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MOON JOURNALS: EXPLORING THE MOON THROUGH RESEARCH AND THE ARTS


MOON JOURNALS: EXPLORING THE MOON THROUGH RESEARCH AND THE ARTS

RECOMMENDED GRADE LEVEL 3-12
ACADEMICS MATH, SCIENCE, LANGUAGE ARTS, SOCIAL STUDIES, PHYSICAL EDUCATION, FINE ARTS
TEKS ADDRESSED Because of the wide range of grade levels that can do this activity, as well as the various subject areas covered, the TEKS addressed over this unit are substantial and include most TEKS in the areas of science, language arts, art, mathematics, physical education, and social studies.
DESCRIPTION Moon Journals is a month-long activity that can be done at any time of the year, with any number of students, from Grade 2 on up. Students explore art, music, science, literature, math, social studies, physical education, and research, all through focusing on the moon.

Moon Journals are kept in composition notebooks for easy containment and are worked on each day. Each day the participants complete an activity that focuses upon the moon (writing a song about the moon, reading a poem about the moon, researching who has been to the moon, mapping the moon's place in the solar system, etc.).

A (very) short list of example activities and subject areas includes:

Art by Matisse (fine arts, social studies, language arts): Students create art based on the works of Matisse.

Journey to the Moon (language arts, science, fine arts): Students experiment with what walking on the moon would be like, write a narrative of their experience, and create a picture of themselves in space.

Twelve Important Men (social studies, mathematics): Students research the astronauts who have walked on the moon and calculate how long each man walked.

Sing a Song (language arts): Students write a song about the moon.

Rock and Roll Gravity (physical education, science, mathematics): Students use weights to simulate the difference in their weight on the moon and their weight on Earth, and the difference that gravity makes in completing physical activities like walking, running, and push-ups.

TIME REQUIRED
MATERIALS One composition notebook per student; pencils, markers, crayons, colored pencils, construction paper, old magazines/catalogs, computer lab (or Internet-linked computer), glue sticks, scissors, miscellaneous items found around a school.
APPROXIMATE COST $3 per student (or less, depending on what supplies you have on hand)
TEACHER TIPS 1. Before you begin the journals, make a list of 30 (or 31 if you choose a “long” month) activities that you want to do and make sure you have all supplies on hand. If students will need to take supplies home to work on the journals over the weekend, prepare zip-style bags filled with everything they will need (scissors, paper, glue, pencils, etc.), including detailed directions.
2. Students are sometimes absent, and this unit works when that happens. Just skip the appropriate number of pages in the journal and have them continue with the current activity. Students can make up missed activities at home (See Tip 1.)
3. Do not be rigid with the schedule of activities. If you have outdoor activities planned for later in the month, but tomorrow is expected to be a very nice day, switch your schedule around.
4. This unit works well with multi-age or multi-ability students if you vary (or adjust) the activities by group.
5. This unit can easily be completed over the course of a semester, if you wish. There are lots of activities that can be created using the moon as a focus.
ADAPTATIONS 1. Assign each student to work with a partner in order to finish the activities. This is an easy way to pair a middle-level-ability student with a lower-level-ability student or a higher-level-ability student with a middle-level-ability student.
2. These activities are all centered on creativity. Use of pre-cut die-cuts in an art activity for students who need help with fine motor skills turns a difficult assignment into a fun collage activity.
3. Most of the activities can be broken into two parts if time is a concern. Or, two activities can be done back-to-back if time allows.
4. Allow ELL students to write in their native languages and adapt the activities to allow for cultural differences.
5. Moon Journals can be turned into Winter Celebration Journals, My Family Journals (or journals on any other topic you want), scrapbooks, writing journals, or any number of creations. Your only limit is your imagination.
CONTACT Terrell ISD