Phases of the Moon and

the Beliefs and Practices

Associated with it
Module in Science 5
Fourth Quarter - Week 4

ARAH A. TOYOKEN
Developer

DepEd.CAR.Schools Division of Mountain Province

Tadian II District.Lenga Elementary School
 Republic of the Philippines
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Cordillera Administrative Region
SCHOOLS DIVISION OF MOUNTAIN PROVINCE

Published by:
Learning Resource Management and Development System

COPYRIGHT NOTICE
2020

Section 9 of Presidential Decree No. 49 provides:

“No copyright shall subsist any work of the Government of the Philippines.
However, prior approval of the government agency of office wherein the work is
created shall be necessary for exploitation of such work for profit.”

This material has been developed for the implementation of K-12 Curriculum
through the Curriculum Implementation Division (CID) ---- Learning Resource
Management and Development System (LRMDS). It can be reproduced for
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work including creating an edited version, an enhancement or a supplementary
work is permitted provided all original work is acknowledged and the copyright is
attributed. No work may be derived from this material for commercial purposes
and profit.

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 WHAT I KNOW

Instruction: Read the questions carefully. Underline the letter of your

best answer. Number one was done for you.

1. How many days does the moon take to complete its cycle?
A. 30 days
B. 29 ½ days
C. 28 days
D. 27 ½ days

2. Why does moon seem to change its shape?

A. The moon deforms it shape as it moves around the earth.
B. The moon breaks some its parts when it reflects light from the sun.
C. Only the lighted part of the moon is seen from the earth as it moves.
D. All lighted and darken part of the moon was seen from the earth as it
moves.

3. The lighted part of the moon that we see on earth at different times is
called _________?
A. Illuminated moon
B. phases of the moon
C. shapes of the moon
D. structure of the moon

4. When the moon seems to be growing it is called ____________?

A. Waning
B. Waxing
C. Crescent
D. Gibbous

5. Why do some people have superstitious beliefs about the moon?

A. Some people do not believe on modern technology.
B. Some people long time ago are very fascinated with moon.
C. Some people have proven that moon affects their lives significantly.
D. Ancient people believe that moon has a direct influence on their lives
which passed on from generation to generation.
6. A phase where you see half of the lighted side of the moon after the new
moon.
A. New moon
B. First quarter
C. Waxing moon
D. Waning moon

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7. Moon changing from new moon to full moon.
A. New moon
B. First quarter
C. Waxing moon
D. Waning moon

8. Moon changing from full moon to new moon.

A. New moon
B. First quarter
C. Waxing moon
D. Waning moon

9. A phase when the moon is not visible.

A. New moon
B. First moon
C. Waxing moon
D. Waning moon

10. A phase where you see the whole lighted side of the moon.
A. New moon
B. Full moon
C. Waxing moon
D. Waning moon

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 WHAT’S IN

In our previous modular lesson, you have learned weathering, which is the
breaking down or dissolving of rocks and minerals on earth surface. Since you
learned what is happening at the surface of the earth then it is also but proper that
you will learn also what is happening above the earth. In this module we will learn
about phases of the moon and the beliefs and practices associated with it.
Are you familiar with the phases of the moon? Do you know some beliefs
associated with it?

WHAT’S NEW

The following sentence was taken from the Igorot song Bumalaka ay Buwan.
BUMALAKA AY BUWAN, TA SILAWAM NAN DANAN
TA UMEYAK KAD YA ILAN NAN GAYYEM KOD CAGUBATAN.

In a sheet of paper, answer the following questions.

1. What is the song all about? What was the writer is requesting from the
moon?

2. What are the characteristics of the moon that was described by the song?
What does the moon can do?

If you answered that the sentence is all about the moon and the writer is
requesting the moon to come out and light his way so that he can visit his love one,
then you are correct.
As the moon orbits or circles the Earth, the phase changes. We will start with
what is called the New Moon phase. This is where we cannot see any of the lit
upside of the moon. The moon is between us and the sun. As the moon orbits the
Earth, we can see more and more of the lit upside until finally the moon is on the
opposite side of the Earth from the sun and we get a full moon. As the moon
continues to orbit the Earth we now see less and less of the lit upside.

