Grades 3-5
Observing the moon: a four-week journal
Science
A four-week observation journal that has students sketch the moon nightly and describe the pattern they notice.
The lesson plan
Learning objectives
- Students will make and record nightly observations of the moon’s appearance.
- Students will describe the pattern the moon’s appearance follows over about four weeks.
- Students will use their own recorded data, not a textbook diagram, as the evidence for the pattern.
Suggested sequence
- Introduce the journal: Show students how to sketch and date one entry, and where to note weather that blocked a view.
- Nightly routine: Students sketch and briefly describe the moon each night for about four weeks, at home or as a standing assignment.
- Weekly check-in: Once a week, have students compare entries with a partner and note any change they see so far.
- Culminating discussion: At the end of the four weeks, students lay out their entries in order and describe the full pattern.
Discussion prompts
- What changed from your first entry to your last entry?
- Were there any nights you could not observe the moon, and how did you handle a gap in your journal?
- What do you predict your sketch will look like a week from today?
Checking for understanding
Use the completed journal as a formative check: a student whose entries show a real nightly record and who can describe the pattern in their own words, from their own data, has met the lesson’s objective.