On Your Own
Common Misconceptions about Moon Phases:
The Moon can only be seen at night
The Moon’s phases are caused by the Earth's shadow
The Moon’s phases are caused by clouds
The Moon’s phases are caused by Earth's rotation on its axis
The Moon’s phases are caused by the Moon's rotation on its axis
Common Misconceptions about the Moon and the Moon and Earth:
The Moon makes its own light, instead of reflecting sunlight.
The Moon is fairly close to the Earth -- a couple of Earth-diameters away.
The Moon takes one day to orbit the Earth.
The Moon orbits the Sun instead of the Earth.
The Moon does not rotate.
The same half of the Moon is in darkness all the time.
The Moon has no gravity; things float “up” when dropped on the Moon.
The Moon has clouds or an atmosphere.
Education Research
Learning about Phases of the Moon and Eclipses: A Guide for Teachers and Curriculum Developers: Kavanagh, C., Agan, L., and Sneider, C., 2005, The Astronomy Education Review, Volume 4, p. 19–52.
Misconceptions about Moon phases and eclipses are widespread and resistant to change, even among adults. Research has found approaches based on a constructivist view of learning to be very effective with students in grades five and above. While much research needs to be done, the studies reported here offer ideas for how teachers and curriculum developers can help students achieve the goals outlined in the National Science Education Standards.
A Private Universe is a powerful collection of video clips of students' astronomical ideas (seasons and moon phases) and how they change (or don’t) with classroom instruction. The studies reported here offer ideas for how teachers and curriculum developers can help students achieve the goals outlined in the National Science Education Standards.
Designed for classroom teachers, “Private Universe Project Teachers'Lab,” begins with a 5-question conceptual assessment survey of the visitor's ideas about lunar phases and seasons. The information is presented with a discussion of typical responses. Classroom activities are presented and a forum is available for educators to share their questions, ideas, and experiences.
Science Content:
For Starters: The Moon: Gateway to the Solar System explores the Moon’s formation, geology, and lunar environment.
PowerPoint Tutorials: Coming Soon!
Online
Use resources from the NASA/NSTA Web seminars, Mapping the Moon: Simulating LOLA in the Classroom, held this spring. The Web seminars focused on the topics of lunar exploration, mapping, remote sensing, and the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter mission and were designed for educators of grades 4-12. PowerPoint presentations and answers to the participants frequently asked questions are available on the website.
Request a professional development workshop through NASA’s Digital Learning Network on Living and Working in Space: NASA's Return to the Moon. NASA experts and education specialists host an overview of several NASA Education resources while demonstrating specific classroom activities. The distance to the moon, rocketry, space debris, space stations, and other topics related to living and working in space are covered during this event.
Short (one day or less)
Bring lunar samples into your educational setting! NASA offers training workshops to formal and informal educators so that they can borrow lunar sample sets to share with children and the public. Certification workshops explore information about the Moon, lunar samples, and securing the samples. Contact the Office of Education at the closest center for information about certification and borrowing samples.
Medium (2 to 6 days)
Educators of grades 6-12 are invited to attend workshops focused on lunar science, exploration, and how our understanding of the Moon is evolving with the new data from current and recent lunar missions. http://lunar.gsfc.nasa.gov/lwe/index.html
Long (one week or more)
Through Spaceward Bound, students and teachers participate in exploration of scientifically interesting, remote and extreme environments on Earth as analogs for human exploration of the Moon and Mars.
Across the five day experience, Space Academy incorporates over 45 hours of activities, speakers, and experiences that are designed to be taken back and implemented in the classroom. Attendees participate in astronaut training simulators, two simulated space shuttle missions and Aviation Challenge water activities. Graduate credit available.
The Ames Education Associates Program is a unique experiential learning program that provides students or faculty members at U.S. colleges or universities, postdoctoral fellows and active K-12 teachers the opportunity to "experience NASA." Educational Associates participate in and contribute to a project at a NASA facility for a minimum of two months, and a maximum of 12. The program operates year round and positions may start and end at any time.