CIESE - Tycho Brahe's Observatory

The copyright on "Tycho Brahe medal" is held by the Museum of the History of Science, Oxford, U.K.

PROJECT OVERVIEW

The moon is a familiar phenomenon that presents a puzzle: it appears in different parts of the sky; it presents itself in different phases; the crescent hangs at different angles; sometimes it disappears entirely. Much to the surprise of many adults, it sometimes even appears in the daytime sky!

Tycho Brahe’s Observatory engages students in an empirical investigation of the moon extending over a two to three month period. No source of information quite excites learners as much as their firsthand encounter with the moon.

A recurring puzzle is whether the moon appears the same from different places. Do observers in different parts of the world see the moon at the same phase? An exchange among Alliance schools would answer questions that arise naturally in the course of the study. Participants would contribute authentically to each other’s understanding.

This project was developed by the Center for Improved Engineering and Science Education (CIESE) and Bank Street College of Education. It is co-managed by both organizations under the Alliance+ Project, a U.S. Department of Education initiative. You can learn more about this project and many other CIESE sponsored Internet-based educational activities by visiting http://www.k12science.org.