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 WHAT’S IN IT

The moon itself does not emit any light like the sun. What we see when we
see the moon is sunlight reflected off the moon. The phase of the moon is how
much of the moon appears to us on Earth to be lit up by the sun. Half of the moon is
always lit up by the sun, except during an eclipse, but we only see a portion that's lit
up. This is the phase of the moon. Around once per month, every 29 1/2 days to be
exact, the phases of the moon make a complete cycle. As the moon circles the
Earth, we can only see a portion of the lit upside. When we can see 100% of the lit
upside, this is a full moon. When we cannot see any of the lit upside, this is called a
new moon.

The Phases of the Moon

Half of the Moon’s surface is always illuminated by sunlight. The amount of
light that we see from our point of view on earth varies every day and this is what we
refer to as moon phase.
Or the shape of the moon as viewed from earth.

New Moon

A. New Moon is the first primary phase and it occurs the moment when the Sun
and Moon are aligned, with the Sun and Earth on opposite sides of the Moon.

A New Moon cannot normally be seen from Earth since only the dark side of
the Moon faces our planet at this point. Sometimes, if the New Moon is close to the
Lunar nodes of its path, it can cause a Solar Eclipse.

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 The greatest difference between high and low tide, also known as spring
tides, takes place around New Moon and Full Moon.

Waxing Crescent Moon

The moment a thin sliver of the Moon becomes visible after New Moon is the
beginning of the first intermediate phase, the Waxing Crescent Moon.

In the past, this used to be called New Moon while the darkest phase was
called Dark Moon. This traditional definition of New Moon is still in use in some
cultures, defining the beginning of the months for instance in the Islamic calendar.

The rest of the Moon is also sometimes faintly visible during most of this
phase because Earth also reflects sunlight onto the Moon. This phenomenon is
called earthshine or Da Vinci glow, and it is most noticeable in April and May.

First Quarter Moon

@timeanddate.com
B. First Quarter Moon is the second primary Moon phase and it is defined as
the moment the Moon has reached the first quarter of its orbit around Earth, hence
the name. It is also called Half Moon as we can see exactly 50% of the Moon's
surface illuminated. Whether you see the left or right half illuminated, depends on
several factors, including your location.

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 The smallest difference between high and low tide, also known as neap tides,
occurs around the 2 Quarter Moons.

Waxing Gibbous Moon

The second intermediate phase, the Waxing Gibbous Moon, lasts until the
next primary phase. Waxing means that it is getting bigger. Gibbous refers to the
shape, which is larger than the semicircle shape of the Moon at First Quarter, but
smaller than a full circle.

Full Moon

@timeanddate.com
C. Full Moon appears in the night sky when the Sun and the Moon are aligned on
opposite sides of Earth.

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How can Full Moon be in the daytime?

Technically, this alignment only lasts a moment. However, the Moon can
appear to be full a day before or after while more than 98% of the Moon's disc is
illuminated.

When a Full Moon occasionally passes through Earth's shadow, it will cause
a lunar eclipse.

When the Full Moon comes close to the points of its orbit that are closest or
farthest away from Earth, we call it a Supermoon or Micromoon, respectively.

Waning Gibbous Moon

The next intermediate Moon phase is the Waning Gibbous Moon. The portion of the
visible half of the Moon illuminated decreases during this period.

Third Quarter Moon

@timeanddate.com

D. Third Quarter Moon occurs the moment the opposite half of the Moon is
illuminated compared to the First Quarter Moon.

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Waning Crescent Moon

The Sun illuminates less than half of the visible part of the Moon during
the Waning Crescent Moon phase and you can sometimes see earthshine on the
rest of the Moon towards the end.

Belief and Practices Associated with the Moon

Happyhousefarm.com

Have you heard of superstitions about the moon? Superstitions are belief that
is not based on human reasons or scientific knowledge, but is connected with old
ideas about magic, etc. Even in this modern age, some people still believe in
superstitions.
Phases of the moon are often associated with superstitious beliefs because
they have impact on Earth and, in turn, affect our lives. Some superstitious beliefs
are enumerated below.

