Week 1: Private Universe

 Let's start by assessing my general understanding of our solar system. 

• How do the phases of the moon occur?
• As the moon orbits around the earth the sun will always light up half of the moon, the half that is facing the sun. The phases occur because when the moon orbits around the earth we see the shadow side of the moon. For example if we had a new moon the moon is located between the earth and the sun, so us on earth only see the moon's shadow. On the other hand a full moon is when the earth is between the moon and the sun allowing for us on earth to see the fully lit side of the moon. 
• What causes the seasons?
• This is simple, the tilt of the earth's axis. The earth's axis is not straight up and down it has a slight tilt of around 20 degrees. Due to the tilt in the winter the sun's rays hit the earth at an angle producing indirect light, where as in the summer the sun's rays hit the earth directly. This tilt also results in the sun in the sky for longer periods in the summer versus in the winter, and why at the north and south poles you see sun 24/7 in the summer but not at all in the winter. It also provides an explication why in January the northern hemisphere is experiencing winter, while in the southern hemisphere they see summer.
• What causes a lunar eclipse?
• The moon's orbit is not directly in line with the earth and the sun, however where there would normally be a full moon and the sun, earth and moon are aligned it results in a lunar eclipse. This is because the moon falls in the shadow produced by the earth making it so no sunlight reaches the moon. 

I think I got that right! Please correct me if I am wrong in the comments. I would rather learn from my mistakes than assume I understand. 

As for the video "Private Universe" it illuminates the significance of prior knowledge in learning. Student's come in the classroom with some notion of how different things in their world works. It is important that teachers take the time to assess what student's initially know to allow them to find out what they need to get across to their students.  This lesson demonstrated the role our preconceived notions play in our understanding of how our solar system works.