TEACHING GUIDE

ABOUT THIS BOOK

Blast off for educational fun! Beginning
readers and budding astronomers are launched—
via Seussian sorcery—on a wild trip to visit the
nine planets in our solar system, along with the
Cat in the Hat, Thing One, Thing Two, Dick,
and Sally.

SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES

OBJECTIVE: Students will be able to observe
the moon’s shape and draw what they see,
keeping a daily log. Students will be able to
compare their results with the newspaper’s
diagrams of the moon.
MATERIALS: moon-watch log sheet, current newspaper
DIRECTIONS:
1) Have students “moon watch” each night for a two-week period,
keeping a journal of their thoughts, questions, and comments.
2) As part of the moon watch, have children draw the moon as it
appears to them every night during this two-week period to gain
an understanding of the moon’s regular phases. It works best if
they observe the moon from the same location.
3) Using a current newspaper, compare the students’
drawings with the pictures in the paper. This is a
good cross-reference and a way to introduce parts of
the newspaper.
AFTER THE TWO WEEKS:
Have students discuss or write
a comparative essay about the
phases of the moon answering the
following example questions:
What was the moon’s shape on the
first night? What was its shape a week
later? What was its shape at the end of
the two weeks?

ABOUT THIS GUIDE

Teaching ideas provided by Kristi Weikel, classroom teacher, and Denise Barbazette, classroom teacher.