Today, we're doing a science project where we learn about the phases of the moon using Oreos.
For this project, you will need 7 or 8 Oreo cookies, some construction paper, and a butter knife.
First, carefully separate your Oreo cookies.
Next, write each 8 key phases of the moon on your piece of construction paper, starting with the New Moon. Continue, writing down, waxing crescent, 1st quarter, waxing gibbous, full moon, waning gibbous, last quarter, and finally waning crescent.
Once you have written down all the stages, carefully use the butter knife to scrape all the filling off one cookie.
Proceed to make the waxing crescent moon by gently making semi-circle indentation in the filling and then remove the remaining filling until you have the shape of a crescent (you'll want to do this twice).
You'll use the same process for the waning crescent but face the cookie in the opposite direction on the construction paper. Make your half-moons (waxing & waning) by removing half the filling. Lastly, remove a crescent-shaped portion of the filling from 2 more cookies to create a waxing gibbous and a waning gibbous.
Our final step is to arrange our moons (cookies) on the construction paper on top of each corresponding label starting with the new moon (the cookie with no filling).
We see a new moon when the moon is positioned between the earth and the sun. For the next phases just remember that the moon is either gaining light (waxing phases) or losing light (waning phases). But remember, at a full moon the earth, moon, and sun are in approximate alignment and the part of the moon that we see is fully lit or illuminated by the sun.
After the waning crescent, the cycle starts all over again. Our next full moon occurs on Nov. 30 and it's known as the Beaver Moon. Until then, happy moon watching.
