The Lunar Phases Project: A Mental Model-Based Observational Project for Undergraduate Nonscience Majors

Abstract

We present our Lunar Phases Project, an ongoing effort utilizing students’ actual observations within a mental model building framework to improve student understanding of the causes and process of the lunar phases. We implement this project with a sample of undergraduate, nonscience major students enrolled in a midsized public university located in the southeast part of the United States. To quantitatively assess our activity, we use the Lunar Phases Concept Inventory, a research-validated assessment instrument. We observe significant gains in student understanding of the lunar phases for students who complete the Lunar Phases Project.