Extraordinary explanations!

This term we have been learning how to write an explanation. A good explanation needs a few things to make it good: A title, an introductory sentence, a few paragraphs or ideas about the topic, and a summary. We also know we need to include topic-specific words and still try to make it interesting for the reader.

Here are a few examples of our writing this term:

Phases of the moon

Do you ever wonder how the moon changes its shape? Well here is some information. The moon orbits the Earth and changes through eight phases.

The first phase of the moon is called the new moon. A new moon is when nobody can see the moon because it is in the middle of the Earth and the sun. This means the sun is making a shadow on Earth. It also means that the moon is blocking the sun at daytime in different places, that is called an eclipse.

The next phase of the moon is called a crescent moon. A crescent moon looks like a banana, a skinny bright yellow banana.
As the moon orbits the Earth the moon changes into a half or quarter moon. A half moon looks like a half sphere.

After the half moon there is a waxing gibbous, waxing means getting bigger and bigger, a gibbous moon is when people can see a moon bigger than half.

The next phase is called a full moon. A full moon is the furthest away from the sun. A full moon is when people on Earth can see a big bright ball.

Now the moon is a waning gibbous, waning means getting smaller and smaller.

After the waning gibbous is a waning half or quarter moon. The waning half or quarter moon is getting smaller and smaller.

Then it is the waning crescent. The waning crescent may look like the waxing crescent but the waning crescent is facing the left side and the waxing crescent is facing the right side. The moon changes its shape every week.

That’s all the eight moons, all eight of the phases have an effect on Earth, making high and low tides. The moon makes the tides from its gravity.

Azim


Phases of the moon

The moon has eight phases which effect the Earth.

When people on Earth can’t see the moon, the moon is called a new moon. A new moon is when a bright side of the moon has the sun and people on Earth can see the dark side because that side of the moon isn’t facing the sun. The dark side of the moon is facing the Earth.

The phases of the moon effect the tide; when it pulls it in and drags it out.

The moon changes its phases each week, which is seven days.
The phases go in order and this is how they go. First the phases start off with a new moon which people all around the world can’t see.

The next phase is a waxing crescent and waxing means getting bigger and bigger. After the waxing crescent it’s a quarter moon, also known as a half moon.

After a half moon it’s a waxing gibbous (gibbous means that it’s bigger than half). Then it is a full moon. Then it comes to a waning gibbous and waning means getting smaller.
So after the gibbous it’s another crescent getting smaller, then it’s the third quarter of the moon. After that it’s back to a full moon.

The moon is very special to people on Earth.

Kayla


How day and night happens

Have you ever wondered how night and day happens? Well here’s some reasons how. Earth orbits the sun as a circle but on its axis to turn. It takes 365 days for a whole year, or 12 months. Axis means an imaginary diagonal line.

One side of the Earth gets day because it is facing the sun, and the other side is facing away. The sun doesn’t move anywhere. Earth rotates from west to east.

It goes from sunrise, to noon, to sunset. It takes 24hours for a whole day. That is how day and night happens.

Adrian


How day and night happens

Have you ever wanted to know how day and night happens? Well here’s how.

Earth rotates around on its axis while it orbits the sun, and the moon orbits Earth. Earth takes 24 hours to rotate once. Earth always rotates on its axis. Its axis is going diagonal. It takes a year for Earth to orbit the sun. A year can be 365 days or 12 months.

It feels like the sun orbits around Earth but the sun stays in one spot. Earth orbits the sun while rotating at a slow speed so humans and animals can’t feel it. Because the sun stays in one spot and Earth moves on its axis only half of the Earth gets sun at a time, that’s why Earth has night.

Every country has sunrise, noon, and sunset. For example, New Zealand has sunrise, that means we are on the west. Then Earth rotates a little more then New Zealand has noon. Then Earth moves a little more and New Zealand has sunset.

Acacia


Why the sun is important

The sun is important because it’s the main light. The sun is fun to play in. If Earth doesn’t have sun people won’t have much power. The sun keeps us warm. If there was no heat in the world people would be cold and the Earth will be frozen and it won’t move.

Some plants have vegetables on their branches and if the plants that have vegetables on them die we will have no food on the Earth.

Skye


Why the sun is important

The sun is a valuable circle of light and it helps humans to get energy. If everyone didn’t have the sun the world wouldn’t have any trees, fruit, vegetables, and oxygen. Without the sun Earth would just shoot off into space. Everyone needs vitamin D because everyone would be dry and sick without the sun. Without the sun Earth would be frozen like Pluto because the sun keeps us warm. The sun makes us happy. That’s why the sun is amazing.

Nathan