Lunar phases for Brownies - an opportunity for pedants;-)

In message , Robin Leadbeater
wrote

"Geoff Smith" wrote in message
...
Robin
That seems like as good an explanation as is possible in a written
paragraph. I think its quite a tricky thing to describe in words,
especially
for kids to grasp. Much easier using a model or diagram I reckon.

Thanks Geoff,

There was a diagram (also incorrect!) I plan to replace it with the classic
one, something along these lines.

Nothing beats the ball and torch demo IMO though;-)

http://www.opencourse.info/astronomy...on/moon_phases
.gif

Your text looked fine to me, the other was so wrong.

The only problem with the diagram shown above was that there were no
drawings showing what the moon looked like at each phase, or
representative phases.

The ball and torch demo is of course an excellent teaching technique.
--
Roger
52:54:41N
01:30:05W
Orion 127mm Maksutov.

mike ring wrote in
52.50:


Anyhow it's ok now, and it's the brownie's author who needs some slaps


Ouch..... " brownies' " author

mr

JRS: In article , seen in
news:uk.sci.astronomy, Robin Leadbeater
posted at Thu, 25 Sep 2003 11:25:57 :-

Cross-posted to uk.rec.scouting, where there are readers known to be
concerned with that age-group. They will be better able to judge
readability. URS: other responses not XP.


Original:-

The moon is the brightest object in the night sky. Unlike stars, it does not
give off light of its own. Its 'light' is a reflection of the sun's rays.
The moon appears as shapes (or phases) when the Earth comes between the sun
and the moon, casting a shadow. The moon completes its orbit of the earth
every 29 days. The current phase of the moon along with its setting and
rising times can usually be found in newspapers.

Corrected:-

The Moon is the brightest object in the night sky.

I think that you can assume that they can already recognise the Moon at
night. Also, it is not always the brightest object in the night sky.
Sometimes it is not there at all; sometimes, especially when it is new,
Venus, Iridium Flares, or aircraft look brighter (beware of pedantic
Brownies). The sentence is not needed, if the following "it" is changed.

We see it because it
reflects sunlight. The Sun shines on one half of the Moon (like day and
xxx ^ at a time
night on Earth).

The shape (phase) depends on how much of the lit side we
see.

The shape of the Moon does not change; it has no sides, being round.
"The shape that we see depends on how much of the lit part faces us."


This changes with the Moon's position in it's orbit round the earth. We
x
"This changes as the Moon goes round the Earth". We can

see a full moon every 29 1/2 days when Moon and Sun are on opposite sides of
the Earth. Newspapers usually publish the phase and rising and setting
times.



New version :

We can see the Moon because it is lit by the Sun, which shines on half of
it at a time (like day and night on Earth). So the shape that we see
depends on how much of the lit part faces us. This changes as the Moon
goes round the Earth. We can see a full moon every 29 1/2 days when Moon
and Sun are on opposite sides of the Earth. Newspapers usually show the
day's shape (phase), and the rising and setting times.

** Check that the reasons for the rising and setting of the Sun, and day
and night, have been explained, correctly and in a manner that makes the
causes of the Moon's daily movement and half-litness obvious.

I'd like to replace the remaining "sides", elegantly. Ideally, "when
Moon and Sun are on opposite sides of the Earth" should be redundant -
"We can see a round 'Full Moon' every 29.5 days." ??? "... when the
Earth is between Moon and Sun" ???

It would be nice to add - Sometimes the Earth's shadow crosses the Moon,
which is called a Lunar Eclipse. But that may be treated later.


Remember that you are addressing both Brownies, who can be surprisingly
knowledgeable, and their leaders, who can also be surprisingly ignorant.
I once discovered that the sales director of a major importer did not
know that the Moon was very much farther away than the clouds; his
Brownie did.

If there is a URL for the full document, we could work on the whole
thing. Does ScoutBase have anything?

--
© John Stockton, Surrey, UK. Turnpike v4.00 MIME. ©
Web URL:http://www.merlyn.demon.co.uk/ - FAQqish topics, acronyms & links;
some Astro stuff via astro.htm, gravity0.htm; quotes.htm; pascal.htm; &c, &c.
No Encoding. Quotes before replies. Snip well. Write clearly. Don't Mail News.

In article , Dr John Stockton
writes
JRS: In article , seen in
news:uk.sci.astronomy, Robin Leadbeater
posted at Thu, 25 Sep 2003 11:25:57 :-

Cross-posted to uk.rec.scouting, where there are readers known to be
concerned with that age-group. They will be better able to judge
readability. URS: other responses not XP.

snip
Remember that you are addressing both Brownies, who can be surprisingly
knowledgeable, and their leaders, who can also be surprisingly ignorant.
I once discovered that the sales director of a major importer did not
know that the Moon was very much farther away than the clouds; his
Brownie did.

If there is a URL for the full document, we could work on the whole
thing. Does ScoutBase have anything?

