Phases of Moon TPCK

What is the content you are focusing on in your science lesson?

The content that we focused on was the phases of the moon. More specifically, we studied how the appearance of the moon changes over a 31 day period of time. This is taught to students in the sixth grade. It is very interesting and fun to learn about.

What is the pedagogy you are using and why is it a good fit with the content?

The pedagogy being used is predicting, observing, and acquiring data. These concepts are great pedagogy tools to be used with teaching the phases of the moon. First, the students predict how they think the phases of the moon will change throughout the month. This gets the students really thinking hard about the phases of the moon. Then they observe how the moon changes throughout the month. They can cross check their predictions with their observations to see if they are correct. Lastly, the students will compile all of their data from their observations and predictions. it is a great way to incorporate your content with pedagogy strategies.

What is the technology you’ll be using and why is it a good fit with the content and pedagogy?

The technology used was Stellarium. This is a really neat internet site that allows you to observe all sorts of things in space. It is the perfect tool to use that can implement the content and pedagogy ideas already mentioned. Since the content we are teaching is the phases of the moon I used Stellarium to show how the moon changes throughout the month. It is so convenient and quick. It is really helpful so the students don't have to go outside every night to observe. It is available to them right at their fingertips. It is a great fit with the pedagogy because it allows students to predict, observe, and acquire data. The content, pedagogy, and technology combined create a powerful lesson.

The Tech Savvy Teacher

We are surrounded by technology everywhere we go. It can become a great key in the classroom that we should embrace. By utilizing technology in the classroom we will enhance student learning. There are so many different sources that can be used to teach all subjects. Some sources that are available are digital microscopes, digital temperature probes, Kidspiration, Stellarium, Google earth, Celestia, virtual pond, and world wind. These are all fantastic resources that should be learned and used in the classroom.

We had a great time this week in our sixth grade science class! In our experimental work, we used Stellarium to "identify patterns in the change of the moon.” We went through the month of January and observed the change of appearance each night as the moon went through its different phases. This is a fascinating and efficient way to teach the phases of the moon. The moon can be observed during classroom time and can be seen clearly.

Working in an urban area, students will not often be able to see the moon at night due to skyline issues, pollution, and safety in the evenings. Using a program like Stellarium will help our students understand the phases while in the safety of our classroom. It can also give them a worldview if we have them view the phases from multiple perspectives around the world. While it is important for us to be tech savvy teachers, it is also important for us to find ways to integrate our curriculum to benefit our students. This assignment through Stellarium could help students see the varying landscapes and environments of the world important for social studies, as well as the science discovery that we made involving the phases of the moon. It will meet the needs of learners in all facets of education.