This is only a partial list, but it helps to illustrate some of the common misconceptions about
lunar phases that children bring to their science classrooms. Most of the researchers referenced in this
paper have identified that “the most commonly held notion for the causes of lunar phases is that the
earth casts a shadow on the moon.” (Stahly, Krockover, & Shepardson, 1999, p.160). This is also
referred to as “the eclipse explanation,” (1999 p. 160).