STAAR

Which of these cycles is a direct result of Earth’s rotation?

• Day and night

• Moon phases

• Rainfall and evaporation

• Seasons

The Sun seems to move across the sky from sunrise to sunset. Why does the Sun seem to move?

• The Sun is rotating on its axis.

• Earth is rotating.

• The Sun is orbiting around Earth

• Earth is orbiting around the Sun.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

The Moon, Sun, and Earth have different physical characteristics. Which of these best describes a physical characteristic of the Sun?

• It is a solid and has many layers

• It rotates on its axis every 24 hours

• It is mostly made of hydrogen and helium

• It is smaller and has less gravity than Earth or the Moon

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS1-1

The diagram shows the shadow of a tree in a field at noon on a summer day. The sun rises at 7:00 A.M. on this day. Which diagram best shows the shadow of the tree at 10:00 A.M. on the same day?

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Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

Which of these best explains why the sun appears to move across the sky each day?

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Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

NGSS.MS-ESS1-2

A student draws a model showing the movements of Earth, the moon, and the sun. Which arrow shows the movement that causes day and night on Earth?

• Arrow 1, because it shows the rotation of the sun

• Arrow 2, because it shows the orbit of Earth around the sun

• Arrow 3, because it shows the orbit of the moon around Earth

• Arrow 4, because it shows the rotation of Earth

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

Some students used a globe to model the rotation of Earth. They shaded in Texas on the globe, as shown below. They rotated the globe and observed that Texas was in exactly the same place after each rotation. The students could rotate the globe quickly or slowly. If the globe could rotate only at the rate that Earth actually rotates, about how long would each complete rotation take?

• 30 days

• 60 minutes

• 24 hours

• 365 days

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

About how long will it take for the Moon to move from the position shown above to a position directly between Earth and the Sun?

• 1 week

• 14 days

• 1 month

• 2 seasons

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

A student observed the moon through the month of September. What did the student most likely observe between September 23rd and September 30th?

• The amount of light will grow to the full moon phase

• The amount of light will shrink to the full moon phase

• The amount of light will shrink to the new moon phase

• The amount of light will shrink to the first quarter phase

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

A student builds a model of the solar system that includes a sphere representing Earth. The sphere turns in a full circle on its axis. By using a model of Earth that spins on its axis, the student can best demonstrate —

• the cycle of the four seasons

• the aging of a star

• the passing of a year

• the cycle of day and night