OpenSciEd Unit 8.4 · Lesson 06 · 6.A
Look for: In the first section of this copy of Lesson 6…
From Teacher Edition
Facilitation guidance from the lesson plan — what to notice in student thinking and how to respond while teaching.
Building towards
6.A Develop and use a model of the Earth-Sun-Moon system to explain and predict patterns we observe in the way the apparent shape of the Moon changes over time.
What to look / listen for
What to look look for:
In the first section of this copy of Lesson 6
My Initial Model to Explain: ____________, students should sketch the Moon appearing slightly larger or smaller than it is currently. We haven’t yet figured out the direction of the orbit, so they likely won’t know if it's waxing or waning. If the current phase is a quarter Moon, students may draw a gibbous or crescent Moon. Do not expect students’ sketches to be exact, and expect that they may show more than a day’s change. For example, if the current phase is a full Moon, there will likely be variety in the size of students’ drawings of a gibbous Moon.
In the second section, students’ models should show the Moon a bit farther along in its orbit (again, we haven’t yet figured out the direction) than it was to model the current phase and show its position relative to the Earth and Sun that results in an observer seeing that next phase.
What to do
If students are struggling with taking the perspective of the person on Earth, the interactive on Day 2 may help them switch perspectives. Consider having them recreate their physical models after viewing the interactive to see if they are now able to demonstrate and explain why the Moon will look the way it does using the physical model.