Oreo Cookie Moon Phase Craze

You can see the moon in the sky because it reflects light from the sun. The revolution of the moon around the earth makes the moon appear as if is changing shape all the time. The part of the moon that faces the sun is always lit up and the part that faces away from the sun is always dark. But, as the moon makes its way around the earth, we see the bright parts of the moon at different angles. The parts we see are often called the “phases” of the moon. The term “waxing” means getting bigger and the “waning” means getting smaller. The terms crescent and gibbous refer to the shape of the moon.

In this activity, you use mini or regular Oreo cookies to make a model of each phase of the moon. As you carve each phase out of the Oreo cream, you can consider how the movement of the moon around the earth makes it seem like the moon is always changing its shape. You can even howl at the full moon if you want.

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Oreo Cookie Moon Phase Resources