Moon Gazing

Third graders have been hard at work studying the moon in our classroom, at home, and in science class this month.  As part of cultural immersion into the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival, we have been learning about the moon through research, but also taking time to appreciate the moon’s beauty and majesty.   Last week, we noticed that the moon could still be seen in the morning.  “It’s a waning gibbous!” a few students exclaimed, as they walked into the classroom.  The muted and understated presence of the moon stood in wondrous contrast to the fiery red of the treetops above which the moon hung in the morning breeze.   That morning, we went to take a brief look at the moon, but then we decided we needed an extended time to gaze and commune with the moon.  

The next day, we wandered out into the dewy front lawn, eager to see the moon.  For the first 20 minutes, the moon briefly showed itself, but then stayed hidden among the clouds.  Still, we dutifully sketched the sky, trees, and clouds around it.  Then, all of a sudden, the moon’s brilliant edges shone through and we were all able to watch the moon for just enough time until it disappeared again.  After our game of hide-and –seek with the moon, we sat down together to reflect.  Students shared about different points in time when seeing the moon was meaningful to them – in the quiet of the morning when no one else was awake, or in their backyard in the open air of Oklahoma.  Logan shared about what a privilege it was to be able to go out to see the moon as a class.  “When I grow up, I know that I’m going to look back and remember that we did this together.”   All three of us teachers glanced at each other briefly – and we knew that we would also look back and remember our experience delighting in the moon together with this class.