Fifth Grade Projects on the Moon

Fifth grade students should learn about the moon and its topography.

Projects on the moon should encourage fifth grade students to look to the sky and think about the possibilities inherent with space travel and how the moon orbits our Earth. Using a combination of scientific explanations, as well as creative interpretations of the moons appearance and phases, the students can learn about the moon in an interactive and educational way.

Moon Phases

Turn off all the lights in the room. Light a single lamp and have children come up to the front of the classroom one at a time to perform this experiment. Place the lamp about 5 feet from the ground and provide the fifth graders with a ball. Have them hold the ball directly in front of them so that the ball is blocking the light from the lamp and the ball appears dark. Explain that when we see the moon as dark, it is a new moon and is directly between the Earth and the Sun. Now, have the children rotate clockwise while keeping the ball at the same distance. This will show them how light changes with each position of the moon.

Creative Writing

Purchase a model of the moon with a textured surface that replicates the ridges and valleys in the moon. Shine a light on the moon, with the room dark and ask the fifth grade class to look at the model and see if they can make out a face in the moon. You can also show them high-quality images of the moon. Ask students to make up a story about how the moon got to be in its present form. They could possibly discuss how the man in the moon got there, or how giants threw the moon into space creating the mountain ranges in the process.

Songs

Work with the fifth grade class to write a moon song. To make this more educational, talk about the phases of the moon and ask the children to make a phrase that talks about how the moon moves around the Earth in relationship to the sun. For instance, for a new moon, you could create lyrics something like, "When the moon is furthest from the sun and hides behind the Earth, it becomes new again." Each phrase can deal with the different phases of the moon: crescent, full, new and gibbous.

Space Race

Talk about the first space mission to the moon. Give a brief lesson on Neil Armstrong and discuss why he was an important figure. Also talk about the space race in which the U.S. competed against the Soviet Union to be the first on the moon. Have the students draw a picture in class to depict their favorite part of the story. They can even make up their own storyline that coincides with historical facts. Drawings should address the historical significance of the space race and they should give a brief discussion to the class explaining their drawings.

References

• Moon Connection: Moon Phases/Lunar Phases Explained