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Moon Phases and Maramataka

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Moon Phases and Maramataka

Read the science notes and the fictional observation log. Use evidence from both to explain how the Moon’s phases work and how maramataka connects lunar observations with the environment. Moon names and practices can vary between iwi and rohe; the examples here are not universal.

Science notes: why the Moon changes appearance

The Moon does not make its own visible light. Sunlight illuminates half of the Moon at any time. As the Moon orbits Earth, the angle between the Sun, Moon and observer changes, so we see different portions of its sunlit half. This repeating sequence is called the lunar phase cycle and takes about 29.5 days. The phases are new moon, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, full moon, waning gibbous, last quarter and waning crescent. Waxing means the visible lit portion is growing; waning means it is shrinking. The Moon’s shadow on Earth is not what causes the phases; an Earth shadow on the Moon causes a lunar eclipse.

1.A student says, “The Moon’s shape changes because Earth’s shadow gradually covers it each month.” Which response best corrects this idea?

The Moon changes shape as it makes its own light.
We see changing amounts of the Moon’s sunlit half as the Moon orbits Earth.
Clouds cover different parts of the Moon in a regular cycle.
Earth’s shadow causes every phase in the lunar cycle.

2.Starting at new moon, write the eight phases in order until the cycle returns to new moon. Use the phase names listed in the science notes.

3.About how long is one complete lunar phase cycle, and what is the name for the phase when the visible sunlit portion is increasing?

Observation log: a coastal monitoring project

Ana and Levi are helping record observations for a local coastal monitoring project. Their fictional log begins just after a new moon. They note what they can see from the shore; the notes do not claim that a phase alone determines weather, tides or whether an activity will succeed.

Night

Days after new moon

Observation

A very thin crescent is visible after sunset.

The lit crescent looks wider than it did on Night 1.

About half of the Moon’s visible face is lit.

More than half of the visible face is lit.

4.Use the log to identify the phase most likely seen on Night 3. Explain which observation is your best evidence.

5.On Night 4, is the Moon waxing or waning? Support your answer with the sequence of observations.

Maramataka: observing rhythms in place

Maramataka refers to Māori systems of timekeeping that use observations of the Moon and other environmental signs. Different iwi and rohe have their own knowledge, names, interpretations and practices. In some contexts, maramataka has helped people consider patterns relevant to fishing, planting or gathering kai, while also paying attention to local conditions. It is not simply a single national calendar, and a lunar phase by itself does not guarantee what nature will do.

6.Which statement best describes maramataka as presented in the notes?

One fixed calendar used identically by every iwi and rohe.
Māori systems of timekeeping that draw on lunar and environmental observations, with knowledge that can vary by place.
A system based only on the Sun and unrelated to environmental observation.
A way to predict every natural event from the Moon’s phase alone.

7.Ana notices that the Moon’s phase is similar on two different months, but the local weather and sea conditions differ. What does this suggest about using maramataka knowledge responsibly?

8.Explain one similarity and one difference between scientific descriptions of lunar phases and maramataka. Use the notes in this worksheet.

9.A classmate claims that a lunar eclipse is the reason for the ordinary monthly phases. In one or two sentences, explain why this is incorrect.