Create a lunar landscape

  • STEAM Event Summary

    This 100-minute STEAM program helps 1st-grade students understand gravity and how Moon craters are formed. Kids start by jumping and feeling how gravity pulls them down, then they listen to a story about the Moon. Using a sandbox and different stones, they experiment to see how the weight and size of an object change the crater it makes. They learn cool facts, like how heavy and light objects actually fall at the same speed, which often surprises them. Finally, the students use what they learned to design their own lunar landscape and explain their “scientific” results.

    SPIRIT Skill Focus

    • problem-solving; 
    • curiosity,  sense of wonder and openness;

    Basic Information Sheet

    Age group/ GradeStudent numberDurationNumber of stagesSubjects connection and relevance
    1st grade studentsWhole class100 minutes4 stagesnatural sciences, visual arts, native language (vocabulary expansion, awareness), mathematics

    National curriculum Link and Objectives

    Science objectives:

    • Students investigate different types of forces: gravity.
    • Students describe the Moon: craters.
    • Students learn the basic principles of doing scientific research: careful observation and fair comparison.

    Arts objectives:

    • Reflecting on images.
    • Describe the impressions evoked by the observation. E.g.: What do I see in this image? How might this image have been created? 
    • Recognising and organising simple shapes.
    • Creating an image (2D or 3D) by deliberately placing objects in space. E.g.: designing a robot, utilising the space on the page

    Math objectives:

    • Measuring: bigger, heavier, deeper, etc.

    Language objectives:

    • Listening to narrative and artistic-literary texts:
    • Based on age-appropriate spoken stories, students will be able to:
    • Understand the essence of the story;
    • Follow and understand the storyline;
    • Reconstruct the storyline fairly literally;
    • Express personal feelings and opinions about the story;
    • Distinguish between reality and fantasy;
    • Assess the authenticity of story details.
    • Reflecting on word meanings in concrete speaking situations
    • Answer teacher questions about a topic covered within different subject areas:
    • Respond to questions related to meanings

  • Real-world STEAM Connection and Problem definition

    The Moon is a celestial body that children see every day, always in a different phase, and it strongly captures their curiosity. Many images of the Moon show craters. In this STEAM activity, children will investigate, on the one hand, how craters are formed and, on the other hand, what is the impact of gravity is on the falling of different objects in size and weight.

    In addition, misconceptions about gravity are addressed. For example, children are often surprised that a feather and a stone fall at the same speed. By experimenting and exploring (e.g., experiencing gravity with objects, specifically stones), they acquire the necessary knowledge.

    As an application, children are challenged to recreate a lunar landscape with craters of different sizes by dropping stones. In this way, they actively apply the knowledge they have learned.

  • Materials at a Glance

    • Story: pictures from the picture book: Journey to the Moon (see attachment)
    • Stones preferably with an irregular shape, both large and small, both light and heavy.

    Ideally:

    • Large and heavy
    • Large and light (e.g. lava stone, but could also be replaced by a sponge)
    • Small and heavy
    • Small and light
    • White sand
    • A container (that can hold at least 5 cm of sand)
    • (alternatives: sandbox in the playground, flour instead of sand; flour creates more dust/sticks more, sand is “cleaner”)
    • – A small squeegee (to smooth the sand evenly each time)
    • – A folding ruler (so the children can easily see from what height their object falls)
    • – A globe
    • – A moon (about 1/4 the size of the globe, e.g. a tennis ball painted black).

  • Indoor/Outdoor and Classroom layout

    Indoor — Space arrangements for the lesson:

    • Space for jumping: (e.g., behind their chairs)
    • Space to listen to the story
    • Space to conduct the stone experiment.
    • Space to discuss the conclusion.

  • Notes on Research-based approach and integration

    In the activity, they start with an open-ended investigation, which, under guidance, evolves into a structured “child-friendly scientific inquiry.” From this, they learn the underlying principles.

    They are required to apply mathematical skills and prior knowledge, such as measuring and estimating, in order to record and compare the results of their investigation.

  • Lesson Flow Overview – Create a lunar landscape

    • STAGE 1 – Exploring gravity with own body

      Duration: 10 minutes

      SPIRIT Skills:

      • problem-solving;
      • curiosity,  sense of wonder and openness;

      Brief Description:

      Students will experience certain principles of gravity.

      • The students explore and reflect on this (through the teacher’s guiding questions).
      • How high can you jump? Try jumping “high.” Can you jump higher?
      • Who can stay in the air?
      • Can you fall down more slowly after jumping?
      • Let your head hang down. What do you feel?
      • (optional: give someone a backpack with a weight inside → how does that feel?)

      Essence / conclusion:

      We are always pulled towards the ground. We cannot stay in the air. There is an invisible force that pulls everything to the ground. This is gravity

      How does this develop particular SPIRIT skills

      The teacher’s challenge— to stay “longer” in the air—They wonder when they try to stay in the air that they always fall back to the ground.  They experience this with their own bodies. In particular, it helps them realize that it is not possible to stay ‘longer’ in the air.

