Phases of the Moon Work Board

Last week I decided to give a lesson on the Phases of the Moon, to introduce the lunar calendar to our students.  My Montessori training program included masters for all the phases of the moon.  I copied, cut out and colored lightly each phase and pasted it to a darker outline of the moon.  Last spring I attempted to make this same material, but I failed to superimpose the moon phase onto the dark gray moon outline. My instructors corrected me, explaining how the gray outline is necessary in order to give a more realistic dipiction of the shape of the moon and how the shape of the moon remains constant, but the light relfected is what changes. 

Here is the final product which I used to give my lesson last week. I also provided a work board, wherein the students match the name of the phase with the moon phase itself.

While we could have purchased a material like this, teacher-made materials are important to have in the classroom.  First of all, if the teacher makes the material, he/she understands it entirely - including possible extension activites, as well as the limitations of the material.  The teacher is also more attached to the matieral and the students know this and are more likely to respect the material.  Also, when the students see the teacher making materials, they feel more confident that they, too, can make their own (Here, for example, students would feel more confident making their own phases of the moon chart).