Implementation

In a fourth grade classroom, this assignment would be better if reduced.  Maybe, each child could be responsible for observing the moon for a specific night.  The teacher could communicate with parents through email or notes to notify them of their child's assigned day.  (The teacher should always have done the observation themselves just in case that student doesn't observe.)  If the child will not be awake during the key observation time, maybe the parent could snap a quick picture. Alternatively, the teacher could do the observations and bring in photos for the class to add to a blog together.  Whether you choose the former or the latter, a class discussion built around the photos and observations would help the students understand what they were looking at.