Phases of the Moon

In science this week, the third graders tackled the question, "Why doesn't the Moon always look round?" The kiddos learned how the moon reflects the light of the sun, about the different phases of the moon and experimented with styrofoam balls and flashlights in order to figure out what causes the change in the moon's appearance. We also listened to a cool song to help us remember the names of the different phases of the moon. You can watch it at home here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79M2lSVZiY4

You can also help your child further explore these concepts at home! If you spot the moon in the sky, point it out to your child. If you have binoculars, let your child use them to look at the moon.  The best time for moon-gazing is when the moon is half-bright/half-dark. The line that divides the dark (night side) of the moon from the bright (day side) of the moon is called the terminator. Along the terminator, shadows make it easier to see craters and mountains. If you feel like comparing what you see to a map of the moon, there’s a great map of the most visible craters here: (http://www.education.com/static/science-fair/craters-maria-highlands-moon-surface/craters-of-the-moon.png) and a map of the dark gray areas known as seas here: (http://www.education.com/static/science-fair/craters-maria-highlands-moon-surface/moon-maria.png). If your child asks, the moon’s seas are dry flat plains created billions of year ago by flowing lava. But early astronomers thought these dark gray areas might be filled with water and called them seas or maria (Latin for seas), and the name stuck.