Year 7 Science · Unit 4 · Lesson 10
Master Worksheet
Learning Goals
Phase or eclipse?
Read each description. Decide whether it describes a normal Moon phase or an eclipse. Tick one box and name which phase or which eclipse it is.
| Description | Phase? | Eclipse? | Name it |
|---|---|---|---|
| We see the whole lit half of the Moon as a full bright circle. | |||
| The Moon's shadow falls on part of Earth and blocks the Sun for a few minutes. | |||
| The lit part we see is a thin sliver that is growing each night. | |||
| Earth's shadow falls on the Moon and it glows a dim red colour. |
Design a physical model
Scenario
Your science teacher wants you to explain Moon phases and eclipses to a Year 5 class using a physical model. You have a bright lamp, a large ball, a small ball on a stick, and a darkened room. A good model shows the cyclic pattern of phases AND both kinds of eclipse, and makes clear what each object stands for.
(a) Describe your physical model. Say what the lamp, the large ball and the small ball each stand for, and explain how you would use them to show the cyclic pattern of the Moon's phases.
(b) Using the same model, explain step by step how you would set up a solar eclipse and a lunar eclipse. Make clear which object is between which, and which Moon phase each eclipse matches.
(c) Evaluate this statement: "A physical model with a lamp and balls is just as good as watching the real sky for understanding eclipses." Do you agree? Give one strength and one limit of using a model, and justify your view.
Wrap Up
In one sentence, what was the main idea of this lesson?