Moon and Planting

Will there be any difference if a farmer plants his crop during a full moon or a
new moon? Many farmers believe that planting when the moon is in specific phases
may bring good harvests. It is because the growth rate of plants can be affected by
them. The different phases of the moon influence the groundwater beneath the
Earth and affect the movement of fluids within plants.
During the waxing phases of the moon from new moon to full moon, the
moisture of the soil is at higher level. This may bring germinated and growth to
plants, that is why many farmers opt to sow the seeds of their crops during this time.
Moon and Weather
When the sun, moon, and earth line up and the moon is at its perigee, you
can expect lower temperature. This is due to the combined gravitational pull of the

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moon and the sun. The moon does affect weather but not significantly. It affects the
atmosphere the same way it affects the ocean. When the phase of the moon is full
moon or new moon, it causes a “bulge” in an ocean, a similar thing happens with the
atmosphere, it attracts the atmosphere to itself.

Tides
Gravitational forces exist between the moon and Earth to hold each other in
their respective positions. These gravitational forces affect Earth’s tides. Tides are
the rising and falling of the sea levels with respect to land. Imagine the moon as a
magnet and Earth as a huge metal. When one side of the Earth is close on the
moon, this side of the Earth will be pulled towards the moon, causing it to bulge.
Since Earth is covered with 75% of water, this bulging side causes the ocean level
to rise. The rising of ocean level is known as high tide. On the other hand, the other
side experiences low water level since the water is concentrated on the other side.
This is called as low tide.

WHAT’S MORE

ACTIVITY
Instruction: Identifying the different Phases of the Moon. Select your answer inside
the box. Write your answer in your answer sheet.
Waxing gibbous First quarter Waxing crescent New moon
Full moon Waning gibbous Third quarter Waning crescent

__________________ 1. Phase of the moon which is not seen. This is because the
surface of the moon facing the earth is not hit by the sun.
__________________ 2. The lighted part of the moon less than half of it. It starts as
a small crescent and eventually grows to a half moon in
a few days.
__________________ 3. This happens right after the first quarter, more than half of
the moon is reflects the sunlight.
__________________ 4. The whole half of the moon is lighted up. This happens
right after waxing crescent and before waxing gibbous
phase.
__________________ 5. Happens when the whole surface of the moon facing the
earth is lighted up by the sunlight. The moon appears as
a very bright object in the night sky.
__________________ 6. Happens right after the full moon. More than half of the
moon reflects the light but if gradually becomes cast in
shadow in a few days.

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__________________ 7. Happens a few days after the waning gibbous. Half of the
moon has light and the other has shadow, the moon
gradually becomes enveloped in shadows as it moves
towards the waning crescent phase.
__________________ 8. Less than half of the moon has light. The lighted portion of
the moon decreases until the light that the moon reflects
become crescent shaped. The moon slowly becomes
cast in the shadow and the new moon phase occurs
again.

ASSESSMENT

Instruction: Match column A with that of column B. Write the letter of your
answer on the space provided. Number 1 was done for you.

COLUMN A COLUMN B
__D_1. The phase seen when the moon is in between A. month
the sun and earth

____2. The phase when most of the lighted portion of the B. waxing crescent
Moon is visible in the sky and seen before a Full moon.

___3. The phase when the moon appears in a semi-circular C. waning gibbous
Form and is seen after a new moon.

___4. The phase when the entire lighted portion of the moon D. new moon
Is seen in the sky

___5. The phase that appears after a waning crescent E. full moon

___6. The phase when most of the lighted portion of the F. phases of the moon
moon is seen in the sky, but get smaller every night.
G. moon

____7. Earth’s only natural satellite H. last quarter

____8. The period it takes for the moon to complete one cycle I. waxing gibbous

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 Instruction: Write T if the statement is true and F if it is false.

______ 1. High tide and low tide are the best time to catch fish.

______ 2. Superstitions are beliefs having scientific explanation.

______ 3. The moon can produce its own light.

______ 4. The apparent change in the appearance of the moon is known as phases
of the moon.
______ 5. Waning happens when the moon appears to be growing.

WHAT HAVE I LEARNED

Instruction: Fill in the blanks with correct information. You may select your
answer inside the box below. Number 1 was done for you.

Our ___moon_____ is an example of a natural satellite. The moon takes

_________ days to complete one cycle. This period is also called a _________. The

moon only borrows light from the ______. There are four phases of the moon. They

are _________________, __________________, _________________, and

_____________. The moon appears to have different phases because of the

different amount of light it reflects from the sun as it revolves around the _______.

