M is for Moon Lessons

I'm so glad I chose to make the letter M our letter of the week this week! First, it was Mama Mary's Feast Day yesterday as Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary. Today, there is a lunar eclipse!

 

Let me share with you our activities for today.

 

First, we read our book about space again. This time, we read only the pages on the sun and moon. Click here to read my review of our Space book.

 

Second, I discussed the phases of the moon and the lunar eclipse to the kids in detail using three of their rubber balls (of different sizes) to illustrate my points. The biggest ball represented the sun, the second biggest, the earth and the smallest the moon. I also showed them pictures of the moon during a lunar eclipse like the one below. 



Photo source here.

 

Third, I asked the boys to make a diagram of the phases of the moon. For my 2-year-old, I asked him to make the 4 main phases only. I asked my 5-year-old to make all the phases.

 

Here's how we made the diagram:

 

1. I asked the boys to get a circle/round object that they can use for tracing a circle on their bond paper. My older son used the circle in their shape sorter; while my younger son used a small cup from their stacking cups.

 

 

2. Next, I asked my 5-year-old to cut the circles that he traced. I asked our helper to cut the circles traced by my toddler.

 

3. After cutting the 3 circles they traced, I asked them to fold 1 of the circles and cut it in half to make it into quarter moons.

 

4. Then, I asked them to spread glue on the cut outs.

 

5. I folded blue bond papers for them and asked them to glue the phases of the moon in sequence.

 

6. I showed them a diagram to follow while at the same time guiding/supervising them.

 

7. Then, I asked my 5-year-old to label the phases of the moon. I helped my toddler put a caption of his moon diagram.

 

 

8. We posted our diagrams on our wall again by the study area.

My 5-year-old's diagram of the phases of the moon.

The phases of the moon by my 2-year-old.

Then, we thought of songs that have moons in their lyrics (like Hey, Diddle Diddle and The Man on the Moon) and sang them.

 

After lunch, we watched some videos about the phases of the moon, about night and day and the lunar eclipse.

 

Later this afternoon until evening, we will observe the sky and watch the lunar eclipse happen. We hope and pray that it will not rain later so the sky would be clear.