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Teacher’s notes

• About the Science IS activities

Integrated strands

Science concept

• There are different theories about the origin of the moon.

Nature of Science Theme

There may be more than one explanation for the results of an investigation…

Scientists use evidence to build up explanations of a phenomenon. The same evidence can sometimes be used to support more than one explanation.

DSSA Investigation Focus

Any student investigation may involve a variety of skills…

Student investigations may involve processing and interpreting, for example, critically matching evidence to theories.

Activity

What you need

• Copies of the information on four theories of the Moon’s formation, and 14 pieces of evidence that support or refute those theories.

Note: Supporting activity resources are provided below.

Focus

• Why do scientists think that the solar system has not always been as it is today?
• What are the past and current views of how the solar system was formed?
• Why is it unusual that Earth is the only terrestrial planet that has a Moon?
• What sort of information could help scientists explain when and how the Moon was formed?
• What technologies do scientists use to make careful observations about space objects such as the Moon?
• Why do you think scientists might continue to debate different theories about how the Moon formed?

Exploration

1. As a class, discuss each theory of the Moon’s formation.
2. In groups, assign a theory to each group.
3. Get each group to choose the pieces of evidence that support or refute that theory. (This may require further research.)
4. Have each group present their findings to the class, giving reasons for their decisions about whether each piece of evidence (or combinations of evidence):
   • supports their theory
   • refutes their theory
   • has an uncertain/irrelevant relationship to the theory.
5. After all groups have presented their findings, discuss with the class the pieces of evidence that seem to support two or more theories.
6. Get the students to decide which is most likely to be the leading theory for the formation of Earth’s Moon and why.

Extension

As research practice, students could investigate and report on the origin of each of the four theories, for example:

• Who was/were the main proponent(s)?
• When (approximately) was the theory first put forward? How long was it held for?
• When, what and how was new evidence (if any) discovered to counter or undermine that theory?
• What new evidence might counter or undermine the present leading theory?

Reflection

• Why can’t scientists tell how the Moon formed just by making careful observations?
• Why have scientists changed their minds in recent years about the most likely theory of the origin of the Moon?
• How did you go about sorting out, and making sense of, this massive amount of often conflicting or ambiguous evidence?
• Why is it important to consider alternative theories when analysing a new piece of evidence?
• Which theory of the origin of the Moon is currently the one that the majority of scientists favour? Why?