Beyond-the-Basic Productivity Tools (BBPT)

Lesson Idea Name: Moon Cycle

Content Area: Science
Grade Level(s): 4th

Content Standard Addressed: S4E2. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to model the effects of
the position and motion of the Earth and the moon in relation to the sun as observed from the Earth.
Element: b. Develop a model based on observations to describe the repeating pattern of the phases of
the moon (new, crescent, quarter, gibbous, and full).

Technology Standard Addressed:

Selected Technology Tool: ReadWriteThink Timeline

URL(s) to support the lesson (if applicable):

Bloom’s Taxonomy Level(s):

☒ Remembering ☒ Understanding ☒ Applying ☒ Analyzing ☐ Evaluating ☐ Creating

Levels of Technology Integration (LoTi Level):

☐ Level 1: Awareness ☐ Level 2: Exploration ☒ Level 3: Infusion ☐ Level 4: Integration
☐ Level 5: Expansion ☐ Level 6: Refinement

Universal Design for Learning (UDL):

This tool would be useful for students who are visual learners. This activity shows students how to sequence
events in a specific order. Students can know what the phases of the moon are, but they also need to know
the order in which the moon phases cycle.
Lesson idea implementation:
During this lesson, the teacher should be walking around helping the students as they are creating their
timelines. Students will finish their assignment and let the teacher know they are ready to print. The teacher
will quickly look at the students work and help them fix any mistakes before printing and turning it in. This
project will be introduced after teaching the students about the phases of the moon. I want my students to
research and look up the order of the moon cycle.
This activity will be used in order for students to know what to focus on and work more on at home or on
their own time. This activity will be taken for a grade based on matching the correct picture with its moon
phase and placing the phases in the correct order. I will conclude the lesson by showing the student the order
of the moon cycle and seeing which students put the cycle in the correct order.
Reflective Practice:
After this lesson is over, I hope that students will understand the order in which the moon cycle goes through.
This activity shows the students the moon cycle starting at the new moon and making its way through all
eight cycles. This lesson could potentially be extended by having the students add a written definition of the
different phases. Another extension that could be added would be showing the difference between waning
and waxing phases.

Spring 2018_SJB