I don't know the context in which it is written, but if you are working
with younger people, a picture beats a thousand words, and someone
getting them to hold up and be part off a 3-D active picture will be
even better.

Need a desk-lamp (sun)
a large football (earth)
a smaller football (moon)

Can then show them how

the moon doesn't actually change shape, but changes what you can see

the moon 'goes in' at night - still there but out of view

the different types of eclipse - but you need a very big room to show
them the aurora.


--
Derek Biddle

"Robin Leadbeater" wrote in message
...

Some of you may remember my recent post about errors in the guidance
documentation given to Brownies and leaders for the Stargazer Badge.

A big thank you to everyone. I now have a revised final version.
Unfortunately there were length constraints to avoid reprinting more than
one page (more words would mean no diagram) Bearing in mind this is badge
support documentation and it is expected that leaders will use this as a
basis to expand on, I think we have got the important facts across now. Here
is the final version:

"We see the moon because the sun shines on it. Only one half of the Moon is
in sunlight (like day and night on Earth) The shape (phase) depends on how
much of the lit side we see. This changes with the Moon's position in its
orbit round the Earth. We see a full moon every 29 1/2 days when Moon and
Sun are on opposite sides of the Earth. Some newspapers publish the phase
and rising and setting times. (Watch out for the moon during the day too!)"


Unfortunately, I have now seen in another part, this statement:

"The Earth is slightly tilted so some parts of the planet's surface are
closer to the sun (and warmer) at certain times of the year"

Oh Dear :-(((( I have no idea how to correctly explain the seasons in 25
words!

Robin

"Robin Leadbeater" wrote:


"Robin Leadbeater" wrote in message
...

Some of you may remember my recent post about errors in the guidance
documentation given to Brownies and leaders for the Stargazer Badge.

A big thank you to everyone. I now have a revised final version.
Unfortunately there were length constraints to avoid reprinting more than
one page (more words would mean no diagram) Bearing in mind this is badge
support documentation and it is expected that leaders will use this as a
basis to expand on, I think we have got the important facts across now. Here
is the final version:

"We see the moon because the sun shines on it. Only one half of the Moon is
in sunlight (like day and night on Earth) The shape (phase) depends on how
much of the lit side we see. This changes with the Moon's position in its
orbit round the Earth. We see a full moon every 29 1/2 days when Moon and
Sun are on opposite sides of the Earth. Some newspapers publish the phase
and rising and setting times. (Watch out for the moon during the day too!)"


Unfortunately, I have now seen in another part, this statement:

"The Earth is slightly tilted so some parts of the planet's surface are
closer to the sun (and warmer) at certain times of the year"

Oh Dear :-(((( I have no idea how to correctly explain the seasons in 25
words!

The Lunar thread has been really productive - every contributor has
unashamedly nicked bits from his/her predecessor leading to a current
version that is clearer, shorter and altogether better than any of us
could have imagined at the outset.

Let the seasons run - you may yet get it in not many more than 25
words

Cheers

Martin

--------------
Martin Frey
N 51 02 E 0 47
--------------

PS

Does the handbook go on to say the stars are God's daisy chain?

Cheers

Martin

--------------
Martin Frey
N 51 02 E 0 47
--------------

"Martin Frey" wrote in message
...

Let the seasons run - you may yet get it in not many more than 25
words


OK - here is my starter for ten:-

The Earth is slightly tilted. This means that the sun rises higher and the
days are longer and warmer in summer than in winter.

Robin

"Robin Leadbeater" wrote:

OK - here is my starter for ten:-

The Earth is slightly tilted. This means that the sun rises higher and the
days are longer and warmer in summer than in winter.

Robin

8/10

If it's tilted, why doesn't my drink spill? (well - only spills
sometimes...)

Is their a section on night and day and a year? The seasons needs to
knit in with these - we'd need to know how they are tackled.

Or just send them the uksa faq? No, perhaps not...

Cheers

Martin

--------------
Martin Frey
N 51 02 E 0 47
--------------

"Martin Frey" wrote in message
...
"Robin Leadbeater" wrote:

OK - here is my starter for ten:-

The Earth is slightly tilted. This means that the sun rises higher and
the
days are longer and warmer in summer than in winter.

Robin

8/10

If it's tilted, why doesn't my drink spill? (well - only spills
sometimes...)

Is their a section on night and day and a year? The seasons needs to
knit in with these - we'd need to know how they are tackled.

Or just send them the uksa faq? No, perhaps not...


Ehm! Time for a little background to focus our thoughts a little ;-)

In this section the Brownies are asked to name the planets and find out some
facts about four of them. This was a suggested fact about the Earth
(although it is not unique to the Earth of course, but we had better not go
there) I am looking for "Just the facts Ma'am"

They were also steered to

http://kids.msfc.nasa.gov/

Good info by the looks but a little too "kinda cute" for my taste (Then
again, a Brownie I am most certainly not!)

Robin