Assumptions without scientific bases are called ___________________.

Moon new moon 29 ½ days first quarter full moon

sun month last quarter earth superstitious belief

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 WHAT CAN I DO
Instruction: You can ask local town folks in doing this activity. Write at least five
superstitious beliefs that are associated with the moon.

___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________

The phases of the moon have corresponding local term. Describe the appearance of
the moon to your parents and ask them if what do we call them in our dialects. Write
the local term to complete the given table. In case there was no local term for it,
leave it blank.

Phases of the moon Local Term

New moon
First quarter moon
Full moon
Thirds quarter moon

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 ASSESSMENT

Instruction: Read the questions carefully. Underline the letter of your

best answer. Number one was done for you.

1. How many days does the moon take to complete its cycle?
A. 30 days
B. 29 ½ days
C. 28 days
D. 27 ½ days

2. Why does moon seems to change its shape?

A. The moon deforms it shape as it moves around the earth.
B. The moon breaks some its parts when it reflects light from the sun.
C. Only the lighted part of the moon is seen from the earth as it moves.
D. All lighted and darken part of the moon was seen from the earth as it
moves.

3. The lighted part of the moon that we see on earth at different times is called
_________?
A. Illuminated moon
B. phases of the moon
C. shapes of the moon
D. structure of the moon

4. When the moon seems to be growing it is called ____________?

A. Crescent
B. Gibbous
C. Waning
D. Waxing

5. Why do some people have superstitious beliefs about the moon?

A. Some people do not believe on modern technology.
B. Some people long time ago are very fascinated with moon.
C. Some people have proven that moon affects their lives significantly.
D. Ancient people believe that moon has a direct influence on their lives
which passed on from generation to generation.

6. A phase where you see half of the lighted side of the moon after the new moon.
A. First Quarter
B. New moon
C. Waxing moon
D. Waning moon

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7. Moon changing from new moon to full moon.
A. First Quarter
B. New moon
C. Waning moon
D. Waxing moon

8. Moon changing from full moon to new moon.

A. New moon
B. First moon
C. Waxing moon
D. Waning moon

9. A phase when the moon is not visible.

A. New moon
B. First moon
C. Waxing moon
D. Waning moon

10. A phase where you see the whole lighted side of the moon.
A. New moon
B. Full moon
C. Waxing moon
D. Waning moon

ADDITIONAL ACTIVITY
Instruction: Draw the pictures of the phases of the moon below as seen on
Earth then write a brief description of it to complete the table. The first
one was done for you.

Phases of the Picture Description

moon
New Moon cannot normally be seen
New Moon from Earth since only the dark side of
the Moon faces our planet at this point.

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First Quarter Moon

Full Moon

Last Quarter Moon

Waxing Gibbous

Waning Gibbous

Waxing Crescent

Waning Crescent

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 ANSWER KEY
What I Know 1. B 2. C 3. B 4. D 5. D 6. B 7. C 8. D 9. A 10. B

What’s More
Activity
1. New moon
2. Waxing crescent
3. Waxing gibbous
4. First quarter
5. Full moon
6. Waning gibbous
7. Third quarter
8. Waning crescent

Assessment
1. D 2. I 3. B 4. E 5. H 6. C 7. G 8. A

1. T 2. F 3. F 4. T 5. F

What I Have Learned What I Can Do

1. moon 6. First quarter Answers may vary.
2. 29 ½ days 7. Full moon
3. month 8. Last quarter
4. sun 9. Earth
5. new moon 10. Superstitious belief

Post Assessment
1. B 6. A
2. C 7. D
3. B 8. D
4. D 9. A
5. D 10. B

Additional Activities

Answers may vary.

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 BIBLIOGRAPHY

Sarte, Evelyn, Eliza Lopez, Mary Jean Dela cruz, Harold Arradaza, and Ednaliza

Garcia. Science Beyond Boarders. Reprint, Matina Davao City: Vibal Group, Inc,
2016.

For inquiries or feedback, please write or call:

Department of Education Schools Division of Mountain
Province
Bontoc, Mountain Provinced

Mobile Number: 09208194245 or 09386194154

Email Address: andres.cuyasan@deped.gov.ph

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