Help your students master identifying and naming the phases of the Moon with this hands-on resource!

As an introduction before teaching the phases, students can cut out the jumbled images of the Sun, Earth and Moons and attempt to arrange them as a logical sequence in small groups. During this time, you can provide question prompts that allow the students to realise that the images of the moon need to be arranged in a circular cycle.

Next, you can show your students the Identifying Phases of the Moon POWERPOINT  to teach them the phases. They can then rearrange their images if needed and add the name labels.

Finally, your students can complete the accompanying worksheet which asks questions about the phases, including how First Nations Australians used them. It also requires students to draw a labelled diagram.

This resource is a fantastic way to build and reinforce lunar cycle knowledge. It is part of our Year 6 Earth & Space Sciences: Observing Space Patterns & Cycles UNIT PLAN.