Students come to science classrooms with many misconceptions about how the natural world works.
This paper addresses a common misconception in astronomy, the cause of the apparent phases of the
moon. Although there are many misconceptions regarding this phenomenon, the research referenced in
this paper focuses on the idea that the earth’s shadow moving across the face of the moon causes the
apparent phases. Possible sources regarding the origins of this misconception are addressed. The paper
also explores some suggested teaching strategies that will help students identify their misconceptions
about lunar phases and find acceptable alternative explanations.