Phases of the Moon

We are studying Astronomy this year using Exploring Creation with Astronomy. We read books about astronomy topics and biographies of famous scientists, create notebook pages, narrate what's been learned(Charlotte Mason strategy), do activities and watch DVDs. I've always loved astronomy so it's been extra fun for me.

We are currently studying the moon. Alex is keeping a calendar of the phases of the moon for the month of December. Since the moon is full right now we can still see it through the snowy and cloudy nights. We made a diagram of the phases today using black construction paper, coins for tracing circles, white chalk and white crayon.

Our word for the day is "gibbous". It comes from the Middle English, bulging, from Late Latin gibbsus, hunch-backed, from Latin gibbus, hump. It occurs between third quarter of the moon and the first quarter -- opposite from the crescent moon.