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1st Grade Science (Next Generation Science Standards) • Space Systems: Patterns and Cycles

Where Does the Moon Go?

Let's find out why the moon seems to move across the sky and change where it appears!

Explore the lesson 6 min read
A microscope with leaf and experiment flask for elementary science discovery
Inside this lesson 9 sections 4 questions 5 figures

SECTION 1

What's Happening?

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🔍 ANCHORING PHENOMENON

One night, Emma saw the moon right above her house. But later that same night, it was far away, over by the park. Where did it go?

EarlyMiddleLaterEmma's House
The moon appears in different places in the sky over Emma's house at different times.
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💭 THINKING QUESTIONS
  • Why do you think the moon looks like it moves across the sky?
  • Where do you usually see the moon?

SECTION 2

What Scientists Know

The moon is a big ball of rock in space. It is very far away! But we can see it because the sun's light shines on it.

The moon looks like it moves across the sky. Sometimes it is low. Sometimes it is high. It changes its spot from hour to hour and from day to day.

1

The Moon Moves Across the Sky

If you watch the moon for a few hours, you will see it slowly move. It rises on one side of the sky and sets on the other side. That means where you see it keeps changing!
2

The Moon Follows a Pattern

The moon does the same thing again and again. Every day it rises, moves across the sky, and sets. This pattern — that means something that repeats — happens over and over.

SECTION 3

Let's Investigate!

Scientists watch things very carefully. That is called observing — that means looking closely and remembering what you see. Let's observe the moon!

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🔬 LET'S TRY IT!

You can watch the moon with a grown-up. Here is how:

Worked example

  1. 1

    Step 1

    Go outside with a grown-up at night. Look for the moon in the sky.
  2. 2

    Step 2

    Point to where you see it. Is it low or high? Is it to the left or right?
  3. 3

    Step 3

    Draw a picture of where you saw the moon. Draw your house and the trees too!
  4. 4

    Step 4

    Do this again the next night, at the same time. Draw another picture. Is the moon in the same spot?

You can also use a moon journal — that is a notebook where you draw and write about the moon every day!

🌙 My Moon JournalMondayMoon is lowon the leftTuesdayMoon is highin the middleWednesdayMoon is lowon the rightThursdayCan't seethe moon!Moon is hidingtonightDays go by → the moon changes position!📝 When we write down what we see each day,we are keeping records — just like scientists!
A moon journal showing the moon in different positions over four nights.

When you draw or write about what you see, you are making a record. That means writing things down so you can remember them later. Scientists make records too!

SECTION 4

What We Discovered

When people keep records of the moon, they find out something really cool. The moon is not always in the same place!

Each night, the moon rises — that means it comes up in the sky. Then it travels across the sky. Then it sets — that means it goes down below where we can see.

Also, the moon rises at a different time each day. Some days it rises early. Some days it rises late. Some days you can even see the moon in the daytime!

DayWhere Was the Moon?
Monday NightLow in the sky, on the left side 🌙⬅️
Tuesday NightHigh up in the middle of the sky 🌙⬆️
Wednesday NightLow in the sky, on the right side 🌙➡️
Thursday DaytimeWe saw the moon during the day! ☀️🌙
Friday NightBack up high again 🌙⬆️

See how the moon keeps moving? It rises, goes high, goes low, and then rises again. That is a pattern!

RisesHighest PointSetsThe Moon Travels Across the SkyIt goes up on one side and down on the other!
Diagram showing the moon traveling in an arc across the night sky, rising on one side and setting on the other.

SECTION 5

See the Pattern!

We found that the moon moves across the sky in the same way again and again. That is called a pattern! A pattern is when something happens the same way over and over.

Can you spot patterns in other parts of nature? Let's look!

What We WatchThe Pattern We See
🌙 The MoonIt rises, goes across the sky, and sets — every day!
☀️ The SunIt rises in the morning and sets at night — every day!
🌸 SeasonsSpring, summer, fall, winter — then spring again!
🌅 Day and NightLight, then dark, then light again — every day!

The sky has lots of patterns! When scientists see a pattern, they know it will probably happen again. That is how we can predict — that means guess what will happen next!

SECTION 6

The Moon in Our World

People have watched the moon for a very, very long time. They used what they learned to help them!

1

🗓️ Calendars

Long ago, people used the moon to count days. They watched the moon's pattern to know when to plant food.
2

🚢 Sailors

Sailors looked at the moon to help them find their way across the ocean at night.

People use science to solve problems! By watching the moon's patterns, people learned when things would happen. You can be a moon watcher too!

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🎨 TRY THIS AT HOME!

SECTION 7

Key Vocabulary

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📖 KEY VOCABULARY

Moon — A big ball of rock in the sky that we can see because the sun's light shines on it.

Observe — To look at something very carefully and notice things about it.

Record — To write down or draw what you see so you can remember it later.

Pattern — When something happens the same way over and over again.

Sky — The space above us where we see the sun, moon, stars, and clouds.

SECTION 8

Practice: Show What You Know!

Question 1: Warm-Up

Emma draws a picture of the moon every night for a week. She notices the moon is in a different spot in the sky each night. What is the best reason Emma draws the moon each night?
  • A. To keep a record of where the moon appears in the sky over time
  • B. To make the moon come out every night
  • C. To change the shape of the moon
Show answer
A is correct! Drawing the moon each night helps Emma keep a record of where the moon appears in the sky over time. This lets her observe patterns. B is wrong because drawing pictures does not make the moon come out. C is wrong because people cannot change the shape of the moon by drawing it.

Question 2: Building Skills

Mr. Garcia's class looks at the moon at the same time every day for two weeks. They write down where they see it in the sky. What pattern might they notice?
  • A. The moon always stays in the exact same spot in the sky
  • B. The moon appears in different positions in the sky from day to day
  • C. The moon only appears in the sky one time and then goes away forever
Show answer
B is correct! Over time, the moon appears in different positions in the sky. This is a pattern we can observe by keeping records. A is wrong because the moon does not stay in the exact same spot — it moves to different positions. C is wrong because the moon does not disappear forever; it can be seen again and again over time.

Question 3: Building Skills

Liam uses a chart to record where the moon is in the sky each evening. On Monday, he sees the moon low near the trees. On Wednesday, he sees it higher in the sky. What does Liam's chart help him do?
  • A. It helps him describe how the moon's position changes over time
  • B. It helps him turn off the moon at night
  • C. It helps him make the moon move faster across the sky
Show answer
A is correct! Liam's chart is a record that helps him describe how the moon's position in the sky changes over time. Records help us see patterns. B is wrong because no one can turn off the moon — it is a natural object in space. C is wrong because keeping a chart does not change how the moon moves.

Question 4: Challenge

Sofia takes a photo of the sky from her window every morning for a month. Sometimes she can see the moon in the morning sky, and sometimes she cannot. What can Sofia learn from her photos?
  • A. The moon can only be seen at night and never in the morning
  • B. The moon disappears completely some days and never comes back
  • C. The moon can sometimes be seen in the daytime sky, and there is a pattern to when it appears
Show answer
C is correct! By looking at her photos over a month, Sofia can observe that the moon can sometimes be seen during the daytime and that there is a pattern to when and where it appears. A is wrong because the moon can actually be seen in the daytime sky on many days. B is wrong because the moon does not disappear forever — it follows a repeating pattern and always comes back into view.

SECTION 9

What's Next?

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🔮 WHAT'S NEXT?

Varsity Tutors • 1st Grade Science (NGSS) • Space Systems: Patterns and Cycles — Where Does the Moon Go?