Turn to the dark side ... of the moon, that is! Young space explorers learn why the dark side of the moon is never visible here on Earth in an animated video. The resource shows how the moon formed, its dizzying early orbiting pattern, and how its interaction with Earth has resulted in a very one-sided relationship.

Concepts

the earth, the moon, tides, rotations, orbiting, space exploration

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Additional Tags

science

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Instructional Ideas

• Incorporate the resource into a study of the moon or Earth's early history
• Show images of the dark side of the moon, as well as the space exploration missions that have captured the images
  

Classroom Considerations

• Ensure the class has an understanding of the Earth-moon relationship before watching the video
  

• This video is hosted on YouTube

Pros

• Animated sequences show how Earth molded the moon's position and behaviors 
• Presents the content so a wide variety of grades can learn from it

Cons

• None

Common Core

SL.6.2 SL.7.2 SL.9-10.2