students holding moon phases

Schley County Elementary students discovered a new way to model the moon phases.  Mrs. Dobbs' fourth grade science classes developed an authentic model of the moon.  The model was based on observations to describe the repeating phases of the moon: new, crescent, quarter, gibbous and full moon. Students developed the model using clear plastic cups, construction paper, and permanent markers.  Students created the night sky and a moon on the inner cup with black and yellow construction paper.  The outer cup had  eight circles drawn on it and students shaded in the circles in with a permanent marker to allow for a more realistic view of each moon phase.  The students were able to manipulate the outer cup, in a rotational motion, to show each moon phase.  This allowed for a deeper understanding of the moon phases. Manipulating the model enabled students to obtain and communicate information to model the effects of the position and motion of the earth and the moon in relation to observations on earth.  The students enjoyed making this model and it served as a studying tool for the assessment.