Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v5 - Grade 5

Lesson Video

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Performance objectives

• Identify and describe the phases of the Moon.
• Explain how the Moon orbits the Earth.
• Describe how the Earth's tilt causes seasons.
• Draw a diagram showing the Earth's tilt and the seasons.

Lesson summary

This week, we will delve deeper into understanding the Moon and its relationship with Earth, and how the Earth's tilt causes the seasons we experience in South Africa. Understanding these concepts is important for several reasons. Firstly, it helps us appreciate the natural world around us and how different celestial bodies interact. Secondly, it allows us to understand why we have different seasons, which impacts agriculture, clothing choices, and even cultural celebrations like Heritage Day and Christmas (which often occur in different seasons here than in the northern hemisphere).

Lesson notes

The Moon and its Phases: The Moon is a natural satellite that orbits the Earth. It does not produce its own light; instead, it reflects light from the Sun. As the Moon orbits the Earth, we see different amounts of the Moon's sunlit surface, resulting in different phases. These phases are a cycle that repeats approximately every 29.5 days (a lunar month).

Here are the main phases: New Moon: The Moon is between the Earth and the Sun. The side of the Moon facing Earth is not lit by the sun, so we cannot see the Moon. Imagine trying to see a grey stone in front of a dark grey wall – it’s practically invisible!

Waxing Crescent Moon: A small sliver of the Moon becomes visible as it moves away from the Sun in its orbit. "Waxing" means getting bigger. It looks like a curved fingernail of light.

First Quarter Moon: Half of the Moon's face is illuminated. This is when the Moon has completed one-quarter of its orbit around the Earth.

Waxing Gibbous Moon: More than half of the Moon is illuminated, but it is not yet full. "Gibbous" means bulging. The sunlit area is growing towards full.

Full Moon: The entire face of the Moon is illuminated by the Sun. It appears as a bright, round disk in the night sky.

Waning Gibbous Moon: After the full moon, the illuminated portion starts to decrease. "Waning" means getting smaller.

Third Quarter Moon: Half of the Moon's face is illuminated again, but the opposite half from the First Quarter.

Waning Crescent Moon: The sliver of light becomes smaller and smaller as the Moon approaches the new moon phase again.

The Moon's Orbit: The Moon orbits the Earth in an elliptical path. This means its distance from Earth varies slightly throughout its orbit. The orbit takes approximately 27.3 days, but the time it takes for the Moon to go through all its phases (the synodic month) is about 29.5 days. This is because the Earth is also moving around the Sun, so the Moon needs to travel a bit further to catch up to the same position relative to the Sun and Earth.

Seasons and the Earth's Tilt: The Earth is tilted on its axis at an angle of approximately 23.5 degrees. This tilt is the primary reason for the seasons. As the Earth orbits the Sun, different parts of the Earth receive more direct sunlight at different times of the year. Summer in the Southern Hemisphere (South Africa): When the Southern Hemisphere is tilted towards the Sun, we receive more direct sunlight and longer days. This happens around December. This is why we have hot summers in South Africa around Christmas time. Winter in the Southern Hemisphere (South Africa): When the Southern Hemisphere is tilted away from the Sun, we receive less direct sunlight and shorter days. This happens around June. This is why it’s cold in South Africa in June and July.

Autumn/Fall and Spring: These are transition periods when neither hemisphere is tilted significantly towards or away from the Sun. During these times, the days and nights are more equal in length.

Why Seasons are Opposite: Because of the Earth's tilt, when the Southern Hemisphere is experiencing summer, the Northern Hemisphere is experiencing winter, and vice versa. For example, when we are celebrating Christmas in warm weather, people in Europe and North America are often experiencing snow and cold temperatures.