Original Project
Weather and Climate II: Seasonal Differences
Item CL033002: For places that are north of the topical region, the maximum height the sun reaches in the sky increases each day for six months and then decreases each day for the next six months.
Which of the following statements is TRUE about changes in the Sun’s daily maximum height in the sky at Place 1 shown below starting on a day in late December (the first day of winter)?
- The maximum height the sun reaches in the sky increases each day over the next 12 months.
- The maximum height the sun reaches in the sky decreases each day over the course of the next 12 months.
- The maximum height the sun reaches in the sky increases each day for six months and then decreases each day for the next six months.
- The maximum height the sun reaches in the sky does not change.
- Distribution of Responses
- Students Responding Correctly
| Group | Correct | Total | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 775 | 2188 | 35% |
| Grades | |||
| 6–8 | 370 | 1177 | 31% |
| 9–12 | 401 | 998 | 40% |
| Gender | |||
| Male | 378 | 1061 | 36% |
| Female | 370 | 1055 | 35% |
| Primary Language | |||
| English | 687 | 1897 | 36% |
| Other | 63 | 212 | 30% |
- 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.