Lunar Eclipse: Fact and Myth consists of three major parts: 1) a description of the physical occurrence of an eclipse, 2) a method of computing the time a specific eclipse will occur, and 3) a survey of various folklore interpretations of the moon and of a lunar eclipse. The intention of the unit is to introduce students to a scientific application of mathematics and to use familiar math skills to solve an unfamiliar problem. The unit was written for a middle school class as a final project. Necessary skills include: proportions, operations with decimals, geometric constructions, chart reading, graphing, and interpolation.
(Recommended for 8th through 10th grade Mathematics.)
Astronomy Lunar Eclipses Mathematics