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Book Chapter |
Every 29.5 days, the Moon’s shape appears to change in a predictable cycle. We call the shapes phases of the Moon. This activity will show how the Moon’s orbit causes the Moon’s phases. Students use Ping-Pong or…
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Book Chapter |
The cause for the changing appearance of the Moon—its phases—is a difficult concept for many people to learn, and this gives rise to some surprisingly stubborn preconceptions. The phases are caused by the fact that we…
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Book Chapter |
From the time they are very young, children are naturally curious about the Moon. They may wonder about the different shapes of the Moon when they look up at the night sky. In this chapter's primary lesson, students…
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Book Chapter |
The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ understanding of the Earth- Sun-Moon system well enough to explain the causes of Moon phases and solar eclipses and how these two phenomena are related.
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Book Chapter |
In this lab investigation, students are introduced to the disciplinary core ideas of (a) The Universe and Its Stars and (b) Earth and the Solar System as they develop a model that explains the underlying cause of the…
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Visual Literacy in Earth Science: Phases of the Moon
Book Chapter |
Chapters 6, 7, and 8 are practice chapters. Each chapter provides the appropriate content standards for grades K-4 and 5-8 and several partial lessons and each follows the same format but addresses a different content…
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The Sun, the Moon, and the Earth Together: Phases, Eclipses, and More
Book Chapter |
This chapter adds a third cycle of importance in astronomy (and human culture): the revolution of the Moon around the Earth. The chapter starts with a simple challenge for the students: putting a series of lunar…
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Journal Article |
Using discrepant events to confront misconceptions
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Scope on the Skies: Moon phases
Journal Article |
When teaching Moon phases, the focus seems to be on the sequence of Moon phases and, in some grade levels, how Moon phases occur. Either focus can sometimes be a challenge, especially without the use of models and…
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The Moon’s Phases and the Self Shadow
Journal Article |
In this article, the authors present a new way of teaching the phases of the Moon. Through the introduction of a self shadow (an idea of a shadow that is not well-known), they illuminate students’ understanding of the…
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Bringing Moon Phases Down to Earth
Journal Article |
Teaching astronomy concepts to elementary students does not have to be complicated or require expensive materials. As a teacher resource agent for the American Astronomical Society and through involvement with other…
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