Earth's Movement/Moon Phases

Holden and Mateo are modeling Earth, the Sun, and their relative motions. A basketball is used to represent the Sun, and a tennis ball is used to represent Earth.

What should the boys do to best show what makes the Sun appear to move through the sky?

• Rotate the basketball on its axis

• Move the basketball closer and farther from the tennis ball

• Rotate the tennis ball on its axis

• Move the basketball in a circle around the tennis ball

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

Here on Earth we have day and night. When one part of Earth has day, the other part has night. Which of the following best explains what makes night on part of our planet?

• Clouds cover the Sun on that part of Earth.

• That part of Earth is pointed away from the Sun.

• The shadow of the Moon falls on that part of Earth.

• Stars block the Sun for that part of Earth.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

Becky likes to go outside in her backyard at night and gaze at the stars. She notices that the stars appear to move across the sky during the night. What is the reason the stars in the night sky appear to move across the sky each night?

• Earth’s orbit

• Earth’s seasons

• Earth’s revolution

• Earth’s rotation

The Sun appears to rise in the east and set in the west. What change would cause the Sun to appear to rise in the west and set in the east?

• Earth rotating twice as fast

• Earth rotating in the opposite direction

• Earth moving around the Sun in the opposite direction

• Earth moving closer to the Sun

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

The illustration here shows what the moon looked like on three different days in June:

Which of these pictures best shows what the moon will look like on June 22?

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Jessica looks at the moon after dinner on a Monday. The picture here shows what the moon looked like:

Which of these best shows what the moon will look like after dinner on Friday of that week?

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A full moon was seen on January 5. What is the most reasonable prediction for the date of the next full moon?

• January 19

• January 28

• February 3

• February 14

Over about a month, how does the appearance of the moon change?

• We can see more or less of the lighted part.

• It moves in small circles in the sky.

• It shrinks until it becomes a small point of light.

• The color changes from red, to blue, and back.