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Science Unit Plan

2nd Grade

Miss Sievers

Light Up My Life: Moon Explorers!

Rationale

I chose this topic because I wanted to learn more about the moon and the phases. I never learned this in elementary school and it seemed like a fun unit to do. I got my idea from a elementary science textbook when I was looking for ideas to write a lesson plan. It was between either space, or the moon. Others in my class chose space so I decided to write about the moon. I found many good ideas for my unit plan online when looking for an interactive website. I also found many activities to include in my unit plan. After I found one or two ideas, I became excited to find more hands on activities to include. I browsed a teacher’s blog about her lessons teaching the moon phases and found some creative ideas to add that the students could do outside of the classroom to further their thinking. I hope that I can put this unit plan into use when I get out into the field.

Standards For Whole Unit

4.1. Earth in Space

2.4.1 Students will observe and identify objects of the sky.

2.4.1.a Identify objects in the sky (the Sun, the Moon, the stars) and when they are observable

2.4.1.b Identify objects that appear to move in the sky (the Sun, the Moon, stars)

ITSE NETS Standards for Students

1. Creative and Innovative

a. Apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes

b. Use models and simulations to explore complex systems and issues

3. Research and Information Fluency

b. Locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media

Day 1 - Lesson 1

Objectives

1. The learner will identify the phases of the moon

2. The learner will utilitze materials to demonstrate the perspective view of the moon

3. The learner will operate the mimio to interact with a game

Materials Needed

“The Moon Book” by Gail Gibbons, a stop sign picture, pictures of the moon phases, mini Styrofoam balls, black markers, black paper, chalk or white crayons.

Technology



Anticipatory Set

Read “The Moon Book” by Gail Gibbons. Go through all the facts covered in the book.

Teaching: Input

Explain to S the 8 moon phases and show them a stop sign. 8 sides of a stop sign and 8 phases. Go through each phase and show picture on mimio. Describe what is happening during that phase.

Teaching: Modeling

Use the mimio to go to

Push the play button and go around and stop the moon wherever. Have S guess which phase its in. Explain how the sun and earth go with the interactive site.

Teaching: Checking for Understanding

Using the mini Styrofoam balls, have S put it on the tip of their pencil. Then have S color half of it black. Demonstrate how when they spin the pencil, the different phases come up.

Guided Practice

Go over the moon journals they will start that night. They will record what the moon looks like every night in their journal. (black paper in a binded folder with chalk or white crayon)

Independent Practice

Have S journal the moon from different parts of the world. Places like Florida, Switzerland, Japan, etc. Use the internet and websites.

Closure

Do a little review game to go over the 8 phases and wrap up the lesson.

Day 2 - Lesson 2

Objectives

1. The learner will recite the moon phase song to help them recall the phases.

2. The learner will interact with the mimio board to explore the different phases in each time of day and day of the month.

3. The learner will construct a study book of the moon phases using the AccuCut.

Materials Needed

AccuCut large circle template, moon phase flash cards, “Papa Please Get the Moon for Me” by Eric Carle

Technology

Youtube video: Interactive mimio game

Anticipatory Set

Play the Moon Phase Song on youtube. Play twice so S can sing along:

Teaching: Input

Go to and show S the different stages of the moon cycle along with the date and time of day. Have S experiment with the interactive site on the mimio.

Teaching: Modeling

Go over the phases of the moon by showing pictures on the board/ powerpoint. Have S identify and then describe each stage.

Teaching: Checking for Understanding

Go over the S moon phase journal they did the night before. Check to see if all S match or have the same idea for the phase.

Guided Practice

Have S make the moon phases with the AccuCut template of the large circles. Make sure they are in order and labeled correctly.

Independent Practice

S will play around the world with some flash cards of the moon phases.

Closure

Read “Papa Please Get the Moon for Me” by Eric Carle

Day 3 - Lesson 3

Objectives

1. The learner will draw their perspective of the “moon” in the classroom.

2. The learner will construct their own moon phase calendar out of Oreos.

3. The learner will memorize the calendar of moon phases in a month.

4. The learner will comply pictures of the moon in different phases correctly.

Materials Needed

Large white ball, flashlight, Oreos

Technology

Moon Phase Calendar

Instagram – (smartphone, tablet, Ipad, IPod touch, etc.)

Anticipatory Set

Show S a stop sign. As you point to each side, ask S to name each moon phase

Teaching: Input

Talk about the S journal entries and what they recorded that night. Make sure all the S have the same drawing or at least close.

Teaching: Modeling

Put a large Styrofoam ball (something round and white) in the middle of the class room. Have S sit around it. (Make it about eye level when sitting) Shut the lights off and have a flashlight propped on something so it shines on one side of the ball. Ask S to draw their perspective of the moon. Walk around to make sure all S can see and observe. Guide them is they have trouble. When they are finished, talk about perspective and then put all their pictures on a bulletin board in order. (or around the room) This will be a study guide.

Teaching: Checking for Understanding

Go to and show students what the moon phase is today. Explain the calendar and how the phases go in order. Check out the columns on the right side of the page and share with S. Might be interesting.

Guided Practice

Create the 8 moon phases from Oreos. They can scrape away the frosting they don’t need on the phase they are making and then eat that part, but nothing else. Have them put them in order on a worksheet and label them.

Independent Practice

Have S go to either at school or home. Its just a little game to put the moon phases in the correct spots on the calendar. A good way to review the day. Can do together as a class on mimio board.

