🔬 ScienceLevel 1Lesson 12
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The Moon and Stars

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Learning Objectives

  • 1Describe the moon as the Earth's natural satellite that reflects sunlight
  • 2Name the four main phases of the moon
  • 3Explain that stars are like the sun but very far away
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Mini Lesson

On a clear night, look up and you will see two amazing things — the glowing moon and hundreds of tiny, twinkling stars. Let's find out what they really are.

The moon

  • The moon is the Earth's natural satellite — it travels around the Earth.
  • The moon does not make its own light. It reflects sunlight, like a mirror.
  • The moon is about four times smaller than Earth and has no air or water.
  • Example: When sunlight hits the moon, it bounces back to our eyes — that is moonlight.

Phases of the moon

  • As the moon travels around Earth, we see different amounts of its lit side.
  • The four main phases are: new moon (dark), half moon, full moon (all lit), and crescent (thin sliver).
  • It takes about 28 days for the moon to go through all its phases once.

Stars

  • Stars are giant balls of hot, glowing gas — just like our sun.
  • They look tiny because they are extremely far away from Earth.
  • The sun is the only star close enough to warm and light our world.
  • Stars appear to twinkle because light passes through the moving air in our atmosphere.
The four main phases of the moonFour circles in a row showing the moon phases: new moon (dark), crescent, half moon, and full moon, over a night sky with stars.Phases of the MoonNewMoonCrescentHalfMoonFullMoon28 days for one full cycleMoonlight is reflected sunlight, and stars are distant sunsLeft panel shows the sun shining onto the moon with an arrow of reflected light going to Earth. Right panel shows tiny stars labeled very far away suns.Moonlight = reflectedreflectsMoon has NO lightof its ownStars = distant sunsLook tiny because theyare very far awayEach one is a hugeball of hot gas
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Ask yourself: "Does the moon make its own light? Where does moonlight come from? Why do stars look so small?"

Vocabulary
Moon
A round body in space that travels around the Earthe.g. I see the moon at night.
Satellite
Something that travels around a planete.g. The moon is Earth's satellite.
Reflect
To bounce light off a surface, like a mirrore.g. The moon reflects sunlight.
Phase
The shape of the lit moon we see from Earthe.g. A full moon is one phase.
Star
A faraway ball of glowing gas like our sune.g. I count stars in the sky.
Twinkle
To shine with a flickering lighte.g. Stars twinkle through the night sky.
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← Lesson 11: The Sun Gives Us Light and WarmthLesson 13: Clouds and Rain →