Week 6 ‘s Blog: Earth, Sun, Moon

1. What did you do in the laboratory today?

In today's laboratory, we conducted a practical activity using physical models to understand the relationship between the Earth, the Sun, and the Moon. We use a lamp to represent the sun, a small ball to represent the moon, and the earth is represented by our movement around the lamp. This device helps us intuitively understand how the Earth rotates and revolves around the Sun, as well as how the Moon orbits around the Earth, resulting in the phenomenon of equal day and night and moon. It also allowed us to explore the principles behind the formation of the four seasons.

2. What is the big problem?

    The big issue this week is

        1. How the phases of the moon occur?

        2. What causes the seasons?

        3. What causes a lunar eclipse?

3. What did you learn from Thursday's discussion?

In Thursday's discussion, we delved into how the tilt of the Earth affects seasons and why different regions of the world have varying sunshine hours throughout the year. We also discussed how lunar phases are formed and the reasons for solar and lunar eclipses.

4. Read Chapter 5 of the online textbook:

Chapter 5: Earth（ https://pressbooks.uiowa.edu/methodsii/chapter/earth/ )

1. What have you learned?

I have gained a detailed understanding of the processes behind the Earth's rotation and revolution, as well as how these movements generate patterns such as day night cycles. This chapter also explains the concept of axial tilt angle and its impact on seasonal variations.

2. What is the most helpful?

Visual charts illustrating the tilt of the Earth and its orbital trajectory are the most helpful, as they make it easier for us to understand the physical principles behind seasonal changes and the distribution of sunlight on Earth.

3. What more information do you need?

I would like to obtain more information on how the distance between the Earth and the Sun varies throughout the year, and how this distance affects the intensity of sunlight and seasonal changes.

5. Do you have any questions, concerns, and/or opinions?

I am curious about the cultural interpretations of lunar and solar phases in different societies. How do these explanations affect teaching methods for explaining celestial motion in different classrooms? How to make children who don't like science enjoy learning about this type of knowledge?