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Graphing Tides & Moon Phases

This activity ties together bound tides, neap tides, moon phases,  chart reading skills, graphing skills, and analyzing data skills. When making the worksheets, I used the data for high tides since it showed a better range of data for the students to create the graph.

This activity was also a good review on how to create line graphs by manus for 2 sets of data. Students are used to making bar graphs so we reviewed how to fix line graphs and plot points on the graph.

When plotting the information, you lot tin really see the differences in the tidal heights. We too used the phrase "Neap ain't that deep" to remember the difference between spring tides and neap tides.

Worksheets

  • Atlantic Metropolis, NJ – Jan 2015 Loftier Tide Dataworksheet (pdf)
  • Seaside Heights, NJ – February 2015 High Tide Information (pdf)(image link)
    • "For instance, in the year 2015, the February 18 new moon volition closely align with perigee and the the September 28 full moon will closely coincide with perigee, to bring along perigean spring tides."~EarthSky
  • Blank Worksheet (pdf) for students to cull data from a different location.
  • Tide charts (link)– select the state and city of your choice, set for Atlantic City
  • Current Moon Phases (link)– The One-time Farmer's Almanac
  • For more lessons virtually tides, encounter my Space Science Page.
  • Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MSScienceBlog

Tides

I beloved when we have an opportunity to collect existent-time data in form, as part of our unit of measurement on tides, we used NOAA'southward website (link) to learn how to observe real-time tide data, to learn how to read tide graphs and charts, and to discover water temperatures for 10 different stations and compare their data. The kids enjoyed picking their own cities and sharing their findings.

Resources:

  • Tides Google Slides Public (link) – this is a shared Google Slide that gives some basic information on tides and so it goes into a step-past-step tutorial on how to apply the NOAA website to collect information.
  • NOAA Tides Website (link)
  • Data Collection worksheet (pdf) – students will record and clarify their data

The 2nd action, included graphing data for high tides at Atlantic Urban center for the month of Jan. Students will learn how to read a tide chart and graph tide data to see the human relationship between tides and moon phases. This action was too a corking fashion to practice graphing skills. Creating graphs by hand, instead of on a computer, is something that they don't get to do very frequently.

  • January Tides Worksheet (pdf) for Atlantic City, NJ.
  • Blank worksheet (pdf) for students to cull data from a unlike location.
  • Tide Charts (link) – fix for New Jersey but you lot can pick different states and locations for monthly tides information.
  • For more than lessons about the Moon, visit the Moon Folio, under the Space Science tab.
  • Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MSScienceBlog

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UPDATED Baronial 7, 2017

To aid students better understand the phases of the moon and it's relationship to the position of the sun, both in the sky and in space, I created this easily on activeness. I besides updated it to include a Solar Eclipse scenario.

Materials:

  • Laminated placemat, Suns (larger and minor version), Globe, and eight Moon Phases (pdf)
    • one per ii students
    • you can as well set these up as stations with 2-3 scenarios per station
  • Scenarios with Respond Key included (Google Slides – public)
  • Student handout (Where is the Sun- Where is the Moon- Student Handout 2017 with eclipse)
  • Additional Resource:
    • Moon Clock (pdf) enlarge to 120%, laminating optional
    • Using a Moon Clock Worksheet (pdf)

Whenever I start an activity, I always call all the student to ane of the educatee desks to discuss/demonstrate the lesson. We had been discussing the phases of the moon and reviewed the order of the phases as I placed the laminated moons onto the desk-bound.

I pointed out the crater Tycho and how information technology looks like the moon's omphalos. The 'belly button' always points towards the Globe (view from Northern Hemisphere), it is the southern part of the moon. This will assistance them to orientate the moon correctly when they go dorsum to their desks. We completed the first scene together and discussed where to place the Dominicus and where to place the Moon, keeping in mind what rising and setting means, how we are looking at the landscape and reviewing Eastern, Southern, and Western parts of the sky.

Once we have discussed the directions, students are gear up to start. They tin can't move onto the next scene until I accept checked their work. Once it is right, they describe the scene into their handout and movement onto the next scene. When they were stuck, I reminded them to go over the hints, and gave extra hints if needed.

For part ii, they had to show the phases around the World and what they look like from where we are continuing in New Jersey. I reminded them to think of the spokes of a bike and the World is at the center, and that we are looking from hither on Earth out into space. As well reminded them about the 'abdomen button' always facing Globe. Besides, if nosotros were looking at the Earth and Moon from space, half of the moon would ever be lit up – the side facing the Sun.

Once the students were finished, we reinforced what we learned by making a moon clock that they got to have home and keep. In one case they completed their moon clock, they learned how to use it and answered questions to demonstrate their understanding. This was a keen follow-up to this action.

If you use this activity in your classroom, I would dearest to hear how it went.

For related lesson plans, please visit my World Science page.

Moon Phases Sort
Moon Phases Sort

Materials

  • Moon Phase Finder Template– gum onto paper plate, cut out center
  • Birthday Moons – this is a classic lesson that has I have used over the years. I made a Birthday Moon Phases worksheet (pdf) for my students to apply based on the original lesson (as of Aug. vi, 2018 – the original lesson is no longer posted on their website). We did this activity prior to the phases sort to a higher place.
  • The Old Farmer'due south Annual for Kids (link)
    • At the bottom of the page, yous can select the twelvemonth and month to view the phases for the calendar month/year y'all were born
  • Handouts and  lesson program by Utah Education Network (UEN)
    1. Moon phase images, phases, and descriptions (pdf)
      • Laminate, cut autonomously cards, and store into zip-summit handbag – i purse per 2 students
    2. Moon Phase – Matching Worksheet (pdf)
    3. Drawing Moon Phases Worksheet (pdf)
    4. Moon Phases Flip Book (pdf)

Lesson Information

As part of our report about the moon, we have been observing the moon and practicing moon phase identification. For the activity pictured above, students were given a moon phase finder, and laminated cards containing images of the phases of the moon, descriptions of phases, and the names of the phases. The handout included matching the names of phases and their descriptions and the template to create the moon phases flip book. Instead of stapling the flip book when done, we used a rubber band to secure i end.

For the lesson, I started with a demonstration/explanation. Students would sort and match the cards commencement and then call me over to verify the phases when they were done. They self checked the descriptions by using the matching worksheet. I posted an respond cardinal in the front of the room where they verified their answers/made corrections. Next, they used the cards to help them identify the 29 phases of the flip book. When washed, they cocky bank check the phases with my respond key in the forepart of the room. Afterwards, they cutting and assembled the flip book. I had modest plastic bags and rubber bands for them to take home their pieces if they did non stop during the class flow.

Boosted Resources

  • BrainPOP – Phases of the Moon Video
  • "Karate Kid" to aid remember "Wax on, Wane off"

  • I use the phrase "Wax on, Wane off" to practice identification. When the moon is waxing, the right side is getting brighter/larger, when information technology is waning, the left side is getting smaller/dimmer. (From where we are in the Northern Hemisphere)
    • Also: "Light-Left-Last-Quarter" to assist differentiate between Outset and Third/Concluding Quarter Phases

For related lesson plans, please visit my Earth Science folio.