MS-ESS1-1 lessons
Develop and use a model of the Earth, Sun and Moon to describe the cycles of Moon phases and seasons.
The Next Generation Science Standards code MS-ESS1-1 asks students to: “Develop and use a model of the Earth, Sun and Moon to describe the cycles of Moon phases and seasons.” These Fieldbook lessons teach it hands-on, with everyday materials, a printable teacher guide and a student sheet.
Sun, Earth and Moon Grades 4–5 · partly supports this standard
- Why does the Moon change shape? 45–60 min, plus 2 minutes a night for two weeks
Students hold a ball on a stick at arm's length and turn slowly in front of a lamp, and the Moon's phases appear in their own hands. They test the idea that Earth's shadow makes the phases, then start a two-week Moon diary to check the model against the real sky.
- Why are there seasons, and why do some places barely have them? 60 min, or two 35-minute periods
Teams shine a flashlight on squared paper at different angles, then carry a tilted ball around a lamp to see how the Sun's height and day length change through the year. They graph real day lengths for London, Singapore and Cape Town and explain seasons with tilt, not distance.
NGSS is used as written in Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, so the code MS-ESS1-1 matches there. Other states word and number their own versions: see curriculum alignment for your state's codes.
More NGSS standards for middle school
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