Jennifer Rinehults

ELED 3221
3 April, 2016
edTPA Indirect Instruction Lesson Plan Template
Phases of the Moon
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Central Focus/Big Idea: Learn the different phases of the moon and how they relate to day and
night.
Subject of this lesson: Science
Grade Level: Fourth grade
NC Essential Standard(s): 4.E.1.1 Explain the cause of day and night based on
the rotation of Earth on its axis.
Next Generation Science Standard(s): MP.5 Use appropriate tools strategically (4-ESS2-1)
21st Century Skills: Learning and Innovation Skills
They will be using critical thinking, communication, collaboration and creativity to learn more
about the phases of the moon and how the shadow is casted by the sun on the Moon as it orbits
Earth, while the Earth orbits the Sun.
Academic Language Demand
Language Function: Describe how the Moon changes phases from the orbiting of the Earth
around the Sun and the orbiting of the Moon around the Earth.

Scientific Vocabulary: Rotating - To turn around on an axis or center.

Revolving/Orbiting Path of an object around a point in space.
New Moon Lighted side of the moon faces away from the Earth. The sun, earth, and moon are
all in a straight line, with the moon being in the middle.
Waxing Crescent Seen after the New Moon, but before the First Quarter Moon.
First Quarter The right half of the Moon appears lighted, and the left half is left darkened.
Waxing Gibbous Seen after the First Quarter Moon, but before the Full Moon.
Full Moon Lighted side of the moon faces the Earth.
Waning Gibbous Seen after the Full Moon, but before the Last Quarter Moon.
Last Quarter The left half of the Moon appears lighted, and the right half is left darkened.
Waning Crescent Seen after the Last Quarter Moon but before the New Moon.
Instructional Objective: Students will be able to name and draw out the eight different phases
of the Moon, they will be able to explain how the suns light it casted on to the moon as it orbits
the earth to cause the different phases.

Prior Knowledge (student): They should know that each phase of the moon is not the moon
physically changing, it is a shadow that is being casted by the angle of the Earth in comparison to
the angle of the Sun throughout the orbit.
Content Knowledge (teacher): I need to know how the Moon changes phases through the
orbiting of the Earth around the Sun and the orbit of the Moon around Earth.
Accommodations for special needs:
1. If there are students that need visuals I will have the directions on a powerpoint up on the
board for them to see.
2. If there are students that need to have something read to them I will walk around and read
directions out loud.
3. Some students may need to have examples of work done, I will do a model of the work and
show them how to do it first.
Materials and Technology requirements: Craft sticks, Styrofoam balls, flashlights, name tags,
smartboard, construction paper, glue, pencils and paper.
Total Estimated Time: 45 minutes
Source of lesson: Google
Safety considerations: I will be walking around the room constantly to make sure they are okay
and safe throughout the lesson.

Content and Strategies (Procedure)

In your procedure, be sure to include all of the following 5 Es. Your procedure should be
detailed enough for a colleague to follow. If you will be relying on technology (e.g., a YouTube
video), describe your back up plan thoroughly. Imagine your most novice colleague needing to
teach from your plan. Dont just answer the questions. Additionally, I expect you to include
possible questions you could ask for each section. This needs to include higher-order questions.
Engage: When the students come in to the classroom there will be a bag of materials on their
desks for them and a partner to use later on in the class. They will be instructed not to take the
materials out until told to do so.
Each bag will contain a flashlight, a Styrofoam ball and a craft stick.
When you look up in the sky at night do notice the moon isnt always the same shape?
Someone come up and give me an example of what it looks like sometimes.
Im going to have yall do an experiment to see how the moon changes and what causes it to
change.
We will watch a video on the phases of the moon, Youtube video by Mr. Lee phases of the Moon
rap.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79M2lSVZiY4
After this we will talk about the video and what they think the phases of the moon are and how
they relate to the change of day and night.
There is day and night because the Earth rotates around the sun, when where you are on Earth is
pointed towards the Sun it will be day time because the Suns light is casted there, when the Earth
orbits around to the other side, the light goes away because where you are on Earth is pointed
away from the Sun.
Explore: After we watch the video I will call the class together to talk about what they noticed in
the video.
From the video how many phases of the Moon did you guys count? 8.
DO THIS THROUGHOUT THE EXPERIEMENT TO TEST THEM IF THEY KNOW
WHAT THEY REPRESENT
What do you think the ball on the stick represents?
The moon!
We have a flashlight, what do you think that represents?
The flashlight represents the sun giving off the light
And last I will ask them what is missing,
they will answer the Earth, which is why we have the name tags. They are going to be the Earth.
They will write Earth on their name tags and put them on when it is their turn to switch.
They will be reminded to hold the moon slightly above their heads, We are doing this because
we dont want us as Earth to get in the way.
The person that is Earth and holding the
Each partner will take turns being Earth and then holding the flashlight to be the Sun.
I will be walking around the room observing their experiment and helping with any problems
that may occur.
I want to give them enough time so that each student in the group gets the chance to be the Sun
and The earth holding the Moon.

Explanation: Once they finish making all eight of the phases I will ask them to describe what
they observed and learned through this activity.
I want you guys to think about what you saw when you did this. Does the Moon produce its
own light?
They should answer No.
If they are still confused I can explain to them that the moon reflects the light from the sun which
is why the flashlight was casting light onto their ball.
Did the Moon go into the Earths shadow at all throughout the experiment?
They should answer No.
Why do you think I asked you to place the Moon slightly above your head, what wouldve
happened if you did not?
They should answer The moon is not exactly aligned with Earth. If we did not place the
Moon above our heads the Earths shadow or our bodies would have created a shadow.
The Sun does not move.
The earth orbits the sun while the Moon orbits the earth.
So when the earth is directly between the moon and the sun there is no light being casted on the
moon, that is the phase of the moon called New Moon.
Are there any other questions you guys might have after doing the experiment?

(If we have time)

Elaborate: I will have the students get back in their groups at their tables and recreate the moon
phases using construction paper and cut out pieces of black and white paper. They will have to
put the phases in the correct order and label them correctly by their names.
Once they are done we can discuss as a class what they think now causes the phases of the moon
and why there is night and day. What evidence do they have that proves their answer is correct?
Evaluate: I will collect their construction paper with the eight different phases on it and make
sure they labeled each of the eight phases correctly.
Formative: I will walk around and make sure they are drawing their phases correctly during the
experiment. I will also check throughout the lesson by asking questions they will know the
answers to if they were paying attention.
Summative: I will collect the construction paper work and grade it giving them points for each of
the correct phases drawn and labeled. They will have to draw them in the correct order as well.
Assessment Results of all objectives/skills:
Reflection on lesson:
CT signature/confirmation: ___Joseph Griffin_______ Date: ____3/16/16________