Phases of the Moon

Start with something students can look at or think about: a photo, a short video, a jar on the windowsill, or a question like "what do you already know about the moon?" Then let them work through the worksheet on their own or with a partner, keeping a word bank or anchor chart in view so the vocabulary stays available. When you review, ask students how they knew, and let them point to the part of the diagram or reading that told them. These the moon worksheets work well as a lead in before an investigation, as a way to capture what students noticed afterward, or as review before an assessment.

These the moon worksheets for 1st grade give students a clear, visual way to work through one of the big ideas in earth sun and moon. Students label diagrams, sort and classify examples, read short explanations, and answer questions that ask them to say why, not just what. Each page keeps the science vocabulary front and center so students leave with the words they need to talk about the moon accurately. Working through the moon on paper gives 1st grade students something concrete to hold onto before, during, or after the hands on part of a lesson.

This worksheet is designed for 1st Grade students (Ages 6-7), aligned to NGSS standard 1-ESS1-1. It can also be used as review for early students at the next grade level or as an introduction for advanced students.

Yes. This worksheet works for homeschool, classroom, and tutoring settings. Print individual pages for targeted practice, or print the full set as a packet. Works great as a morning warm-up, independent center activity, or fast-finisher task.

First graders learn that the moon orbits Earth and that its changing appearance throughout the month is caused by how much of its lit side we can see from Earth. They explore the moon's rocky, cratered surface and compare it to Earth.

The moon is typically taught in Grade 1 during an earth and space science unit, often in conjunction with day and night and the sun. Tracking moon phases on a classroom calendar over a month is a popular activity that gives students real observational data.

Start a moon journal and ask your child to draw the shape of the moon each evening for a week or two. Compare their drawings to the moon phase sequence on the worksheet and identify where in the cycle the moon currently is.