Reflective Practice

A Private Universe: Misconceptions that Block Learning
Science Misconceptions

(Take into account that the four seasons are taught in every standard curriculum)
1. What is the reason for the seasons?
What I thought:
As the Earth orbits the sun, the distance from the sun to the Earth varies as it takes its elliptical orbit. Within the varied distances, the temperature changes, thus creating the seasons.
What is correct:
Distance has basically nothing to do with it. The Earth's orbit is nearly circular. Earth's tilt is the reason for the seasons. During the year, the seasons change depending on how much sunlight reaches the Earth.




2. Why do we have different phases of the moon?
What I thought:
The moon orbits the Earth. As it orbits the Earth, the Sun's rays illuminate the moon. Depending on where the moon is in orbit, people on Earth can see different illuminated parts of the moon, resulting in different phases.



This is a great video talking about the moon's phases!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXseTWTZlks

M&M and Earth Observation

Today in class we discussed "implementing scientific inquiry into solving earth science problems". We talked about the layers of planet Earth; the core, mantel, and the crust. We were given M&M's to bite in half and observe. The layers of the M&M directly correlate to the layers of the Earth! The M&M's colored sugar coating represents the crust of the Earth, the chocolate represents the mantle, and the peanut represents the core. Below is the diagram I drew: