Here's how it works:
1. Students will carefully twist each Oreo cookie so that the two halves come apart, leaving one side with all the cream, and the other side with none. We recommend having extra Oreo cookies on hand in case the cream ends up on both halves or the cookie cracks.
2. The students will draw the Earth in the middle of the white piece of paper.
3. Next, the students will arrange the Oreo halves in a circle around the Earth. Seven halves should be the ones with the cream on them and one half should have no cream at all.
4. Using a moon phases reference chart (such as the Moon Phases Guide from the Super Teacher Worksheets website) the students will make their Oreo moon phases by scraping off the cream of each Oreo half to resemble each moon phase. They can do this with either a plastic knife or plastic spoon, whichever you prefer them to use. (Make sure they work in a circular pattern, so that the moon phases are in order according to the reference chart, as seen in our picture.)
5. When the students have finished scraping the cream to make each moon phase and making sure the moon phases are in the same order as their reference chart, you can have a brief discussion about the cause and significance of the moon phases.
6. Lastly, students can eat their Oreo snack. We're pretty sure this step will be their favorite part!
This is such a simple activity, and it's so easy to incorporate into a solar system lesson. Students will have a greater understanding of the moon phases after they visualize them with this fun project. Be sure to check out the other great solar system resources on the Super Teacher Worksheets Solar System page!Did you like this moon phases activity? Have you tried it with your class? Please share your feedback with us in the comments section below, and don't forget to tag Super Teacher Worksheets in your social media posts about this activity!
