Background

First graders have been fascinated by the Moon! They learned how the moon was formed, that it’s made of mostly rock and dust with some tiny areas of frozen water, and that it has craters caused by asteroids and meteorites colliding with the lunar surface. Using their knowledge, students created their own night sky with a cratered moon (using paint and a tinfoil stamp) and stars. Students chose one phase of the moon to depict and added a constellation to their night sky.

Question to Explore

How can we use art to depict the surface and phases of the moon?

Materials

• black construction paper
• white and black paint
• plastic plate for paint
• tablespoon (to create foil stamps)
• paintbrush (fine tipped works best for creating stars)
• aluminum foil
• white paper
• white colored pencil
• pencil
• scissors
• paper plate

Procedure

1. Using the white piece of paper, trace a circular object to create your moon (can use a bowl or plate)
2. Cut out your moon to either a full moon, half moon, quarter moon, or crescent moon.
3. Create your tinfoil stamp by lightly balling up your aluminum foil and forming it into the tablespoon.  Form a handle at the top of the tinfoil for stamping.
4. Mix your white and black paint to make a light grey color.
5. Placing your white moon cut-out onto a plate of newspaper, dip your tinfoil stamp into the gray paint and stamp it onto your moon. Repeat step until your moon is covered with crater like pant stamps.
6. Dip your tinfoil stamp into the black paint and stamp onto the moon to create the effect of deeper craters.
7. Glue your moon onto the center of your black construction paper.  Your hands might get some paint on them.
8. Dip your paintbrush into the white paint and create stars in the night sky.  Option to create a constellation such as the Big Dipper or Orion’s Belt.
9. Take your white colored pencil and label the phase of the moon you have created.