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one student holds a flash light pointed at a styrofoam ball which acts like the moon, and then is also pointed at a bigger ball which acts as the earth to show the phases of the moon.
Why Does the Moon Play Peek-a-Boo?

Well, the moon always stays the same shape (a sphere, like a ball), but it looks different depending on how sunlight hits it as it orbits the earth. The moon doesn’t shine on its own—it reflects the sun’s light, and as it moves, we see different portions of that light.

Grade 5 students in Marissa Maglio-Kohler’s class at Riccardi Elementary School got hands-on to figure it all out! Armed with a flashlight (the sun), a ball (the earth), and a styrofoam moon, they explored how light and shadows create the moon’s different phases. Who knew science could be so illuminating?

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