I tapped my pencil on my desk and stared at the moon module hanging from the ceiling in my science classroom. We were supposed to be working on our moon phase worksheet, but I did not understand it. What could I do? I wanted to know! I wanted to understand. I was so curious!

"Dingggg," the bell rings. School is dismissed and I go home. I cannot get all of my questions about space out of my head. I get into my bed and it starts to rapidly shake. My bed turned into a spaceship right before my eyes! 

My spaceship bed began to take off! My house grew smaller and smaller as I flew higher and higher into the sky.

"Where is this thing taking me?" I wondered. I have never had my bed turn into a spaceship before! 

I'm curious as to where I'm being taken, but no matter where I'm going, I am sure that it will be an adventure. 

Before I know it, I'm in space! 

Space! 

What kid can say that they have been to space? 

This must be a dream! There is just no way that this is actually happening!

I looked out the window in awe of all that surrounded me. 

I noticed that the moon was growing closer to me. It even looked like the moon was smiling at me!

"Hello Kasy! My name is Marie the Moon. It's nice to meet you!" 

"I know that you have been curious about my moon phases, and I am so excited to share everything that I know!", said Marie the Moon. 

I jumped up and down, clapping my hands. "Yes! I can't wait to learn!"

"Let's start learning, then!" exclaimed Marie the Moon. "I have many moon phases, but we are going to look at them one at a time. I even know how to describe them using mathematics that you already know!"

"One of my moon phases is called a crescent moon. From Earth, I look like a narrow arc in the sky. However, I am still one large sphere in the sky!", said Marie the Moon. 

"Think about it this way. When you are in your math class, you might see a fraction , or a part of a whole. My crescent moon is a fraction like 1/4!" 

"Oh!", I exclaimed. "So the crescent moon phases is like an arc, equivalent to 1/4!" 

"Exactly!" Marie the moon answered. "Think about the 'C' in crescent. It looks like an arc!"

I nodded my head as my thoughts churned inside my mind.  I raised my hand in the air, curving my hand to form a 'c'. 

"Crescent with an arc like a 'c'. Looks like 1/4 to me!" I sang aloud.

Marie the Moon bounced side to side joyfully. "You are so smart, Kasy!"

I beamed at her words. I knew there was a lot more to learn, but I was ready. I gave my full attention to Marie the Moon. 

"In one of my phases, the right half of my side is the only thing you can see of me from Earth! It  is called first quarter", stated Marie the Moon. 

"First quarter", I repeated. I was still very confused.

"Let's think a little more." Marie the Moon suggested. "If I am only half of me, I'm half of a whole." 

"Wait a minute!" I exclaimed. "If you are half of a whole, you are the same as 1/2 in my math class. So, in your first quarter, I can see 1/2!"

Marie the Moon smiled. "You are correct!" she exclaimed.

I clapped my hands and sang, "First quarter of our moon only shows one over two!" 

"Haw, haw, haw!" laughed Marie the Moon. "I love the way you are thinking! Now, Kasy, I am going to tell you about another phase, but I want you think about what it will look like. Can you do that?" 

I nodded my head. I knew I was learning, and I could do this. I was not scared of mistakes. I knew this would make my mind grow with knowledge. 

"When I am full, you can see all of me. I look like a large gray circle in the sky" Marie the Moon stated. "This is when I am a full moon.

I looked down at my hands, thinking really hard. All of a sudden, the idea came to me!

"I know! You are not a part of a whole, but a whole itself! If I put my finger tips together, I can see a circle. You are the circle!" 

I put my fingertips together and moved my arms around in a circle.

"Full moon makes a whole as can be, a full circle is what I see!" I sang aloud. 

Marie the Moon had a smile so big, it almost covered her face! 

"My next moon phase is the gibbous moon. I am a gibbous moon when you can see over half, but not all of me.", Marie the Moon said. 

"If I was a fraction I would be 3/4!", Marie the Moon explained. 

"If 3/4 is what you see, a gibbous moon that I will be!" I sang in excitement.