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Description

Observe the Moon, then recreate a much tastier version with a biscuit (or two).
Mystic biscuit moons.

http://astrostyle.com/moon-phases/ - picture

Also one of the activities on scouts.org:
https://scouts.org.uk/activities/mystic-biscuit-moons/

Resources

Spoons
At least one cream filled biscuit for each person (such as an Oreo cookie, Golden Crunch Cream, or any similar alternative)
Picture of the moon phases
Paper plate or tray

Safety
All activities must be safely managed. Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. Do a risk assessment and take appropriate steps to reduce risk. Always get approval for the activity and have suitable supervision and an InTouch process.
- Food: Check for allergies before you begin and read the guidance on food safety. Make sure you have suitable areas for storing and preparing food and avoid cross contamination of different foods.

Change the level of challenge
If you’re not able to look at the Moon together, everyone should try to look at the Moon in between meetings - make sure parents and carers are aware that people will be trying to do this.

Instructions

Observe the Moon
- It’s best to observe the Moon on a clear night, when there’s little cloud to get in the way.
- The best way to observe the Moon is with a telescope or a pair of binoculars, but if you don’t have access to these you can still see a lot with the naked eye.
- Unless there’s an eclipse, it’s safe to look straight at the Moon. As you’re looking at the Moon, talk about what you can see (what shape and colour is it)? What about texture (does it look rough, smooth, or a mix of both)? Can you see anything especially interesting, like shadows across the surface or craters?

Create the Moon
1. Everyone should wash their hands.
2. Give everyone a cream filled biscuit.
3. Everyone should split their biscuit in half – the easiest way to do this is by gently twisting them apart.
4. Everyone should get rid of the half of the biscuit with the least cream filling on – they may find that eating it is the best way to do this!
5. Everyone should take the remaining half of their biscuit, and use the end of a spoon to make the cream filling look like the Moon they saw. What shape does it need to be? What about the texture?
6. Once everyone’s made and compared their biscuit Moons, they can eat them.
7. If you have enough biscuits, you could repeat the activity in pairs. Everyone should choose a phase of the Moon, then make their biscuit look like that phase. Then, everyone should name the phase their partner has created, before eating their second Moon.


Moon Science
- Did you know that of the 12 men who have walked on the Moon, 11 were Scouts?

What is the Moon?
- The Moon is thought to be 4.5 billion years old.
- Most scientists think that the Moon was created when a big object collided with Earth. The collision caused chunks of Earth to be thrown out into space. Over time, the chunks of Earth joined together to form the Moon.
- Unlike the Sun, the Moon doesn’t create any light. Moonlight is just sunlight reflecting on the Moon’s surface.
- Usually the Moon is a greyish-white, but it can change colour. Red Moons are caused by a lunar eclipse (when the Earth moves between the Sun and the Moon, so the sunlight to the Moon). Dust, pollution, or volcanic ash can cause the Moon to appear orange or even blue.
- The Moon controls the tides – the waves in the sea these are caused by the Moon.

What does it look like?
- The surface of the Moon is rough and uneven. It’s covered in craters, lava plains, mountains, and pits, caused by rocks hitting its surface over many years.
- You might be able to see large dark patches on the Moon’s surface. Sometimes these are called the ‘seas of the Moon’. They aren’t full of water, though – they’re actually large pools of frozen lava.

What are the phases of the Moon?
The Moon is always changing; but don't worry, it's just a phase it's going through. As the Moon orbits the Earth, we see a different amount of the Moon reflecting the Sun’s light. This means the Moon looks like it’s changing shapes, even though it’s always a ball shape. The different stages are called phases.

It takes 29.5 days for the moon to go through the eight key stages and complete a lunar cycle. The terms used to describe different phases of the Moon include:

- Waxing (when the Moon appears to be growing in size)
- Waning (when the Moon appears to be shrinking)
- Gibbous (when more than half of the Moon is illuminated)


Reflection
- This activity helped you to value the outdoors. Did you enjoy being outside at night to observe the Moon? How was it different to being outside in the daytime? Where did you go to look at the night sky? Was there lots of light pollution? Could you see anything else in the sky, apart from the moon? Would you like to look at the night sky again?
- This activity may also have been a chance for you to try new things. Had you ever looked at the night sky before? How did you feel before you went outside to look? Did you expect to enjoy it? What was it like when you gave it a go? Was it what you expected? Would you like to try it again, maybe in a different place?"

Tags

• biscuit
• moon
• Moon phases
• Mystic
• Mystic biscuit moons
• space badge

Badge Links

• Astronomer - Moon
• Space - Identify