Six blank words carry this set of 1st grade sky notes: sun, stars, morning, day, shape, and moon. Students fill them in during the lesson and add short notes of their own across three sections. They record that the sun comes up in the morning, that the moon seems to change its shape each night, and that we see stars only at night because the sun is too bright. The answer key includes model notes for the open prompts, and the notes follow NGSS 1-ESS1-1.
1-ESS1-1
“Use observations of the sun, moon, and stars to describe patterns that can be predicted.”
Each section describes a pattern students can predict: the sun rising and setting, the moon changing shape, and stars showing only after dark.
Two blanks on daytime light and the morning sunrise, then a prompt to say what happens to the sun at the end of the day.
Students note that we look for the moon at night and that it seems to change shape. They then name two shapes it can take, and the key suggests a banana, a circle, or a half circle.
Two blanks explain that we see stars only at night because the sun is too bright in the day.
Moon log
Pair The Moon's Patterns with a week of moon drawings at home. Students then check their two shape examples against real sketches.
During the lesson
Fill in one section as you teach it. Each of the six bank words is used once, so students can cross them off as they go.
Later review
A week later, cover the word bank and use the same blanks as a short quiz.
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