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Purpose Concepts
Age Level Time Total: 1.5–2 hours Materials
For the group:
Materials and Instructions for Moon Pie Materials and Instructions for Build an LRO Correlations to National Standards Earth and Space Science – Content Standard D (Grades K–4) Objects in the Sky
Science and Technology – Content Standard E (Grades K–4) Understanding About Science and Technology
Grades 5–8
Language Arts Focus — Develop Listening Skills
Activity Before You Begin
LONG!! Making a Moon Puppet When they are finished decorating, have them attach the face to the back of the paper plate — the non-curved surface; this provides rigidity. Provide them with the sock; this becomes the mouth of the Moon. A hole will need to be cut into the paper plate where the mouth belongs. Alternatively, provide them with a ruler or paint stick that can be attached by masking tape to the back of the Moon face. This will serve as a handle for their puppet. Rather than puppets, children can make Moon Masks. Follow the same procedure, but begin by cutting eyes and a mouth on the Moon face and paper plate that matches where the child’s eyes and mouth are. Elastic string will need to be attached to the sides of the plate, forming a band that can go around the child’s head. Puppet Story Share the story of Luna, a lunar meteorite and Moona Lisa, the Moon. LUNA AND MOONA LISA: LUNAR METEORITE AND MOON PUPPETS This mini-play is a conversation between Luna, a lunar meteorite — once part of the Moon — and Moona Lisa, the Moon herself. Luna is loud and boisterous, with an indisputable Texas drawl! Once young, Moona Lisa is now cold and old (four and a half billion years old!),— but packed with personality. She is very excited about the next visit from her friends on Earth, and about telling the thrilling story of her formation and early years. Scene 1 Luna: Hi, y’all! My name’s Luna, like “tuna,” but with an “L.” I’m a meteorite. Does anyone know what a meteorite is? Moona Lisa: I do! Luna: Well, I know YOU do, because I “came from” you! But I’m askin’ them if THEY do! (face audience) Do any of Y’ALL know what a meteorite is? (Depending on children’s response) “Well, that’s right!” OR “Well I’ll tell you!” Moona Lisa: (groan!!!) Luna: Anyway, I used to be part of ‘ol Moona Lisa, but then I got knocked off by an asteroid and went sailin’ through space, until I finally landed right here on Earth. In Texas! Can ya tell? But you know what? Moona Lisa has her own story about asteroids…..and getting’ RIPPED off Planet Earth and FLYIN’ through space, and gettin’ SLAMMED by more asteroids and comets … BAM … KAPOW … (pause…..Moona Lisa interrupts…) Moona Lisa: …Uh, Luna? Luna?! Luna: (startled) Oh.(pausing to collect herself) Yeah. Yeah, Moona-Lisa? Moona Lisa: Do you think I could tell my OWN story? Luna: Oh … oh yeah … sure, Moona-Lisa … go right ahead. Moona Lisa: Thanks, Luna. (pause) Hi, kids. I’m Moona-Lisa and I certainly do have quite a story to tell you. So, let me see…hmmm… (pause) Well……back in the day…..before I lived all by myself out in space, I actually used to be part of Earth. Yep, that’s right! But that was a long time ago, and when I say long, I mean _ _ _ _!! That was 4 and a half BILLION years ago!. Then one day I saw this really HUGE rock heading straight for Earth— and when I say HUGE, I mean _ _ _ _ !!! I mean this chunk of real estate was as big as Mars!! Doggies!! Well, this planet-sized rock smacked into Mother Earth so hard that I went FLYIN’! Only problem was…I didn’t go shootin’ off in one nice big piece. Oh, no. When that big rock hit Earth, it SPLATTERED!! And some of it and some of Earth got flung out into space in all sorts of pieces — some big….and some small. Ohhhh Boy, I was a MESS!! All those pieces and chunks circled Earth – kinda lookin’ like the rings of Saturn. And then they began to clump together and right quick they all got stuck together to form … ME! And I have been orbiting Mother Earth ever since. Luna: Gee, Moona Lisa. Kinda like Humpty Dumpty – only all your pieces got put together again. What happened next? Moona Lisa: Well, in my early days, — I was HOT! — and when I say, “Hot,” I mean _ _ _ !! – like about ten thousand degrees! All those pieces running into each other — and all those asteroids and comets hitting me — created a lot of HEAT. Just try smackin’ your palm with your hand again and again — it’ll get hot! So anyway, I got soooooooo hot that part of me actually MELTED! Yup — my outer surface was just ONE THICK, HOT, MAGMA OCEAN! Would y’all like to take a cruise on a hot magma ocean?? I don’t think so!!! Well then, after a few hundred million years or so, I cooled off enough to form a lovely surface — my crust! Luna: Uh…Moona Lisa…I’m not sure I would call your surface lovely — it looks sorta patchy to me! Moona Lisa: Well!! That’s certainly not a very nice thing to say! The reason my face is so uneven is because something happened that was so terrible it scarred me for life! It all started when a few asteroids and comets smashed into me. That was not so bad. I could handle it. But…it JUST KEPT HAPPENING!! It seemed like GA-JILLIONS of jagged asteroids — and those pesky icy comets from space - all kept smacking me right in the face! It was terrible! And it lasted for a long time — and when I say “long,” I mean _ _ _ _!! – like about six hundred MILLION years!! Then things quieted down a bit, though, like Earth, I still get hit occasionally. But because all those asteroids and comets smacked into me, my face has more craters and dimples than a golf ball! Luna: Wow, Moona Lisa! But some of your craters are filled with big oceans, aren’t they? Moona Lisa: No, silly! I don’t have any water flowing on my surface. Luna: Oh… But don’t people think you have oceans and seas? Moona Lisa: Well, they DID. And that’s because a long time ago when people looked at me without