K1L28 Hello Sun, Hello Moon

Lesson Duration: 45 minutes

Grade: K1

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Learning Objectives:

1. Children will be able to identify and name the sun, earth, and moon.

2. Children will be able to recognize basic characteristics of the sun, earth, and moon.

3. Children will be able to explore the moon's surface.

3 mins - Welcome Time

• Sing the "Hello Song"

• Introduce today's topic: "Today we're going to explore space and learn about the sun, earth, and moon!"

7 mins - Discovery Chat

• Show a large picture of the sun, earth, and moon

• Ask: "What do you see in this picture?"

• Briefly discuss: "The sun gives us light and warmth. The earth is where we live. The moon circles around the earth."

10 mins - Hands-On Challenge 1: Sun and Earth Dance

• Choose one child to be the "Sun" and give them a flashlight

• Choose another child to be the "Earth" and give them a small globe or ball

• Explain: "The Sun stays in one place and gives light. The Earth moves around the Sun."

• Guide the "Earth" child to slowly walk in a circle around the "Sun" child

• Other children can pretend to be stars, standing still and twinkling their fingers

• Switch roles so more children can participate

12 mins - Hands-On Challenge 2: Moon Craters Experiment

Set up:

• Prepare a baking dish, flour, cocoa powder, and some small rocks

• Fill the dish with flour and cover the top with a thin layer of cocoa powder

Experiment:

• Explain: "The moon's surface has many holes called craters. Let's see how they might have formed!"

• Drop a small rock into the baking dish

• Invite children to observe and describe what they see: "What happened to the cocoa powder? What shape do you see?"

• Let each child have a turn dropping a rock

10 mins - Hands-On Challenge 3: Varied Heights Crater Test

• Explain: "Now let's see what happens when we drop rocks from different heights!"

• Demonstrate dropping rocks from low, medium, and high positions

• Invite children to try dropping rocks from different heights

• Encourage observations: "What happens when we drop from higher up? Is the hole bigger or smaller?"

• Discuss: "On the real moon, bigger rocks or rocks moving very fast made bigger craters"

3 mins - Wrap-Up

• Recap: "Today we learned about the sun, earth, and moon. We saw how the earth moves around the sun, and how craters form on the moon!"

• Sing the "Goodbye Song"