playdough or clay
- Plastic craters, rocks, and other small objects
- Flashlights
- Introduction:
- Show pictures of the Moon.
- Ask, “What do you see on the Moon?” and “What do you think the Moon is made of?”
- Introduce the main question: “What does the surface of the Moon look like?”
- Engagement:
- Share a short video or story about astronauts on the Moon.
- Discuss the features they observed, like craters and rocks.
- Exploration:
- Provide playdough or clay and plastic craters/rocks.
- Let students create their own Moon surface models.
- Use flashlights to simulate sunlight and create shadows, showing how craters and rocks cast shadows.
- Explanation:
- Gather students and have them share their models.
- Discuss how the shadows helped them see the craters and rocks more clearly.
- Explain how scientists study the Moon’s surface using similar techniques.
- Elaboration:
- Introduce a simple experiment: Drop small objects into a tray of flour to create craters.
- Observe the shapes and sizes of craters formed.
- Evaluation:
- Ask students to draw their Moon models and label the features.
- Have a brief sharing session where students explain their drawings and what they learned.
Conclusion:
Reinforce the key points: the Moon has craters and rocks, and scientists use light and shadow to study its surface. Encourage curiosity and further questions about space.
