Lesson Plan Template

Alexus A. Daley
The Many Faces of the Moon

Title:

4th Grade

Grade Level:
Length of Lesson:
Objectives:

Standards
Addressed:

Required
Materials:

Anticipatory Set:

3 days
Without using their notes, my fourth grade class will be able to label the moon phases with
little to no errors.
The standard I am teaching is SC.4.E.5.2, which is Describe the changes in the observable
shape of the moon over the course of a month.
NETS-T: Facilitate and Inspire students learning and creativity.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQ5vty8f9Xc (CrashCourse)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eufP3v46zko (Bill Nye)
http://sciencenetlinks.com/interactives/moon/moon_challenge/moon_challenge.html (Lunar
Cycle Challenge)
https://www.explorelearning.com/index.cfm?method=cResource.dspView&ResourceID=613
(Gizmos- Phases of the Moon)
A lamp
A tennis ball
A small pole or stick
Student Exploration Packet
30 green cards and 30 red cards
A quick 3 minute video about the moons different shapes during the month.

Procedure:
Day One:
1. Show the students the Bill Nye Science Guy short video.
2. I will have a KWL chart written on the board. You will ask the students what they
know about moon phases and what do they want to know about moon phases.
Write their answers in the KWL chart. Leave the L section blank.
3. Demonstrate how moon phases work using a tennis ball on a stick and a lamp.
Take the lamp and place it on a spare desk, which should be in the middle of the
classroom. Have everyone of the students stand in a circle around the lamp. Give
one of the students in the circle the tennis ball. Instruct the student with the ball to
hold it up to their face, in front of the lamp. Turn off the classroom lights and turn
Please note: Consideration of technology use can be made at all stages of the planning
process. The teacher AND the students must use the technology! You must highlight
where/when you are using technology with red or green font.

on the lamp. Ask the student what they see. Once they give their answer, explain
which phase of the moon it is. Have the student pass the tennis ball to the next
student and repeat until every student has had a chance.
4. Have the students work on the Brain-Pop Vocab worksheet. Give the ESL
students the Can You Name the Phases? worksheet. If they dont finish, they
can take it home.
5. Give each regular student the Student Exploration packet. Instruct them to ONLY
WORK ON THE FIRST PAGE. Once they finish, collect their packets and take
the students to the computer lab to work on the Gizmos website. Give them their
packets back to work on once you see that theyve logged on and are on the
website. Give the gifted students their assignment and give them the link the
Crash-Course video. After about 30 minutes, collect the packets from the students
and take them back to the classrooms.
Day Two:
6. Prepare for the Which Phase am I? game.
7. Take the students back to the computer lab. Once the students are logged on, send
them to the link for the Lunar Cycle Challenge.
Day Three:
8. Have the gifted students present their assignments to the class. Make sure that
they meet the requirements.
9. Hand out the Gizmos quiz and have the students complete this individually. Use
this quiz as an assessment.
10. After they finish, ask the students what they learned from the lesson. Let them fill
it out in the KWL chart, under L.

Guided Practice:

Independent
Practice and
Assessment:

Which Phase Am I? Give each student 2 cards, one red and one green. Then, pull up one of
the pictures of the moon phases, with three of the phase names underneath it, on the smartboard/overhead. Choose a student to click or circle the word they believe is correct/ The
students will be allowed to walk over and stand under the name that they believe matches the
definition. The other students will raise the card that describes their answer (green for agree,
red for disagree).
Student Exploration packet. The students will fill this out while they are working on the
Gizmos website. They will also do the Gizmos quiz on the last day of the lesson,

Please note: Consideration of technology use can be made at all stages of the planning
process. The teacher AND the students must use the technology! You must highlight
where/when you are using technology with red or green font.

Gifted: A separate assignment involving Crash Course via YouTube.

Accommodations/
Disability (ADHD): The What Phase Am I? game and the demonstration of the Moon,
Modifications:
Earth and Sun.
ESOL: The Can You Name the Phases worksheet/
References:

Gizmos
Brain Pop
Youtube
Crash Course

Please note: Consideration of technology use can be made at all stages of the planning
process. The teacher AND the students must use the technology! You must highlight
where/when you are using technology with red or green font.