Learning and Teaching Activities

(Cognition)

1.Learn about the Moon.

2. Learn tat the Moon orbits the Earth.

Children will be able to:

1. Memorise key vocabulary.

2. Memorise and use phrases.

3. Talk about the Moon.

1. Elicit, through questioning, that we can sometimes see the moon at night. The moon appears to travel across the sky every day just the Sun does.

2. Use 3 pupils to demonstrate through movement, that whilst the Earth travels round the Sun, the Moon is orbiting the Earth.

3. Discuss the changing pattern of light and dark, the fact that it takes about a month to orbit the Earth and that as the moon goes round the Earth it also turns once itself, so it always has the same face towards us.

4. Invite pupils to relate what they know about the Moon (info. gleaned from videos, TV, PowerPoint, the internet...). Establish through discussion the following:

- The Moon is a rocky ball wich travels round the Earth.

-I t takes 28 days to orbit the Earth. (This is where our month comes from).

- The Moon is much smaller than the Earth. (about one sixth of the Earth's size.)

- The Moon does not shine by itself but only reflects light from the Sun towards the Earth.

- As the moon goes round the Earth, we see different amounts of its surface and so that Moon appears to change shape during a month.

5. Teacher allows opportunity for pupils to carry out personal research using the internet , books, CD Roms... Pupils will record their information and give a brief oral report to the class.

6. Children complete worksheet 30.

7. Tell pupils that they are going to do a homework activity. Ask pupils to observe the Moon at night over an appropiate period of time and record on an observation sheet.

Invite puils to report back and to discuss wether they observed that the moon showed a pattern of light and dark.

Worksheet Key

Language of learning

1. Key words needed: Moon, orbit, reflect, small.

2. Key phrases needed:

- The Moon is a rocky ball.

- The Moon orbits the Earth.

It takes 28 days to orbit the Earth.

- The Moon is smaller than the Earth.

- The Moon reflects light from the Sun towards the Earth.

Language for learning

1. Language

- How to describe the Moon.

2. Learning how to learn.

- Understanding instructions.

- How to deal with not understanding.

- The language to ask and answer questions.

Language through learning

- Language to carry out worksheet tasks.

It takes 28 days for the Moon to orbit the Earth.