This interactive allows for students to manipulate a model to see what the Moon looks like at different phases.

Get a crash course on the Moon! This fascinating video explains why the Moon has phases by exploring each phase in detail.

Prefer a reading assignment to a video assignment? This CK-12 article provides a similar overview as the previous assignment and includes a video clip from the History channel at the end.

Send your students on a special space mission. In this Legends of Learning game, they’ll assist The Space Agency in their quest to photograph various stages of the moon. They’ll receive a description and be tasked with photographing the correct phase of the moon based on that description. 

This 5 question quiz tests your students’ ability to recognize what phase the moon is in by looking at visual clues and descriptions.  Like the Lunar Photographer game, this assignment provides visual support with each question. 

Here’s another 10 question practice quiz about lunar phases. This quiz features adaptive questions that get harder as students continue through the quiz. This assignment allows for students to practice without the visual support of the previous assignments. 

Ever wonder what phase the Moon was in on the day YOU were born? Invite your students to use a link in the activity to find out how to Moon appeared on their day of birth before using that information to answer questions about what phases the Moon was in on other dates. This activity allows students to put their knowledge to use in a different context by asking less direct questions so that they can explore the concept in a new way. 

Prepare to be moonstruck! This article explores the association between a full Moon and a variety of strange occurences. We suggest this as an extension if your students are interested in the mystical side of the lunar cycle.