Exploring Moon Phases: Why does the shape of the Moon appear to change throughout the month? Write in CER Format

Question

Claim: Make a statement answering the question.

Evidence: Use specific observations from the simulator activity or your data table to support your claim.

Reasoning: Explain why your evidence supports your claim by describing the relationship between the positions of the Earth, Moon, and Sun.

Make it look like a 8th grader wrote it

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Answer 1

Claim: The shape of the Moon appears to change throughout the month because of its position relative to the Earth and Sun, which affects how much sunlight reflects off its surface toward us.

Evidence: During the simulation, I observed various Moon phases, including the New Moon, First Quarter, Full Moon, and Last Quarter. For example, when the Moon was in the New Moon phase, it looked completely dark. In the Full Moon phase, it was fully illuminated and bright. The other phases, like the First Quarter and Last Quarter, showed a half-lit Moon, and I noticed that the amount of light changed gradually each night.

Reasoning: This evidence supports my claim because the different phases occur due to how the Earth, Moon, and Sun are aligned. When the Moon is between the Earth and Sun (New Moon), the side of the Moon facing us does not receive sunlight. As the Moon orbits the Earth, more of its sunlit side becomes visible, leading up to the Full Moon when the entire face is lit. After that, the visible light decreases as the Moon moves toward the Last Quarter phase. So, the changing shapes we see are directly related to the Moon's position in its orbit around Earth and how sunlight shines on it from the Sun.