Here you’ll find a variety of lesson plans, with one for each age group. Feel free to mix and match the activities that work best for your students. There’s also an alternative lesson plan at the end for even more flexibility.
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Pre-K Lesson Plan (Ages 3-4)
Learning Objectives
Identify the moon and the sun as objects in the sky.
Develop fine motor skills through painting and decorating.
Engage in imaginative discussion about the story.
Materials
Book and/or Read Aloud Video
Procedure (35 minutes)
(5 mins) Introduction: Gather children and ask what they see in the sky during the day (the sun) and what they see at night (the moon and stars).
(10 mins) Story Time: Watch the read-aloud video of 'When the Moon Sleeps, Do You Think He Dreams?', encouraging children to listen for what the moon does.
(5 mins) Dreamy Discussion: Ask simple, engaging questions like, 'What was your favorite part of the moon's dream?' or 'What do you dream about?'.
(15 mins) Moon & Sun Craft: Give each child two paper plates. Guide them to paint one yellow like the sun and the other grey or silver like the moon. Let them add glitter for 'stardust' before the paint dries.
Kindergarten Lesson Plan - Age 5
Learning Objectives
Identify the Earth's moon and at least two planets from the story.
Practice creative expression and fine motor skills by sculpting with clay.
Understand the basic concept of a solar system with planets.
Materials
Book and/or Read Aloud Video
Procedure (30 minutes)
(5 mins) Introduction: Start a KWL chart on the whiteboard about the moon. Ask students what they already KNOW and what they WANT to know.
(10 mins) Story Time: Watch the read-aloud video of the book, asking students to pay attention to the different planets the moon visits.
(15 mins) Planet Creation: Distribute modeling clay. Have students choose a planet from the story and sculpt it. They can then place their planet on a sheet of black construction paper ('space') and decorate the background with star stickers.
1st Grade Lesson Plan - Age 6
Learning Objectives
Recall at least one scientific fact about a planet mentioned in the book.
Write a simple, complete sentence describing an imagined dream.
Practice sequencing by recalling the moon's journey.
Materials
Book and/or Read Aloud Video
Procedure (30 minutes)
(5 mins) Warm-up: Ask students to share something they have dreamed about. Connect this to the book's title and central question.
(10 mins) Story Time: Watch the read-aloud video. Encourage active listening by asking them to remember the order of the planets the moon visits.
(15 mins) My Moon's Dream: Instruct students to draw a picture of a new adventure the moon could have. Below the drawing, they must write one or two sentences describing the dream, starting with 'In my dream, the moon...'
2nd Grade Lesson Plan - Age 7
Learning Objectives
Identify multiple rhyming word pairs from the text.
Distinguish between scientific facts and imaginative elements in the story.
Compose a short, rhyming couplet about a celestial body.
Materials
Book and/or Read Aloud Video
Procedure (35 minutes)
(10 mins) Fact vs. Imagination: Create a T-chart on the board labeled 'Science Fact' and 'Story Imagination'. After a brief discussion, have students predict what might go in each column.
(10 mins) Story Time: Watch the read-aloud video. As they watch, students should listen for details to add to the T-chart.
(10 mins) Chart It: As a class, fill in the T-chart with examples from the book (e.g., Fact: Mars is red. Imagination: The moon wears a sleeping cap). Also, identify and list rhyming pairs from the story.
(5 mins) Planet Couplets: Challenge students to write a two-line rhyming poem (a couplet) about a planet, using one of the facts discussed.
Alternative Lesson Plan - Ages 3 - 7
Learning Objectives
Engage with the story's theme through multi-sensory, hands-on play.
Practice fine motor skills like scooping, pouring, and grasping.
Explore basic space concepts (planets, stars, darkness) in a tangible way.
Promote calm and focus through a guided sensory experience.
Materials
Book and/or Read Aloud Video
Procedure (45 minutes)
(5 mins) Settle In: Create a calm environment by dimming the lights and having children find a comfortable spot.
(10 mins) Story Time: Play the read-aloud video, letting the visuals and rhyming narration set a dreamy tone.
(25 mins) Galaxy Bin Exploration: Introduce the pre-filled sensory bin. Encourage children to dig through the 'galaxy' to find the 'planets' (marbles) and 'stars'. Prompt them by asking, 'Can you find a red planet like Mars?' or 'How many stars can you collect?'.
(5 mins) Wind-Down & Share: As they finish playing, ask each child to hold up their favorite 'planet' they found and say its color.