Grade 3 · Science · Lesson 36

Observe Moon Changes

The Moon orbits Earth once every 29.5 days. As it travels around Earth, we see different amounts of the sunlit side of the Moon. This gives us the appearance of the Moon "changing shape" — we call these changes the phases of the Moon. The Moon does not produce its own light; it reflects sunlight.

What this lesson teaches

1Name the eight phases of the Moon in order
2Explain why the Moon appears to change shape from Earth
3Keep an observation log recording moon phases over several nights

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