      What do we want to achieve regarding SPIRIT skill development (student understanding and/or behaviour)?

      Children learn to think critically about gravity by experimenting with their own bodies, for example by jumping, trying to fly or dropping objects. They experience what works and what doesn’t, ask themselves questions and look for explanations. You can see problem-solving thinking in:

      • Trying out different ways to jump higher or stay in the air longer
      • Comparing their own experiences with those of others (‘Why can you jump further?’)
      • Searching for solutions (‘What if I take a run-up before jumping? Why am I not flying now?’)
      • Adjusting their approach after feedback or failed attempts

      Their behaviour shows curiosity, experimentation and a search for explanations. Their results demonstrate a growing understanding of what gravity does and why some solutions work and others do not.

      Academic/Curriculum Objective connection

      Science: gravity

      In the translation it must be adapted! They are the national curriculum!

      Materials and tools needed for implementation 

      Own body.

      Preparation notes

      /

      Guided Questions

      • Who can jump the highest?
      • Who can stay in the air the longest?
      • Why can’t we stay in the air for long?
      • Is there a force that pushes us to the ground?
      • Is it everywhere? Where is it and where isn’t it?

      Stage Debriefing Questions (Optional)

      /

      Tips and Tricks for dealing with stage challenges

      Important misconception to avoid:

      • Do not say: we are pulled “down”, because then you get the problem of “people in Australia” standing “upside down” without falling off the Earth.
      • Instead, say: we are pulled toward the ground / toward the Earth.
    • STAGE 2 – Reading Journey to the Moon

      Duration: 20 minutes

      SPIRIT Skills:

      Brief Description:

      The students study a lunar landscape from a picture book.
      The teacher shows the illustrations while telling the story.

      How does this develop particular SPIRIT skills:

      To spark wonder about the Moon and, through various questions, lead the students to the topic of craters.

      What do we want to achieve regarding SPIRIT skill development (student understanding and/or behaviour)?

      You can amaze children and spark their curiosity during a picture book story about gravity and the lunar landscape by telling the story vividly, asking questions and leaving room for wonder. Use surprising illustrations, let children imagine what it feels like to jump on the moon, and compare this to their own experiences on Earth. You will see curiosity, sense of wonder in:

      • Wide eyes, open mouths, or enthusiastic reactions (‘Wow, can you really jump that high on the moon?’)
      • Asking lots of questions (‘Why do things float there?’)
      • Imagining and sharing their own ideas (‘Could you fly if you took a big jump?’)
      • Wanting to imitate or experiment after the story (jumping, dropping things, drawing)

      Their behaviour shows that they are fascinated, actively thinking along and want to discover more. Their results include imaginative drawings, stories or experiments that build on the picture book.

      Academic/Curriculum Objective connection

      • Listening to narrative and artistic-literary texts:
      • Based on age-appropriate spoken stories, students will be able to:
      • Understand the essence of the story;
      • Follow and understand the storyline;
      • Reconstruct the storyline fairly literally;
      • Express personal feelings and opinions about the story;
      • Distinguish between reality and fantasy;
      • Assess the authenticity of story details.
      • Reflecting on word meanings in concrete speaking situations
      • Answer teacher questions about a topic covered within different subject areas:
      • Respond to questions related to meanings;

      In the translation it must be adapted! They are the national curriculum!

      Materials and tools needed for implementation 

      Pictures of the book.

      Preparation notes

      Story of the book.

      Guided Questions

      • What does the moon look like in the picture? 
      • Have you ever seen a crescent moon like this? 
      • Can the moon look different? 
      • Is the moon really just a crescent? 
      • What shape is the landscape?
      • Is the landscape flat? Or are there places where you go uphill?

      Stage Debriefing Questions (Optional)

      /

      Tips and Tricks for dealing with stage challenges

      • Not Applicable.
    • STAGE 3 – Investigating Gravity: Inquiry-based learning

      Duration: 30 minutes

      SPIRIT Skills:

      Brief Description:

      Afterwards, they investigate how to play with the size and depth of craters from 

      gravity.

      Students receive a box with various stones and a sandbox.

      A. They may freely explore crater formation.

      (e.g. guiding questions: create craters of different sizes/depths.

      How can you make the largest / deepest craters?)

      Briefly discuss what they have observed.

      Encourage them to describe their observations as precisely as possible!

      Optionally compare the craters made by the children with photographs of real craters on the Moon.

      B. Then move on to a focused investigation.

      Central research question:

      What determines the size (depth and width/length) of a lunar crater?

      Ensuring a fair test (explicitly explain to students)

      • Always drop from the same height.
      • Hold the stone still and simply let it fall (starting speed always zero).
      • Always drop straight down.
      • Change only one variable at a time (e.g. not comparing large and heavy with small and light).
      • Smooth the sand after each test.

