ScienceWear’s Lunar Cycle project gives students a creative way to demonstrate their understanding of Moon phases by designing a T-shirt or apron that illustrates the lunar cycle. Each shirt or apron comes pre-screened with the lunar layout. Students use fabric markers and glow-in-the-dark paint to complete their design.
Teacher Downloads
Everything you need to manage and implement Lunar Cycle in your classroom.
Lunar Cycle Plan Sheet
Student assessment and planning sheet for labeling and drawing moon phases.
Download PDFLunar Cycle Clipart
Sun and space-themed clipart for students to trace and decorate their project.
Download PDFSongs and Drama: Earth, Sun & Moon
Classroom songs and drama activities to support the Earth, Sun, and Moon unit.
Download PDFSong Phrases for Phases
Memory phrases set to song to help students remember the lunar phases in order.
Download PDFHow to Launch Lunar Cycle in Your Classroom
This short walkthrough video gives an overview of how to prep materials, introduce the project to students, and guide them through completion. Great for first-time users or quick refreshers!
Lunar Cycle in Your Classroom
Teacher Directions
You will generate excitement if you create and wear your own Lunar Cycle shirt or apron when you introduce your unit on the Earth, sun, and moon. Let students know they will have the opportunity to create their own wearable project at the end of the unit — think of yours as a “wearable anchor chart” and refer to it as you teach.
Planning and Preparation
Decide beforehand whether this will be a shirt or apron project. Teach your unit, then distribute the plan sheet once students have grasped the sequence of events in the lunar cycle.
Assessment and Planning Sheet
The plan sheet is a paper copy of the pre-screened design on the shirts and aprons. Students complete it as their assessment — labeling and drawing the phases of the moon in pencil, then coloring with crayons or map pencils to plan their color choices for the actual project.
Collect and assess for completeness, accurate drawing, labeling, and spelling. Return the checked plan sheets so students can use them as a reference on the final project. This is the time to reteach any errors before they appear on the garment.
Part I: Creating the Lunar Cycle Shirt or Apron
This project can be completed in two to three 45-minute class periods.
Supplies
- Completed student plan sheet
- ScienceWear Lunar Cycle apron or T-shirt
- Extra-fine or fine black Sharpie marker (1 per student)
- Butcher paper, poster board, or foam board (1 per student)
- Jumbo paper clips or bulldog clips (4 per student)
- Fabric markers (1 set per group)
- Optional: sun and space clipart
Step 1: Prepare the Garment
Return checked plan sheets to students for reference. Distribute garments and have students write their full name with a Sharpie in a designated area (inside bottom seam for shirts; lower corner for aprons).
Place a folded sheet of butcher paper or poster board under the fabric to prevent bleed-through and secure with clips. For T-shirts, insert a half-sheet of foam board inside the shirt, smooth the fabric taut, and clip securely. Dollar Tree foam boards cut in half work great and can be reused!
Step 2: Label and Color
With their plan sheet nearby, students label each phase starting with the new moon under the sunlight and continuing counter-clockwise around Earth. Use black or dark fabric marker for non-visible moon portions. Leave visible portions white (to be painted in the Optional Enrichment section below). Color the stars, Earth, sun, and lettering with fabric markers.
Optional: Provide sun and space-themed clipart for students to trace and decorate their project.
Step 3: Heat Set the Marker
Method 1 (recommended): Set iron to cotton. Cover the ironing board with newspaper and white paper. Iron the reverse side in a back-and-forth motion for 4 minutes. Students in grades 5–8 can do their own heat setting as part of science safety skills — 3–4 ironing stations work well in a classroom.
Method 2: Place the project in a dryer on the hottest setting for 30 minutes.
If you are not using glow-in-the-dark paint, leave the moon phases white and the project is complete after heat setting.
Optional Enrichment: Glow & Glitter Effects
Highly recommended! No additional heat-setting is needed after painting.
Supplies
- Completed lunar cycle project
- Paper/board setup from Part I
- Clips from Part I
- Cotton swabs (1 per student)
- 1 oz. condiment cup or foil square for paint (1 per student)
- Glow-in-the-dark fabric paint
- Iridescent or diamond glitter paint
Have students set up their work area as in Part I. Give each student a cotton swab and a small amount of glow paint. Students dab paint onto each visible moon phase — it doesn’t need to be perfectly smooth, just like the Moon’s surface! Then provide iridescent glitter paint for students to highlight stars, the sun, or other features they colored.
Teacher Tips for Paint
- Control glitter paint to avoid waste — provide a small amount at a time in foil or cups, and dry cups fully before reuse.
- Plan ahead for drying space — do not stack projects while paint is wet!
Washing and Care
Color may bleed during the first wash. Wash the garment separately in cold water and machine dry promptly as soon as the wash cycle completes.
Making the Project Accessible
ScienceWear projects have been successfully used in schools serving students from a wide range of economic backgrounds. Plan ahead for the markers, backing materials, clips, and optional paint listed above. Sharing classroom supplies can help keep the activity manageable. Students also get to keep and wear their finished project, which can help make the activity feel especially meaningful.
Completed Project Examples
Explore completed Lunar Cycle projects for inspiration. Select an example to view its completed-project product page.
Ready to Order?
Bring the Lunar Cycle project to your classroom with ScienceWear pre-printed T-shirts and aprons.