Use simple materials to demonstrate the phases of the Moon.

1. 1.Spray the inside of a box, including the lid black. The boxes which hold reams of paper for the school copier work very well for this.
3. 2 Next cut a circle opening in one end. It should be the size which will fit a flashlight or a filmstrip projector. (If your school still uses them.)

 

This is the view from the end of the box. The hole is where you will place the light source- your flashlight or lens/light area of the filmstrip projector.

 

4. 3. On the opposite side cut another window that can open and close. Make it about 1.5 inches. If you ever made a simple doll house out of a box, it would be a flap that works something like you might cut for a door which would open and close.
5. Now get a golf ball and hot glue a fishing line to it. (Use the fishing line since it is almost see through.) Push the fishing line through the center of the top of the box. (You can use a large darning needle or similar object to make the hole.) Suspend the golf ball from the fishing line. (See the example in the drawing below.)



 

6. 4. Now put the lid on the box. Put the flashlight inside the circle you made at one end and turn it on. (Some one may have to hold it for you.) Open the window flap you made on the opposite side. You will see the light and the golf ball. You must now move the golf ball up and down until the golf ball blocks out the light from the flash light. This is called the New Moon phase. It is when you can’t see the moon in the sky because the Earth is blocking out the sunlight. You may see a dim circle in the sky because it is not an eclipse.
8. 5. Tape the fishing line so that it doesn’t move. You are now ready to do the other portals.
9. Cut three windows, one in each of the long sides of the box. Again make sure they are flaps that can open and close. You want them to stay closed when you are looking in each window. The box needs to stay dark.

 

 

Cut 3 windows on the side of the box.

 

10. 6. Do the same thing to the opposite side. As you open each window and look in you will see each phase of the moon.

• For information about Moon phases you can use the page at the U.S. Naval Observatory which includes a brief explanation and drawing of each phase.