Lunar+Cycle

By Sammy H. Jennifer P. Elizabeth M. & Harriet I. //UNDER CONSTRUCTION!//

__**Introduction**__ Starting from the basics - the ** Earth ** orbits the **Sun** once every 365 days, and rotates on it's own axis once every 24 hours. The ** Moon ** orbits the ** Earth ** once every 28 days, and also rotates on its axis once every 28 days. During its monthly orbit, the ** Moon ** goes through 8 key stages:

1) New ** Moon ** 2) Waxing Crescent 3) First Quarter 4) Waxing Gibbous 5) Full ** Moon ** 6) Waning Gibbous 7) Last Quarter 8) Waning Crescent

For more info see Phases of the Moon

Some interactive links which may be useful when teaching about the ** Moon ** What we see from ** Earth ** [] Virtual Phases of the ** Moon **[]


 * __Moon Rotation__**

- Rotates on its own axis once in 28 days, orbits earth once every 28 days.- We always see the same side of the moon

__**Misconceptions**__

There are a number of common misconceptions concerning the ** Moon **. As well as children, adults are often confused about how and why the ** Moon ** appears to change shape.


 * -** The most common misconception is that the shape of the moon is created by the ** Earth's ** shadow. Many adults also think this, probably because of the shape of the 'lit-up' part of the ** Moon ** echoes the shape of the ** Earth **.

- Children often also think that clouds cover part of the ** Moon **, and this is how its shape changes. This is a logical mistake for a child to make - after all when clouds cover the ** Sun ** it alters its appearance.

- Because we only really notice the ** Moon ** at night, because that's when it is most visible, children often conclude that the **Moon** is only //there// at night-time. This misconception is re-affirmed when we say things such as 'the ** Moon ** is up'. The ** Moon ** is in fact still 'in the sky' during the day, and this can be confusing for children.

It is important that we understand common misconceptions before we tackle teaching this confusing topic ourselves! Follow this link for some useful tips for overcoming misconceptions in the classroom.

[|Overcoming misconceptions]


 * __Phases of the Moon - a demonstration__**

Here's a simple experiment that can be carried out either in the classroom or at home that will benefit those visual and kinaesthetic learners...

You will need: A torch A ball A darkened room A few volunteers

Set up the equipment so that the ball (the ** Moon **) is fully illuminated by the torch (the ** Sun **). You should be able to see the full face of the ball: a replication of what we see from ** Earth ** once a month when we have a 'full' ** Moon **. Now rotate the ball gradually around the ** Earth ** (you or another volunteer). The same half of the ** Moon ** faces the ** Earth ** but as the angle has changed slightly you no longer see all of the illuminated face, thus imitating the ** Moon ** in its waning phase. Continue the process to see the remaining different phases of the ** Moon **. The following short video shows the experiment in practice. Skip to 0:56 to see it at its best. __﻿__ media type="youtube" key="EQAhX4ff7m0" height="315" width="420"

__**The Moon and the Tides**__ The cycle of the ** Moon ** effects the rise and fall of the tides on ** Earth **. The animation shows that during New and Full ** Moons **, high tides are at there highest, and low tides are at their lowest. It is during these two points of the month that tides are at the most extreme (aka Spring Tides).

During the quarter ** Moons ** we still get high and low tides, but they do not rise or fall as much (aka Neap Tides).

This area can be easily linked with Geography, or included in topics about coasts of the sea. It should be highlighted how important this information is for fishermen, sailors, and those who participate in recreational water sports.