Original Project
Weather and Climate II: Seasonal Differences
Item CL031002: In the northern hemisphere, the maximum height the sun reaches in the sky gets a little higher each day in January.
Place 1 is shown in the diagram below. Which of the following statements is TRUE about the maximum height of the sun when viewed from Place 1 during the month of January?
- The maximum height of the sun gradually gets a little higher each day in January.
- The maximum height of the sun gradually gets a little lower each day in January.
- The maximum height of the sun changes some days in January, but it does not change every day in January.
- The maximum height of the sun does not change at all in January.
- Distribution of Responses
- Students Responding Correctly
| Group | Correct | Total | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 745 | 2113 | 35% |
| Grades | |||
| 6–8 | 364 | 1105 | 33% |
| 9–12 | 379 | 996 | 38% |
| Gender | |||
| Male | 375 | 1045 | 36% |
| Female | 350 | 1007 | 35% |
| Primary Language | |||
| English | 627 | 1779 | 35% |
| Other | 67 | 228 | 29% |
- Disciplinary Core Ideas
- ESS1.A Patterns of the apparent motion of the sun, the moon, and stars in the sky can be observed, described, predicted, and explained with models.
ESS1.B The orbits of Earth around the sun and of the moon around Earth, together with the rotation of Earth about an axis between its North and South poles, cause observable patterns. These include day and night; daily changes in the length and direction of shadows; and different positions of the sun, moon, and stars at different times of the day, month, and year.