The model of the phases of the moon that we did in class was the coolest thing...even for your little guys in pre-k and up. All you need is a flashlight, a Styrofoam ball, a pencil and a dark room. You are the earth, the ball is the moon and the flashlight simulates the sun. It's cool just to watch, but to get the full effect, everyone really needs to take a turn to be the earth. This is a great explanation to young children why the moon looks different every night and when we see the moon in the sky, you know exactly what you are seeing. I was amazed!
The diagram below is basically what we looked at in class, but the Styrofoam model really makes the most impact. In fact, for your younger elementary kiddos, the diagram is really a little too abstract, but the will get the model.
I am mentally planning a unit on the phases of the moon. It would be really fun to have THE MOON be a theme for all subjects for a couple weeks...journaling about the moon phases, books with a moon theme, how the moon effects the tides on earth, moon related art, calculations about gravity on the moon and distance from the earth, folklore and myths regarding the moon. Maybe even start with a KWL to see what the kids want to learn? Totally brainstorming....
I think an extension (or something) to this would be the views of the Earth from the moon. Not sure how that would work....
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