Artsy Moon Phases

Vocabulary

Shading, Light Source, Pattern, Hatching, Cross-Hatching, Scribble, Dot (stipple), Blend, Moon Phases, Moon Cycle, Fraction, New, Crescent, Quarter, Gibbous, Full, Waning, Waxing, Shadow, Sun, Cycle

Day One

Introduction

Project the current moon phase by going online to the following website: http://www.calculatorcat.com/moon_phases/phasenow.php 

Talk about moon phases and the shadow on the moon. Explain that the shadow on the moon occurs because the earth is blocking the light from the sun.

Assess student understanding of the moon phases by asking questions about the moon and its phases.

Sketch Book Activity 1

Draw six circles in a sketchbook or on a separate piece of paper. Students will shade a GIBBOUS or FULL moon using different types of artistic shading.

• Hatching

   

• Cross-hatching

   

• Scribble

   

• Dots (Stipple)

   

• Pattern (Stars, designs, etc.)

   

• Pencil or Pen Shading

   

Have the students hold up their drawings to check their work before moving on to the next part of the lesson.

Sketch Book Activity 2

Artsy Moon Phases Chart – Students will sketch a moon phase chart. Teacher will model. Students will copy line by line.

Teacher: Draw nine circles in an arch pattern (rainbow).
 

Teacher: Draw a dotted VERTICAL line down the middle of the paper going down from the center moon in the chart. This divides the chart in half. This is a symmetrical pattern. The chart we are drawing is artistic and it is symmetrical, but the moons will not be in this actual position in the sky. The real moons will have shadows like the moons we are drawing.
 

Teacher: The two outside circles are completely shaded (NEW MOON). Shade each of these moons using any of the shading techniques we learned. Label each side with the word NEW.
 

Teacher: The next two moons are CRESCENT MOONS. Shade the large portion of the outside edge of each of these moons using a different type of shading. Label as CRESCENT.
 

Allow the students to choose which type of shading they use. Remind them that the part of the moon that is illuminated by the sun is towards the center of the chart, and that the shadows fall on the outside edges.  

Teacher: The next set of circles are the QUARTER MOONS. These names are confusing because they are shaded like a half-moon! The reason they are called quarters is because they occur ¼ and ¾ of the way through the moon cycle!
 

Have the students draw a dotted line going down the middle of each quarter moon and down the chart. Then shade the outside half of each quarter moon with a shading style of their choice. Label the moon on the left as a 1st QUARTER MOON. Label the one on the right as a 3rd QUARTER MOON.

Teacher: The next set of moons are called GIBBOUS moons. They are the opposite of the crescent moons. Shade the outside crescent portion of this moon with yet another shading type. Label as GIBBOUS.
 

Teacher: Finally at the top we have a FULL moon. This has no shading at all! It is when the moon is big and beautiful in the sky and the earth is not casting shadow on it. The light comes from the sun. Label it as FULL.
 

Teacher: Now label the first half of the chart WAXING which means getting bigger. Label the second half of the chart WANING which means going away or getting smaller. This cycle repeats over and over again. First the moon is NEW meaning it is totally shaded by the earth. This is the beginning of the cycle. Then it starts to get bigger and bigger until it is FULL. It is WAXING. Then it starts to go away, getting smaller and smaller (WANING) until it is back at the new moon.
 

Teacher: The whole cycle takes 28 days. Each ¼ of the cycle is 7 days. 7 x 4 = 28.
 

Teacher will check each student’s work. When it is complete, the student will be asked to sign and date the chart. Use the following checklist to assess student work.  

• Did each student complete a symmetrical chart?  

   

• Did they divide their chart into 4 equal sections?  

   

• Did they shade and label each phase of the moon properly?  

   

• Did each student write Waxing and Waning on their chart?

    

• Is the chart neat and attractive?

   

Day Two

Creating a Fantasy Space Scape with Chalk

The idea for this portion of the lesson was adapted from The Usborne Book of ART Ideas pages 66 & 67. The project is simplified to be more appropriate for elementary students. This part of the lesson doesn’t take very long. Allow about 30 minutes to create the picture and clean up.

Basic Technique:

1. On a piece of black paper, add curved bands of colored chalk or pastels alternating with blank space on the black paper. Blend colors softly with a tissue or Q-Tip.

    

2. Draw a slight curve at the bottom 

   of the page to make it look like the surface of a planet. Fill in the planet and blend. Then add some swirls and vortexes to give it a bit more texture after blending some more. 

    

3. Finally, add a moon to the picture in whatever phase you prefer. Students may also add another planet, stars or smoky patches to personalize it

    

Student Examples:

Self-Assessment Activity:

• Did I blend colors? 

   

• Did I add a moon in one of the phases? 

   

• Did I fill the space with color? 

   

• Did I do my best work?

   

Discussion: 

• What moon phase did you draw in your picture?

   

• How do you know what phase it is in? 

   

• What was your favorite part of this project? 

   

• How did you create visual texture? How did you create shadows?

   

Assessment: 
Based off of the students’ artwork and the discussion, were students able to explain what phase their moon was in? Did they understand shading? 

• Describe the movement of the earth and moon.

   

• Create a chart to show the cycle of the moon.

   

• Create a fantasy space scape with chalk pastels. 

   

Grade 6 Science

• Standard 6.1.1: Develop and use a model of the Sun-Earth-Moon system to describe the cyclic patterns of lunar phases, eclipses of the Sun and Moon, and seasons. Examples of models could be physical, graphical, or conceptual.

   

Grade 6 Visual Arts 

• Standard 6.V.CR.3: Demonstrate openness in trying new ideas, materials, methods, and approaches in making works of art and design.

   

Teacher Materials

• Web Access: Moon phases online at http://www.calculatorcat.com/moon_phases/phasenow.php 

   

• Projector

   

• Document camera or demonstration board

    

• Supplies to draw or a large paper to draw the chart on. The moon phases can also be drawn on a white board.

   

Student materials

• Sketchbook or paper for each student

   

• Pencils or pens

   

• Black paper for each child.

   

• Pastel art chalk in a variety of colors

   

• Tissue paper or Q-Tip's for students to use for blending chalk

   

• Pictures of galaxies and space

  : http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/astronomy/stars/galaxy/

   

• The Moon Book by Gail Gibbons

   

• Planets by Gail Gibbons

   

• The Usborne Book of ART Ideas by Fiona Watt, pages 66-67 

   

Images 1-3: Elizabeth Sampson
Images 4-11: Jillian Bryner
Image 12: Elizabeth Sampson