The Moon Phases Worksheet (Page 4 of 4) in pdf

Teaching Notes

The Moon

Page 16

As always, your guided reading lesson will be based on

Read this page together. Before asking students to

your students’ needs and interests.

identify the phases shown in the diagram, explain that

• Use these notes to help you integrate science

the phases before and after the full moon—which were

and literacy learning.

not discussed in the book—are called gibbous phases.

• Use a conversational tone and encourage

children’s active participation in discussions.

Discussing and Revisiting the Book

• Work toward releasing to the children the

Have children share the signal sequence words they

responsibility for their learning.

marked on sticky notes. Then ask:

• What part of this book surprised you?

Introducing the Book

• What part was hard to understand?

Access Prior Knowledge

• What do you still wonder about the moon’s phases?

Have children describe the different shapes of the

Text Structure: Sequence pages 10–11, 15

moon they’ve seen in the night sky. Then ask: Why do

On pages 10–11, point out the way the author uses

you think the moon looks different on different nights?

certain words to signal the order of the moon’s phases:

Have children read the title and look at the cover photo.

A night or two later... (page 10); About one week after...

Ask: How would you describe the moon here?

(page 11). Have children find other words or phrases

Preview the Text

that show the order of the phases.

Have children read the back-cover blurb. Then have

On page 15, ask: What words does the author use to

them look through the photos and diagrams in the

show that the sequence starts over? (cycle begins again;

book. Point out that on each page, the pictures show

once again)

what the text is describing and can help children

Graphic Feature: Diagram pages 6–7

understand what they’re reading.

Ask: How does this diagram help you understand why

the moon looks different on different nights? How does

Guiding Comprehension

the diagram help you think about the different phases of

the moon shown on pages 8–15?

Pages 2–3

Ask children to read silently. Then talk about how the

Language: Compound Words with sun and lit

text and the photos compare the moon at different

Have children find sunlit on page 6. Establish that it is a

times. Point out signal words used to compare and

compound word formed by sun and lit. Ask a volunteer

contrast, such as: Some nights, on other nights, and

for a definition of it. Have children suggest other

Then there are nights.

compound words with lit (moonlit, starlit) and define

Ask: Why do you think the author begins this way?

them. Then have children suggest other compound

words with sun and define them.

Pages 4–5

Explain how context clues can be used to figure out a

Language: Prefixes and Compounds with cycle

word’s meaning. Ask:

Have children find the word cycle on page 4. Point out

• What word in the text tells you what cycle means?

that the definition given is pattern. Establish that a cycle

• What words help you understand what ancient means?

is a special pattern that goes round and round without

beginning or end. Write the words bicycle, tricycle,

Pages 6–7

recycle, life cycle, and water cycle. Have volunteers

Help children interpret the information in both the

define or describe each and tell how it fits this idea.

diagram and the written text. Remind them that on

Earth, we see only the sunlit part of the moon. Ask

children to talk about how the diagram helps them

ELL Strategy

understand this.

On six index cards, write the names of the moon’s

Pages 8–15

phases from the book. On six more cards, draw a

picture of each phase. Shuffle the cards and place

Establish that the author uses certain words to signal the

order, or sequence, of the moon’s cycle. Have children

them face down in rows. Have small groups play a

“moon memory game,” trying to match the moon’s

read silently about the phases of the moon and mark

words on sticky notes that the author uses to signal the

shape to its name. Then have them place the picture

cards to show the cycle of the moon’s phases.

sequence of events.

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Answers for page 2: From top, clockwise: new moon, crescent moon, first quarter, full moon, last quarter, crescent moon

The Moon Phases Worksheet Page 4

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