Free Moon Movements Lesson Plan for 9th Grade Students

Topic:MOON ROTATION

Objectives & Outcomes

• To understand the rotation of moon and its phases.

Materials

• Picture of the moon
• Calendar
• Pen and paper

Warm-up

• Ask the students if they have ever seen the moon.
• Ask the students to describe the shape of the moon.
• Ask the students to describe the different phases of the moon.

Direct Instruction

• Show the students pictures of the different phases of the moon.
• Explain that the different phases of the moon occur because of the rotation of the moon around its own axis.
• Explain that the moon has a period of rotation of 28 days, which means that it takes 28 days for the moon to make a complete rotation around its own axis.
• Explain that the moon also has a period of revolution around the earth, which is approximately 29 days. This means that it takes 29 days for the moon to make a complete rotation around the earth.
• Explain that the different phases of the moon occur because of the different positions of the moon with respect to the sun.

Guided Practice

• Have students work in pairs to complete a moon phase diagram like the one shown in the handout.
• Give each pair a copy of the diagram with the phases of the moon labeled and have them fill in the names of the phases in the correct boxes.
• Go over the answers as a class.

Independent Practice

• Have students choose one of the phases of the moon (e.g. full moon, new moon) and research its characteristics and -namesakes.
• Have students create a poster or presentation to share their findings with the class.

Closure

• Review the different phases of the moon and their characteristics. Ask students to share their posters or -presentations with the class.

Assessment

• Observe students during the independent practice activity to assess their understanding of the -concepts covered in the lesson. Conduct a quiz or test to assess students' recall of -information about the phases of the moon.