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Shutterstock.com
Infographic,

Hello, Moon!

Check out these fascinating facts about the moon.

From the February 2023 Issue
Featured Skill: Main Idea and Supporting Details,

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Shutterstock.com (Moon, Phases); Nasa/Ullstein Bild Via Getty Images (Moon Walk)

 Biggest and Brightest 

The moon is a giant space rock that travels around Earth. It’s the biggest and brightest object in the night sky. 

 Only One

Earth has only one moon, but some planets have more. Saturn and Jupiter each have dozens of moons circling them. 

Different Shapes 

As the moon moves around Earth, the sun lights up different parts of it. That’s why the moon appears as different shapes, called phases. Sometimes you see a full moon—at other times just a sliver! 

 Night Light

We only see the moon because of the sun. The sun shines its light onto the moon, and the moon reflects that light back to us. Sometimes you can even see the moon during the day!

Moon Walk

In 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first people to land on the moon. There are plans for the first woman to walk on the moon in 2024. 

Think and Write Contest

Imagine your local science museum is asking for ideas for future displays. Write a letter to the museum director explaining why there should be a special display about how amazing the moon is. Five winners will each receive a Scholastic e-gift card. 

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Can't Miss Teaching Extras

Look in the Resources tab to find an engaging and informative video about the moon, “What You Need to Know About the Moon,” a fun at-home activity for tracking the phases of the moon, and skill sheets for making your own infographic!

This issue's poem “Someone Tell the Moon” and “To an Astronaut,” the poem in our May/June 2018 issue, are perfect pairings for the infographic.

 

If reading the infographic gets your students excited about the possibilities of space travel, direct them to two of our Time Machine features, “A Vacation in Space” and “Welcome to Mars.”

 

Step-by-Step Lesson Plan
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1. READING AND DISCUSSING

Project the infographic as students follow along in their magazines.

  • Prompt students to use the headline, subhead, and main image to identify the topic of the infographic.
  • Ask: Is the purpose of the infographic to 
    • explain something to you?
    • convince you of something?
    • tell you how to do something?
  • Have students look over the labels and images surrounding the main image. Ask:
    • How are they related to the main image? (They provide details about the main idea.)
  • Break students into groups to read each section of the infographic and discuss what they find interesting, surprising, or convincing.
  • Come back together as a class and ask volunteers to summarize the main idea and supporting details from the infographic.

2. WRITING

  • Preview the writing prompt in the “Think and Write Contest” box.
  • Download and distribute the Guided Writing skill builder that goes along with the infographic.
  • Have students respond to the writing prompt. If you wish, send their responses to our infographic contest. Details are at Storyworks 3 Digital.

EXTENTION!

Have students create their own infographics! Download our Make Your Own Infographic skill builder from Storyworks 3 Digital.

COMMON CORE STATE STANDARD

RI.1, RI.2, RI.7, W.1, W.2

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