8th Grade Science STAAR Category 3

Look at the picture abov. Beased on this picture, why do the North and South poles of the Earth have much longer periods of light and darkness than the rest of the planet?

• The poles are angled toward or away from the Sun because of Earth's revolution.

• The rotation of the Earth is fast enough to keep the poles lit all the time.

• The Moon is closest to the poles, so it keeps those areas colder and darker.

• The Sun can never reach the poles because of the way the Earth is tilted.

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NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

When the Northern Hemisphere is tilted away from the Sun —

• the South Pole is pointing directly at the Sun.

• it is summer in the Southern Hemisphere.

• it is night in the Northern Hemisphere.

• the Sun's rays do not strike the Northern Hemisphere.

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NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

A student wants to use a spinning basketball to model the day-and-night cycle on Earth. What should the student do in order to best model the cause of the day-and-night cycle?

• Spin the ball in different directions

• Tilt the ball while it is spinning

• Paint one half of the ball black and the other half white

• Shine a bright light on one side of the ball

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

In the summer many people enjoy going to the beach. The photograph shows a beach in Argentina, which is located in the Southern Hemisphere. Which diagram shows the position of Earth when it is summer in Argentina?

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NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

A student draws the model shown below. Which of these best compares the conditions at Location X and Location Y?

• It is day at Location X and night at Location Y

• It is winter at Location X and summer at Location Y

• There are more hours of daylight at Location X than at Location Y.

• The moon is brighter when viewed from Location X than when viewed from Location Y

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

The diagram shows four positions in Earth’s orbit around the sun. The Northern Hemisphere experiences the beginning of spring when Earth is in —

• Position 1

• Position 2

• Position 3

• Position 4

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NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

The model shows Earth in several positions relative to the sun. In which position is it winter in North America?

• Position 1, because North America receives the most direct sun

• Position 2, because North America is tilted toward the sun

• Position 3, because North America is parallel to the sun

• Position 4, because North America is tilted away from the sun

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

Students in a science class in Marfa, Texas, made a poster with a diagram to represent a seasonal change in the Northern Hemisphere. Which statement best describes conditions for Earth at Position 1 in the diagram?

• Earth’s orbit around the sun is not a perfect circle.

• North America has a larger landmass than South America.

• The moon has a greater pull on South America than on North America.

• Earth’s axis has a 23.5° tilt.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

NGSS.MS-ESS2-6

Which diagram models a hypothetical situation in which every location on Earth would have 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness per day?

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NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

A phase of the moon is shown. Which pair of diagrams shows the moon’s phase immediately before and immediately after this phase?

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Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1