Classroom mode
Run it in class
The Moon keeps one face toward us — so is it spinning, or frozen still?
Show of hands — before you project anything
Predict first: if the Moon never spun at all, would we see one side forever, or every side over a month? Why?
- A Way more than you'd guess
- B About what you'd guess
- C Way less than you'd guess
Count the votes out loud. Hold them to it — then watch.
Project it (fullscreen)
Discussion prompts
- Predict first: if the Moon never spun at all, would we see one side forever, or every side over a month? Why?
- Predict first: which has to match for one face to stay locked, the Moon's spin speed or its orbit speed, or both together?
- The lock isn't perfect, we see about 59% of the Moon, not 50%. What kind of wobble could let us peek a little past the edge?
Where it shows up in real life
- The 'man in the Moon' or 'rabbit in the Moon' pattern, always in the same place every night
- Walking around a chair while keeping your face toward it, you spin once without noticing
- The first photos of the Moon's far side, which no one on Earth had ever seen until a spacecraft flew behind it
A prediction-first worksheet — no answer key.
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Explore every question
The Moon keeps one face toward us — so is it spinning, or frozen still?
Predict — what do you think will happen, and why?
Talk about it
- Predict first: if the Moon never spun at all, would we see one side forever, or every side over a month? Why?
- Predict first: which has to match for one face to stay locked, the Moon's spin speed or its orbit speed, or both together?
- The lock isn't perfect, we see about 59% of the Moon, not 50%. What kind of wobble could let us peek a little past the edge?