Patterns of the Sun, Moon, and Stars
Aligned to 1-ESS1 — Next Generation Science Standards.
What this lesson teaches
The sun rises and sets in a daily pattern, and the moon's shape seems to change over a month. These patterns repeat and can be predicted.
Worked examples
Example 1
The sun appears in the east in the morning and sets in the west each evening — a pattern we see every day.
Example 2
The moon changes shape over about a month: a thin sliver, then half, then full, then back again.
Example 3
Some stars are in the sky all year but you cannot see them in the daytime, because the sun's light is much brighter.
Practice questions
- Where does the sun appear in the morning?
- Does the moon always look the same?
- Why can we predict that night follows day?
Watch the lesson
Every lesson comes with a video taught in English and Spanish — the same video the QR code in the printed workbook opens.
▶ Watch this lessonEn español
Patrones del Sol, la Luna y las Estrellas
El sol sale y se pone siguiendo un patrón diario, y la forma de la luna parece cambiar a lo largo de un mes. Estos patrones se repiten y se pueden predecir.
Ejemplo 1: El sol aparece por el oriente en la mañana y se pone por el poniente cada tarde — un patrón que vemos todos los días.
Ejemplo 2: La luna cambia de forma en aproximadamente un mes: una rebanada delgada, luego media, luego llena, y de regreso.
Ejemplo 3: Algunas estrellas están en el cielo todo el año pero no las ves de día, porque la luz del sol es mucho más brillante.
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