The Power of Computer Simulation for Learning
We have all seen the moon and its phases many many times. Now imagine trying to figure out answers to questions like: What time does a full moon rise/set: mental imagery might just work here. On your way to work two hours after sunrise, you find the moon rising: what phase is the moon in? Gets a little harder. Next, if the moon is rising during sunset, where will it rise a week later!!!
This beautifully done simulation allows you to answer these what-ifs with surprising ease. Just drag the moon around and use a little imagination. No amount of drawing on the blackboard can convey so much so fast.
Imagine also bringing in the fact that the moon’s plane of revolution around the earth and the earth’s plane of revolution around the sun are at a slight inclination to each other and so we don’t get an eclipse every month..