MOON UNIT Lesson 3 – Moon Craters

Standard:  Earth and Space Science. Students will gain an understanding of Earth and Space Science through the study of earth materials, celestial movement, and weather. Objective  Observe, describe, and record patterns in the appearance and apparent motion of the moon in the night sky.  Observe and describe the number, arrangement and color/brightness of stars in the night sky.

Vocabulary  moon: the large round object that circles the Earth and that shines at night by reflecting light from the sun  sphere: a 3-dimensional object shaped like a ball.  seas: dark flat places on the Moon with no water  crater: a hole made by a rock that hit the Moon

How many holes are in the moon?  We call those holes "craters." They are the places where many years ago meteors hit the surface of the moon and put dents into it. There are thousands of big craters, but even more little ones. There are probably millions of little craters on the moon! Some are only an inch or so across. The dark flat surfaces on the moons are called seas. Go to google earth in your app folder and explore the moon’s craters and seas.

Moon Craters

Moon Seas

Different Types of Impact Craters  Impact craters are the remains of collisions between an asteroid, comet, or meteorite and the Moon.  The size, mass, speed, and angle of the falling object determine the size, shape, and complexity of the crater.

Different Types of Impact Craters  Small, slow objects have a low energy impact and cause small, simple craters.  Simple impact craters have bowl-shaped depressions, mostly with smooth walls.

Different Types of Impact Craters  Large, fast objects release a lot of energy and form large, complex craters.  Very large impacts can even cause secondary cratering, as ejected material falls back to the ground, forming new, smaller craters, or a series of craters.

Moon Crater Activity  Materials  Large shallow pan or tray with edges  Flour  Dry pudding mix, dry drink mix or cocoa powder or another powder that is a different color  Roundish nuts, seeds and/or small fruits (such as raisins, almonds, peanut halves, cherries, and so on) or marbles  Sifter or sieve Make Luner Crater Video BYPziWJ3k

Moon Check  What are moon craters?  What do seas look like on the moon?  How are craters formed?  How many types of craters did we learn about?