      Guided investigation steps

      B1. The role of mass (weight) of the stone

      • Hypothesis: The heavier the meteorite, the deeper the crater will be.
      • Use objects that are the same size but with different mass.
      • First let students sort stones into two groups: light and heavy.
      • Discuss together how they can judge if something is heavier or lighter.
      • Then let them test: take two stones of the same size but different mass and compare crater depth.

      B2. Do heavy and light stones (same size) fall at different speeds?

      • Likely, students think a heavier stone falls faster.
      • Let them test: drop a heavy and a light stone from the same height at the same time.
      • They discover: both hit the ground simultaneously → surprise → discussion: Why is that?
      • Key concept: mass does not affect falling speed.
      • Follow-up: if they fall at the same speed, why is one crater bigger/deeper? → Because of the impact force.

      B3. The role of size of the stone

      • Use objects that are equally heavy/light but differ in size.
      • Compare the craters formed

      How does this develop particular SPIRIT skills

      Problem-solving: open-ended questioning

      What do we want to achieve regarding SPIRIT skill development (student understanding and/or behaviour)?

      ?.

      Academic/Curriculum Objective connection

      • Exploring gravity and the force of impact.

      Materials and tools needed for implementation 

      Sandbox, stones, measuring tools, windscreen wiper.

      Preparation notes

      /

      Guided Questions

      • Are there light and heavy stones or are they all the same? 
      • Which stone created the “largest” crater? 
      • Which created the deepest crater?
      • Which stone falls the fastest?
      • How can we test the fall of our stones so that the same thing can be examined for everyone?

      Stage Debriefing Questions (Optional)

      • What was difficult about working with the stones?
      • What happened when?

      Tips and Tricks for dealing with stage challenges

      • Categorize the stones beforehand into lighter and heavier, smaller and larger.
      • Carry out the research question and procedure step by step with them (providing more whole-class guidance).
      • Provide individual support for a group.
    • STAGE 4 – Final task: Design-based learning, designing a lunar landscape

      Duration: 20 minutes

      SPIRIT Skills:

      • Problem-solving

      Brief Description:

      At the end they make in sand with falling objects

      lunar landscapes with different crater sizes.

      Final task: Create a lunar landscape with 4 craters

      • 1 large/long and deep crater
      • 1 small/short and shallow crater
      • 1 large (long) and deep crater
      • 1 large (long) and shallow crater

      Take a photo in black and white:

      • once with the stones next to the craters
      • once without the stones.

      Afterwards, students explain how they formed this landscape.

      They must use the scientific vocabulary they have learned.

      How does this develop particular SPIRIT skills

      Problem-solving (open-ended questioning).

      What do we want to achieve regarding SPIRIT skill development (student understanding and/or behaviour)?

      Children learn problem-solving thinking about gravity when they drop different types of stones (large/small, heavy/light) into a sandpit to create a lunar landscape. Through experimentation, they discover how the stones create craters and what role gravity plays in this, how deep they sink, and what effects the weight and height of the drop have. You can see problem-solving thinking in:

      • Trying out different stones and heights to see what effect this has on the sand
      • Comparing results (‘Which stone makes the biggest crater?’)
      • Adjusting their approach if something doesn’t work (‘Maybe I should hold the stone higher’)
      • Looking for solutions when a crater does not turn out well (‘Can I press the sand differently?’)
      • Their behaviour shows curiosity, experimentation, comparison and improvement. Their results show different types of craters and a lunar landscape that shows they have thought about cause and effect.

      Academic/Curriculum Objective connection

      • The application of gravity and its force on the impact when objects fall 
      • Creating an image (2D or 3D) by deliberately placing objects in space. 
      • Students learn the basic principles of doing scientific research: careful observation and fair comparison.

      In the translation it must be adapted! They are the national curriculum!

      Materials and tools needed for implementation 

      Sandbox, stones, measuring tools, windscreen wiper.

      Preparation notes

      /

      Guided Questions

      Why do objects fall to the ground and not upwards? (Because of gravity).

      Stage Debriefing Questions (Optional)

      /

      Tips and Tricks for dealing with stage challenges

      • Fewer craters requested
      • Provide a photo of a possible solution
      • Carry out as a whole-class activity

  • Tips and Tricks for dealing with challenges (for the whole STEAM program)

    Monitor the lesson time. Depending on this, you can shorten or extend Stage 3 with the different sub-topics.

  • Difficulty level tailoring notes

    The selection of stones is very important. This determines the difficulty of the categorization.

  • STEAM Program Debriefing and Reflection Questions

    • What surprised you the most about the Moon?
    • What surprised you the most about gravity?
    • What was the biggest challenge in the gravity investigation?
    • What would you do differently next time in the investigation?
    • What difficulties did you encounter when designing a lunar landscape?
    • What is the most useful tip you would give to other groups based on your experience during the investigation.
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