telescopes, and before they visited me with space craft, they saw bright patches that kinda looked land, and dark patches they thought must be water. And they even named the dark patches for oceans….the Sea of Dreams, the Ocean of Storms, the Sea of Tranquility. Kids, do you want to know what my seas really are? (audience response) Well, after I formed, I began coolin’ off. But even though I was cool on the outside, I was still all HOT and full of magma — melted rock — on the inside! And sometimes that hot magma would rise to the surface and SPEW out! Just like Earth’s volcanos. And this melted rock flowed and filled the bottoms of those deep round craters. The lava — that’s what ya call magma that’s flowin’ on the surface — the lava cooled in the craters, forming a dark hard rocky surface that looks a little like seas or oceans to folks on Earth. You can even see these dark, round patches when you look at me from your home at night! Luna: So are ya still hot? Do ya still have magma SPEWING out? Moona Lisa: Nah! That was a loooooooong time ago — I’m completely cool now inside. My only heat comes from our Sun – the Sun heats up my outside part that faces it while I spin … on my sunny side I get hotter than Texas, believe it or not! And on the side that doesn’t face the Sun, I get really cold —colder than Antarctica! I get so hot and so cold because I don’t have an atmosphere to keep my temperatures more stable. Luna: So you don’t have any spewing volcanos? Or air to breathe like on Earth? Or water? Moona Lisa: Well, I may have some frozen water….. Remember all those asteroids and comets that hit me? What are comets made of, kids? (wait for audience response) Either “You Bet! — Ice! — and some rock and gas and other stuff.” OR “Comets are made of ice — and some rock and gas and other stuff.” Some of those comets may actually have left ice in some of my craters! Some of my craters near my poles are so deep that they never get sunlight— so they stay cold and the ice never melts! And when I say “cold” I mean _ _ _ _!! And that is one reason those NASA scientists are so interested in me. And now Luna, what do you think about seeing how much these extra smart future explorers have learned about me? Luna: Oh, boy! It’s a TEST, isn’t it? I LOVE tests…’cuz they show everyone how smart I am!! Moona Lisa: (exasperated) Luuuuuuuuunaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! We’re gonna see how much they remember! Are ya up for it pardners? (audience response) Scene 2 Luna: Wow! They sure learned a lot! Moona Lisa: They sure did! Luna: Now let me see, you were tellin’ us about all the ice in craters at your poles…. Moona Lisa: Yeah, and because of this ice, NASA is really, really interested in me.. In fact, ya know what I heard through the “shine line”? — That’s like your grapevine — I heard that some day, around the year 2018, some humans are going to visit me! I am so excited!! But before they send people to visit me, they are going to send something called an LRO to learn more about me. At first I was havin’ kind of a hard time pronouncing LRO, but then I heard LRO stands for something — something important! You wanna lead the L-R-O cheer, for us Luna? Luna: Oh, I’d like that!! Gives me an excuse to be loud. (addressing the audience) But kids, if you help me, together we could be a LOT louder!! So, let’s go for it!! Ready…..O – KAY!! GIVE ME AN L! (pauses for audience response) Moona Lisa: “L” stands for “lunar,” which means “moon”, Luna: GIVE ME AN R! (pauses for audience response) Moona Lisa: “R” stands for “reconnaissance,” which means to gather information, Luna: GIVE ME AN O! (pauses for audience response) Moona Lisa: “O” stands for “orbiter,” which is something that goes around something. And that “something” will be me! L R O – Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter! In 2008, NASA will send the LROto orbit around me for one year… to get information about me. Woohoo! They’re gonna take pictures of me — lots of pictures. They wanna see all my different kinds of rocks — where on my surface I get the most radiation from the Sun — and they wanna find out where I’m hiding my ice! They’re even gonna take my temperatures! I have all different temperatures; from really hot to really cold! Pretty cool, huh? Luna: Why do they wanna learn so much about YOU, Moona Lisa? Moona Lisa: Because, Luna, they want to find the safest place for humans to land and to build bases — one that has lots of resources like ice for water and certain rock types for building materials - and one that will help them explore my history even more. Learning more about living and working on ME will help people plan for exploration on my good friend Mars — and other places in space! They are planning to build a lunar outpost when they send humans back to visit me in person! So that’s what I’m really charged about!! And I think it’s way cool! Luna: Why’s that? Moona Lisa: Well…..uh…..I can’t wait ‘till NASA sends the LRO and — later — some peoplebecause I really have been very, very lonely since I left Mother Earth. And when I say “lonely,” I mean _ _ _ _ _ _!!! (pause) But when my Earth friends come back to see me, I won’t be so lonely anymore! So that’s the end of my story for now — but stay tuned ‘cuz I’ll have another excitin’ chapter to add to it after that LRO comes to check me out! And now, kids, y’all are gonna’ to learn a little more about NASA’s LRO mission and you’ll build an orbiter of your own – an orbiter like the one that will help NASA learn about ME so that people can return to me to set up an outpost. (Pause … slowly and deliberately) As a matter of fact — when y’all grow up (pause), one of those people just might (pause) be (pause) Y O U !! Well, thanks for havin’ us ya’ll. Luna: Bye for now! Carpe Noctum!! Moona Lisa: That means “seize the night!!” Bye ya’ll!!
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