5/10/13 Moon Safari

Learning target: students can model scenarios using trig functions.

I would like to thank Kate Novak for posting the moon safari lesson on her blog, and would like to redirect you if you would like more info.  Additionally, this lesson is best delivered on the date of a new or full moon.


Act 1: introduction.
I show this video, give then a minute and ask what they notice.


common responses include:
-something about the wave pattern.
-something about the new and full moon.

Students write a sentence about what they notice about the table, and what they are wondering using this piece of paper that I hand them at the door.


 Act 2: Work time
I give them the task and their groups and have them create an equation that models this.

Common difficulties include:
-How to I know what the period is? Many students want to say the period is 27 days because the first full moon happens on the 27th of Jan.
-How do I know which to use: sine or cosine?
-How far do I have to translate it?
-For some students they got what would be considered reasonably close to the right answer but it wasn't close enough for them until I told them that it was close enough.
-What to x and y stand for?

Act 3: solutions
At the end of class we came back together and talked about what equations students used and why different equations will work equally well to predict what the moon will look like tonight.  It helped to get some equations on the board and show where students were getting stuck.  Also, this activity was very frustrating for some students and acknowledging the frustration and commending the efforts put forth to overcome those frustrations helped everyone leave feeling like they gained something from the lesson.


Homework: look at the moon tonight.  How close were your predictions.