Our elementary students enjoyed a month-long, inquiry-based study of the moon.  They created moon journals and were encouraged to observe the moon each night, recording its changes along with their thoughts and ideas.

The students brought their impressions of the moon to life through a variety of creative approaches such as writing poetry, reading moon-based legends and story-telling, along with learning and using many art techniques and assorted materials to create moon related artwork.  Studio time offers students the chance to experiment with a variety of materials while creating artwork as well as trying new ways of putting their observations into words.

From a scientific approach, the students observed and experienced the natural world by keeping detailed notes on what they saw, heard, smelled, as well as noting the weather conditions present during their observation.  These observations created awe and wonder, motivating students to learn such things as why the moon changes each night, how far the moon is from earth, how the moon controls the tides, the material the moon is made from, how and when the moon came into existence, to list just a few of their inquiries.

A cycle of moon journaling provided a daily reminder to look up in the sky and notice the changes in the natural world around us. We hope, even long after this month of moon gazing, that our students will continue to notice the moon as there is much awe and wonder to see, feel, contemplate, and experience!