The Phases of the Moon in a Box

thingiverse

Simply turn the cap at the top to view all the phases of the moon. Inspired by gears and astronomy, our object is composed of four parts: the base at the bottom, a rotating disk in the middle, a lid on top and a cap to rotate the middle part. We wanted to make students actively interact with an educative tool that will not only teach them through visual and tactile learning, but also make them think about the mechanism behind it. With this idea in mind, we thought of this simple gear mechanism that rotates around a center and eventually, the idea of the phases of the moon came to our mind. Since the phases of the moon could also be used to explain many natural phenomenon such as tides, lunar eclipses, etc. Print Settings Printer Brand: MakerBot Printer: MakerBot Replicator 2 Rafts: No Supports: No Infill: 20% How I Designed This At the bottom we have two moons: the one that can be seen, and its dark face, used solely for supporting the rotating disk above. The pole in the center of the bottom part is supports all other pieces. The rotating disk rest on the two moons, goes through the pole and also extends it with a “+” shape to which a cap can be attached. In between the disk and the cap is the lid, which has six rods inserted in the six holes of the bottom piece. The cap also has an opening so we can see the moon along with a little marking indicating where to stop turning. Project: The phases of the moon in a box Objectives: This box depicts the eight main phases of the moon, which the user can view each phase my simply rotating the disk. Making students actively interact with this educative tool will not only teach students the different phases through visual and tactile learning, but also make them think the mechanism behind it. Audiences: Middle school students in science class. Preparation: The students should have a basic understanding of the phases of the moon and what it is. Steps: Let the students play with the project and identify the phases. Take it apart with them and see how it works. Results: The students should gain more interest into astronomy and science through this hands-on project. Ask them to identify which phase of the moon they see the next evening.