A Study on the Relationship of the Understanding between "Waxing and Waning of the Moon," and between "Shadow and Shade" in the Fourth Grade Science Class

Abstract

There were almost no related researches on “How Shadow is made” which has been considered important to understand “Waxing and Waning of the Moon,” as far. Also there has been very few researches dealing with “the differences between Shadow and Shade.” So we made a questionnaire-type research about the understandings of the basic celestial movement to clarify the relationship of the understandings between waxing and waning of the moon, and "shadow and shade" in the fourth graders. The results are the four findings below; (1) There are almost no students who understand the distinction between a shadow which is a shade cast by a body blocking light rays, and a shade which is a partial darkness caused by cutting off light. (2) There are less than half of the students who have a recognition that “the moon is shining by the reflected light of the sun.” (3) Most children, who have a good understanding of “light and shade,” have a recognition that the moon shines by the reflected light of the sun and has the hemispherical reflecting surface. (4) There is a strong relationship between students understanding of shadow and shade, and the waxing and waning of the moon. Many students who recognize the hemispherical shadow on the moon especially have the tendency to recognize the true waxing and waning of the moon.