S will take pictures of the moon at night and post them to their Instagram account. They will use the hash tags, #misssieversclass, #moonphases, #moon, etc. We will them share in class a week later to show the different phases of the moon.

Closure

Point to a moon phase on the calendar and ask S to identify. Could make it into an around the world game.

Day 4 - Lesson 4

Objectives

1. The learner will observe the surface of the moon.

2. The learner will create craters from flour and ball like objects.

3. The learner will recite moon phases from looking through a box.

Materials Needed

Tub, flour, water, ball like objects, shoe box. flashlight

Technology

Moon website

Anticipatory Set

Play the moon song that was on youtube from day 2.

Teaching: Input

Go over about what the surface of the moon looks like. Project pictures onto the board and explain the craters.

Teaching: Modeling

S will make craters by dropping objects into flour. Using a tub, fill the bottom with some flour. (enough to make craters) Add a little water to help the flour stay in the tub when dropping things. Have different sized and weighted balls to drop in. Have S take turns. Can shake the tub to make the surface flat again. Explain the craters the objects make when they are taken from the flour.

Teaching: Checking for Understanding

Have box (shoe) with 3 circles cut out on each side. Have a golf ball or small white ball hanging from the top of the lid. Put a flashlight on one side and have S look through another hole in the box (one not facing the flashlight) Have them identify which stage the moon would be in. Keep switching around the flashlight and show the different stages of the moon.

Guided Practice

Go over the journals once again. They can continue to keep journaling even after the unit. Have them look at their picture from the first day and compare the phase. (there wont be much difference)

Independent Practice

S can look over the bulletin board to study, play around the world, use flashcards, or go to one of the websites we looked at during the week to study.

Closure

Go to and show S the different phases and how the website works. Scroll around and move the moon and sun around. Explain the times of day and what happens when it’s day time.

Day 5 – Summative Assessment

Objectives

1. The learner will match the correct moon phase to it’s picture effectively

2. The learner will relate common facts about the moon efficiently

3. The learner will write 3 paragraphs about being on the moon enthusiastically

4. The learner will distinguish the differences between each phase fully

5. The learner will explain and illustrate about the moon surface creatively

2nd Grade Science

Moon Phases

True and False

Read the sentence and circle the correct answer, either T for True or F for false. (1 point each)

T / F 1.) When only a small part of the moon is seen, the moon is in it’s waning-crescent phase.

T / F 2.) There are 6 phases of the moon.

T/ F 3.) A solar eclipse occurs when the sun is located between the earth and moon.

T/ F 4.) Since the moon rotates once for every revolution around the Earth, you never see the far side of the moon.

T/ F 5.) A full moon is when all of the moon is seen.

T/ F 6.) The first quarter is when half of the moon is lit up and the part that is lit up is getting smaller.

Multiple Choice

Read each question and circle the correct letter answer. (1 point each)

7.) About how many days does it take for the moon to go around the earth one time?

A. 11

B. 27

C. 29

8.) What phase can a lunar eclipse happen?

A. Full Moon

B. New Moon

C. Waxing Crescent

9.) When the moon is halfway lit up and that part is getting bigger, it’s in which phase?

A. Last Quarter

B. Waning Gibbous

C. Waxing Gibbous

10.) Which does NOT move?

A. Earth

B. Moon

C. Sun

11.) Which phase is before the New Moon phase?

A. Waning Crescent

B. Waxing Crescent

C. Waxing Gibbous

12.) Which phase is after the Full Moon phase?

A. First Quarter

B. Waning Crescent

C. Waning Gibbous

Matching

Under each picture, write the moon phase that the picture shows. (1 point each)

Column A Column B

[pic]

1. First Quarter Moon

2. Full Moon

3. Last Quarter Moon

4. New Moon

5. Waning Crescent

6. Waning Gibbous

7. Waxing Crescent

8. Waxing Gibbous

Short Answer

Write the correct answer in the blank shown. (1 point each)

19.) When you can see part of the moon getting bigger, the moon is? _____________(waxing)

20.) What phase can a lunar eclipse occur?_____________ (full moon)

21.) When the moon is dark, it’s in the _____________ phase. (New Moon)

22.) When the moon is all the way lit up, it’s in the _____________ phase. (Full Moon)

23.) The last quarter phase is also known as the _____________ phase. (Third Quarter)

Essay

24.) Imagine that you’re landing on the moon! Tell what happens when you land in 3 short paragraphs. What did you do? How did you dress? Who would you see?

(10 points)

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

25.) Tell what the moon looks like on the surface in no less than 50 words. Draw a picture of what you would see on the surface of the moon in the box below. (10 points)

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Reflection

I really enjoyed writing this unit plan. I found that I have many ideas for the moon phases. At first, I thought maybe there wasn’t enough information to cover a whole unit plan. After I wrote the test in my tests and measurements class, I knew that I could think of more. I have always been very creative and ended up finding and thinking of more activities to write into my unit plan. I love almost all of the ideas and they are easy and quick to do. I want to have the students journal the moon phases every night for a longer period of time. I also really like the idea of the personal, up close, moon perspective on the pencil. This unit plan is a little expensive unless you have the materials on hand. I know that many teachers are doing the Oreo moon phase activity. My practicum teacher mentioned it as well. I don’t believe I would change anything in my lesson except to make it cheaper and more cost friendly unless they have the materials already. I tried making it cheap, but I liked the activities too much to leave them out. I can’t wait to use this unit plan when I become a teacher.

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