Wax On, Wane Off

My saying for distinguishing between a waxing moon and a waning moon is, "wax on, wane off." When the moon is "turning on" or on its way to a full moon, we call it waxing. When the moon is "turning off" or on its way to a new moon, we call it waning. Your students will find this catchy, and it will help them identify moon phases in the classroom and for the rest of their lives. Here is a collection of lessons and worksheets for learning and observing the moon phases.