Moon Dance source Larry Kirkpatrick Montana State University page 155 This presentation is created for PHCA By Dick Heckathorn 27 October 2K + 5

Table of Contents 1212New Moon 1818 Full Moon 2222First Quarter 2525Third Quarter 2929Crescent Moon 3333Gibbous Moon 3636Questions

No materials are necessary for this exercise. However, younger children might enjoy having a paper sun to hold in one hand and a paper cutout of the appropriate phase of the moon to hold in the other.

You should put large letters N - S - E - W on the walls to remind the students of the directions.

It may also be useful to have a globe and an overhead or slide projector to remind the students of how the various shape of the moon are formed.

Prerequisite Concepts 1. The sun is very much farther away than the moon. 2. The moon shines by reflected sunlight. 3. The angle between the sun and the moon determines the phase of the moon. 4. Definition of the local celestial meridian 5. Celestial bodies rise in the east and set in the west.

This is a movement activity. Students are ask to use their arms to predict the locations and times of the various phases of the moon.

The teacher and the students should face the same way South with the teacher in front of the students. This allows the students to make the same arm movements as the teacher.

It is recommended that one or two adults position themselves to monitor student actions. It would be nice if one had a mirror on the south wall to observe the students.

The activity should be done in a minimum of two sessions. Introduce the basic concepts in the first session. Follow this with some drill. Then ask the students to go home and practice.

The second session should go over the concepts again and include some informal testing.

So lets begin The phase of the moon is completely determined by the angle between the direction to the moon and the direction to the sun as seen by the observer.

If they are in the same direction, we have a new moon: If they are, in opposite directions, we have a full moon. The first and third quarter moons occur when the angle is a right angle.

New Moon 1.The sun and the moon are in the same direction. 2.The sun is further away than the moon. 3.Here on earth we see the front side of the moon which is dark. 4.Your head represents your position on earth.

5. Facing south, point your right hand south in an upward position of 45 o with fingers open representing the suns rays. 6.Place your closed left hand (representing the moon) between your head and your right hand, the sun. 7.What time is this? Noon New Moon

8.When does the new moon rise? sunrise Rotate hands to this position. 9. When does the new moon set? sunset Rotate hands to this position. 10.Where is the new moon at midnight? Rotate your hands to this position while keeping your head pointing south. Do we see it? No New Moon

11.Where is the moon at mid afternoon? southwest 12. If you knew that the new moon was located to the south east of you, what time would it be? mid morning 13.During what times is the new moon below the horizon? All night, from sunset to sunrise. New Moon

Full Moon 1. At full moon the sun and moon are in opposite directions so that the sun shines on the side of the moon that is facing earth. 2.The sun shines on the side of the moon that is facing earth. 3.Thus we see the front side of the moon which is light.

4.Once again let your right hand represent the sun. 5.Your left hand (representing the moon) should be aimed downward and backward so that it is on the opposite side of your head (earth) from the sun. 6.What time is this? Noon Full Moon

7.When does the full moon rise? at sunset Rotate hands to this position. 8. When does the full moon set? at sunrise Rotate hands to this position. Full Moon

9.When does the full moon cross the local celestial meridian? midnight 10.During what times is it above the horizon? sunrise to sunset 11. Where will the full moon be located at mid morning? well below horizon in west 12.Where is the full moon halfway between midnight and sunrise? southwest Full Moon

Etc. 1.When dealing with the new moon, we indicated that the sun and moon revolved around the earth together. 2.Yet as time goes by the moon is a little bit slow and will not make it back to the same position of the sun.. 3.It will be to the left (east) of the sun. In 7 or 8 days it will fall ¼ circle behind.

First Quarter Moon 1.The beginning of the 1 st quarter moon will have the sun overhead with the moon represent by a fist of ones left hand pointing to the left as shown at the right. 2. What time is this? noon

3.When does the 1 st quarter moon rise? Rotate hands to this position. 4. What time does the 1 st quarter moon rise? noon 5.When does the 1 st quarter moon set? midnight Rotate hands to this position. First Quarter Moon

Etc. 1.When dealing with the new moon, we indicated that the sun and moon revolved around the earth together. 2.As time goes by the moon fall further behind the sun. It is a 3 rd quarter moon when the moon fall three-quarters behind the sun (or one-quarter ahead of the sun). 3.We will now use our left hand for the sun and our right fist for the moon.

Third Quarter Moon 1.The beginning of the 3rd quarter moon will have the sun overhead with the moon represent by a fist of ones right hand pointing to the right as shown. 2. What time is this? noon

3.When does the 3rd quarter moon rise? midnight 4. Rotate your hands to this position. 5.When does the 3rd quarter moon set? noon Rotate hands to this position. Third Quarter Moon

6.When does the 3 rd quarter moon cross the local celestial meridian? sunrise 7.During what times is it above the horizon? midnight to noon 8. What time is it when the 3rd quarter moon appears in the southeast? between sunrise and noon Third Quarter Moon

Crescent Moons 1.The moon appears in the crescent phase whenever the angle with the sun is less than 90 degrees. 2.The waxing crescent moon appears to the left of the sun and is bright on the west side. 3.The waning crescent moon appears to the right of the sun. and is bright on the east side.

Crescent Moons In the following questions assume that the crescent is 3-4 days away from the new moon. 4.When does the waxing crescent moon rise? mid morning 5.When does the waning crescent moon set? Mid afternoon

Crescent Moons 6.Which crescent moon is in the southwest at sunset? waxing 7.Which crescent moon crosses the local celestial meridian during the morning hours? waning 8.When and where would you look for the waxing crescent moon in a dark sky? after sunset in the west

Crescent Moons 9.Which crescent moon would you see at dawn? waning 10.Where is the waning crescent moon at sunset? below the horizon in the west

Gibbous Moons 1.The moon appears in the gibbous phase whenever the angle with the sun is more than 90 degrees. 2.It is waxing just shortly before full moon. 3.The waxing crescent moon trails the sun by more than 90 o but less than 180 o.

Gibbous Moons In the following questions assume that the gibbous moon is 3-4 days away from the full moon. 4.When does the waxing gibbous moon set? mid morning 5.Which gibbous moon appears in the sky at sunset? waxing

Gibbous Moons 6.When and where would you look for a waning gibbous moon in a dark sky? in the west before sunrise 7.Where is the waxing gibbous moon at midnight? southwest

Questions

New Moon Questions 1.Where is the NEW moon at midnight? On the other side of the earth from us. 2.If you knew that the NEW moon was located in the southeastern sky, what time is it? Midmorning (9am)

1 st Quarter Moon Questions 3. When does the FIRST QUARTER moon cross the celestial meridian? sunset 4.If you see the FIRST QUARTER moon on the western horizon, what time is it? midnight

Full Moon Questions 5.When does the FULL moon cross the celestial meridian? midnight 6.During what time is the FULL moon above the horizon? Sunset to sunrise

3 rd Quarter Moon Questions 7.When does the THIRD QUARTER moon rise? midnight 8.Where do you expect to see the THIRD QUARTER moon around mid-morning? southwestern sky

Crescent Moon Questions 9.Where does the waxing crescent moon rise? Mid-morning (9 am) 10. When does the waning crescent moon set? Mid-afternoon (3 pm)

Gibbous Moon Questions 11.When does the waning gibbous moon set? Midmorning (9am) 12.Which Gibbous moon appears in the sky at sunrise? Waning

That’s all folks!