Lunar Cycle Complete Lesson Plan - MS

Everything you need for an engaging, ready-to-teach unit on predicting changes in the Moon’s appearance is included in this resource! Students will explore why the Moon looks different each night and learn how to make predictions about its phases. With editable presentations, worksheets, student-choice projects, and assessments, this multiday lesson is comprehensive while requiring minimal prep.

Through differentiated, student-led learning, your middle schoolers stay engaged while you focus on student success.

Essential Questions

• Why does the Moon look different every night?

• Can you make predictions about the Moon’s appearance?

Why Teachers Love This Lesson

• Differentiated materials for students who need more support

• Multimodal activities that engage diverse learning styles

• Maximum flexibility—printable or digital formats included

• Editable PowerPoints for customization

• Spanish translations for vocabulary, a reading passage, and interactive notebook pages

This lesson follows the research-based 5E Instructional Model (Engagement, Exploration, Explanation, Elaboration, Evaluation), ensuring both structure and flexibility for meaningful instruction.

What’s Included

Engagement

• Lesson objectives and Word Wall Cards (English & Spanish)

• Teacher file with discussion ideas, activities, and common misconceptions

Exploration – Student-Led Station Lab
Nine differentiated stations introduce the lunar cycle through hands-on and digital activities:

Input Stations (learn content)

• Explore It! – Hands-on demo or experiment

• Read It! – Differentiated passages (English & Spanish) with comprehension checks

• Research It! – Website-based investigation with guiding tasks

• Watch It! – Short video with student discussion prompts

Output Stations (show understanding)

• Organize It! – Printable or digital card sorts

• Write It! – Open-ended short-answer responses

• Illustrate It! – Student sketches or diagrams of lunar phases

• Assess It! – Task cards + vocabulary-in-context writing

Bonus Station – Challenge It!
Extension activities for early finishers such as crosswords, games, and mini-projects

Explanation

• Editable PowerPoints (standard & interactive versions)

• Interactive notebook templates (digital & print, English & Spanish)

• Guided note-taking templates

Elaboration

• Student-choice projects on the lunar cycle for in-class or at-home extension

Evaluation

• STAAR 2.0–style assessments (standard & modified versions)

• Review worksheet for practice, homework, or test prep

Flexible for Any Classroom

This lesson is designed for both in-person and virtual learning. Station labs, interactive notebooks, and presentations are fully compatible with Google Slides and PowerPoint.

This is a finished product; it will be updated with formatting or corrections as needed. Future improvements and new features will be sold as a separate product.