Hello Third Graders! I hope you have found your journey through the Solar System interesting so far. I want to take you to another place in our Solar System, the Moon! Have you ever looked at the night sky wondered why the shape of the moon changes?  Perhaps you noticed that there was a full moon, or even that the moon appeared to be so small that it seemed as though it was disappearing. Did you know that the  moon goes through different phases? These phases cause the moon to look differently to us on Earth depending on when we look at it throughout the month.

As a class, you have learned about the Earth and its orbit around the sun. The moon orbits around the Earth at the same time, causing these different phases.

YOUR CHALLENGE:  Imagine that you are in training to become the next NASA moon expert. Curious Carl wants to know about the Phases of the Moon, and it is your job to teach him about them. Curious Carl has come with some questions that he wants you to answer for him. Working by yourself, or with a fellow "Moon Expert" (one of your classmates), visit the links I have provided for you in search of your answers. I will provide you with a handout for your answers. How many phases are there? What are these phases? Please draw and label each phase. How long does each phase last? What is the current phase of the moon AND what will the next phase be? Choose 2 phases to focus on. What happens during these two phases (why do they occur) Draw what they look like. Do these different phases effect our seasons, weather, temperature? Good luck moon experts, your journey through this Webquest will help Curious Carl gain more knowledge about our Moon! Have fun and enjoy the trip! Reflection: After you have answered all of Curious Carl's questions, I would like you to reflect upon this activity. What did you like about it? Was there something you had a hard time finding? What could I add to this activity to make it more interesting?

Your journey begins here:         Visit the following websites to complete your challenge: Appearance from Earth: http://www.worldalmanacforkids.com/explore/space/moon.html#fw..mo143600.a.c10 Interactive Cartoon Clip:  http://www.wonderville.ca/v1/activities/phases/phases.html NASA Kids: http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/en/kids/phonedrmarc/2004_march.shtml Current Phase: http://www.calculatorcat.com/moon_phases/phasenow.php For more Moon or Solar System adventures take a look at some of these places:           http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/time/moon/phases.html           http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forkids/kidsclub/flash/index.html