Earth and Moon

A student is creating a model of the Earth and the Sun to explain why the length of day and night change throughout the year. What would be the most important feature to add to the model and why?

• The Earth should make a perfect circle around the Sun so the Sun’s light hits all surfaces equally.

• The Earth should make an elliptical orbit around the Sun so that the Sun is at different distances throughout the year.

• The Earth should be tilted on its axis as it goes around the Sun so that the amount of light hitting the Earth varies depending on the tilt.

• The Earth should be placed upright on its axis as it goes around the Sun so that it shows the Earth slowing its rotation.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

The model below shows the Earth in one of its positions as it moves around the Sun.

Which explanation is supported by this model?

• The Earth has the same exact hours of day and night. It is summer.

• The Southern Hemisphere has shorter days and longer nights. It is winter.

• The Southern Hemisphere has longer days and shorter nights. It is summer.

• The Northern Hemisphere has longer days and shorter nights. It is winter.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

A student creates a model of the Earth and Sun to show how night and day change throughout the year. The student takes a globe and a large yellow ball. The student picks up the globe and walks around the large yellow ball while spinning to show night and day. What should the student also include in their model demonstration?

• The student needs to also show how the Earth tilts to explain that night is when the Earth is tilted away from the Sun and day is when the Earth is tilted towards the Sun.

• The student needs to also show how the Earth tilts to explain different lengths of sunlight and darkness the Earth will receive.

• The student will spin fast one day and slow the next day to show how different days have different lengths of sunshine.

• The student will spin faster at the east side of the Sun to show more sunlight when the Earth spins faster.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

Why don’t all parts of the Earth have day and night at the same time?

• Earth revolves around the Sun on an axis, and it is day only.

• The Sun revolves around Earth, and it can only shine on half of Earth at one time.

• Earth rotates on its axis, and only the part of Earth facing the Sun experiences day.

• The moon revolves around Earth, and blocks the Sun from certain parts of Earth at different times.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

Which of the following conclusions can be drawn from the model?

• Mexico would not receive any daylight on the day this model shows.

• The Equator would not receive any daylight on the day this model shows

• The Arctic Circle would not receive any daylight on the day this model shows

• The Antarctic Circle would not receive any daylight on the day this model shows.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

A student created the following model to show how the moon looks from earth at different locations in its orbit:

Which is NOT an improvement that could be made to this model?

• The locations of the full moon and new moon should be reversed

• The two crescent phases should be illuminated on different sides

• The shape of the gibbous phases should be changed

• The two quarter phases should be illuminated on different sides

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

A student created a model about the phases of the moon.

What does the model below correctly show about the phases of the moon?

• It shows how each phase appears when viewed from earth

• It shows that the moon is actually always half illuminated in every phase

• It shows the reason that the moon is visible during the day and during the night

• It shows that the cycle of moon phases takes exactly one day

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

The diagrams show four students' models of the Moon's position around Earth for each of the Moon's phases, viewed from above the North Pole.

Which students model is correct?

• Marcus

• Asia

• Tamika

• Damon

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

A student wants to design a model to show different phases of the moon.

Which of the following revisions should the student make to the model?

• The student should remove the Earth since the Earth has no relationship with the phases of the moon.

• The student needs to change the order of the arrows because the cycle goes in the opposite order.

• The student needs to add a Sun to the model to show how the moon illuminates from the rays from the sun.

• The student should swap the locations of the full moon and new moon to show how the quickly moon phases change.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

A student created the following chart to show the phases of the moon.

What should the student do with the chart to correctly show the phases of the moon?

• Students should reorder the information by starting at the full moon for the beginning of the month and ending at the new moon at the end of the month.

• Students should reorganize the information to show the phases in a circular flow chart to show that the patterns continue.

• Students should include the Sun as step 9 on the chart to show that the Sun has an impact on the phases of the moon.

• Students should reorganize the information to show the phases in chronological order from top to bottom.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1