Moon Phases

For the first part of this WebQuest, you will be learning about the New Moon, Full Moon, and Quarter Moon.

1. Explain the difference between the full moon and the new moon

Full Moon= brightest light

New Moon= least amount of light

During the new moon, the moon is situated somewhere between the sun and the Earth. It is closer to the sun. 

During the full moon, the moon is situated far from the sun.

The new moon is the first day of the lunar month while the full moon is the 15th day of the lunar month. 

Within this WebQuest students are required to know and understand the phases of the moon. When learning the moon phases it is very important that the students know which moon phase goes with which name and how that is created. Listed below are some vocabulary that the students must review and keep with them in order to complete the next assignment.

Scientific Terms for Students
Lunar Phase: one of the cyclically recurring apparent forms of the moon
Gibbous: the figure of the moon that is more than half full, looking swollen on one side
Crescent: the figure of the moon that appears as a curve with pointy ends
Waxing: growing; describes the moon when the illuminated portion is increasing
Waning: shrinking; describes the moon when the illuminated portion is decreasing