How Astronomers Know — Evidence Lab
Moon Pattern Detective
- Estimated time
- ~12 min
Saved locally on this device
Learning goals
- The Moon goes through the same repeating cycle of phases about once a month.
- 5-ESS1-2 — Students analyze daily patterns in shadow, day/night and sky.
Help & glossary
- Use the hint ladder before checking your answer — hints get more specific.
- Incorrect answers can be retried. Feedback explains why.
- Constructed responses (CER) are self-checked — nothing is sent to a server.
Question 1 of 2
Drag the phases so they appear in the correct order the Moon takes each month, starting from New Moon.
Each month the Moon travels around Earth. As it moves, the part of the Moon we see lit by the Sun changes.
- New Moon
- Waxing Crescent
- First Quarter
- Waxing Gibbous
- Full Moon
- Waning Gibbous
- Last Quarter
- Waning Crescent
Sources
- Moon Phases — NASA Science — NASA · NASA Science · Accessed 2026-09-01