Journal -- Instructions
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Materials: drawing paper and pencil, directional compass,
- Choose a location
convenient to your home or work with as clear a view as possible of
the southern sky. (Use a compass to locate south. If you do not have
a compass, call the direction of the setting Sun west, and then approximate
south.) When facing south, you should be able to look east (to your
left) and west (to your right) without any major obstacles blocking
- You should
make all of your Moon observations from the same location. To help
you find this location each time you make an observation, identify
the location by pushing a stick or stone into the ground or by making
a scratch or chalk mark on a paved surface.
- Make an Observation
Sheet. On a plain sheet of paper, draw the horizon you see while
standing in your location and looking south. Place south in the center
of your drawing, and include anything that falls into your field of
view (buildings, trees, hills, etc.) These landmarks will provide
you with reference points when you draw the Moon's position.
- Choose a specific
time to make your observations and make all your Moon observations
within the same 30-minute period every evening. (If you're not sure
when to make your observations, refer to an almanac to find the time
of moonrise and moonset. You also may be able to find this information
on a calendar. Moon observations can be started any time during the
sequence of the Moon's phases.) If you cannot observe every evening,
we recommend that you observe at least four times per week.
- For each observation,
draw the Moon on your Observation Sheet, recording both its position
in the sky as well as its apparent shape. Write the date next to each
drawing of the Moon.
- After you have
observed the Moon, make an entry in a notebook, or Moon Journal.
Record the date, time, apparent shape of the Moon, and anything interesting
or unusual you observe about the Moon or the sky. You should also
take some time to write a few reflections, such as what you saw, what
you think about what you saw, what questions you have, what you've
learned. We will suggest some Moon Journal questions in each workshop,
but you should not feel obliged to answer the questions we provide.
Write about what moves you, and remember to consider your own learning
- Bring your
Observation Sheet and Moon Journal with you to each workshop and discuss
your findings with your colleagues, when time allows. Also, record
your new ideas and questions on the Moon Chart at each workshop.