Scientists describe Earth as having an imaginary line through it from pole to pole, about which Earth spins. What is this imaginary line called?

• axis

• equator

• plane

• satellite

A person living on Earth sees daytime and nighttime every 24 hr. Which of these is responsible for changes from daytime to nighttime on Earth?

• Earth’s tilt

• Earth orbiting the sun

• moon orbiting Earth

• Earth rotating about its axis

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-6

Caroline looks up at the night sky on a clear night. She is searching for patterns of stars in the sky. What is Caroline looking for?

• planets

• galaxies

• constellations

• other planets’ moons

Hundreds of years ago, people observed constellations in the night sky. How were constellations originally named and identified?

• by their brightness

• with latitude and longitude

• by their distance from Earth

• by the patterns they formed in the sky

We know that each year has four seasons: winter, spring, summer, and fall. Why do we have seasons?

• tilt of Earth’s axis

• shape of Earth’s orbit

• length of a year on Earth

• rotation of Earth about its axis

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

Patti decided to use a basketball as a model of Earth. She placed the ball on the floor and then spun it. What was Patti demonstrating with her model of Earth?

• Earth’s axis

• Earth’s orbit

• Earth’s rotation

• Earth’s revolution

Earth orbits the sun, yet the sun appears to move through the sky. For example, the sun always appears to rise in the east and set in the west. What reasoning explains this apparent motion of the sun?

• Earth’s size

• Earth’s orbit

• Earth’s rotation

• Earth’s revolution

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

Earth, the sun, and the moon all rotate. The table below lists how long it takes each one to complete one rotation. What can you claim from the evidence in this table?

• The moon spins faster than the sun.

• The sun spins faster than the moon.

• Both the sun and moon spin faster than Earth.

• Both the sun and moon spin more slowly than Earth.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

While Earth revolves around the sun, Earth is also rotating. About how many rotations does Earth complete as it orbits once around the sun?

• 1

• 7

• 30

• 365

Scientists use models to represent or explain things in the natural world. Why are models useful for the study of the movements of the sun, the moon, and Earth?

• Models cannot be proved wrong.

• Models are always accepted by all scientists.

• Models describe the way things actually are.

• Models can be used to make testable predictions.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

NGSS.MS-ESS1-2