Original Project
Weather and Climate II: Seasonal Differences
Item CL034002: For places in the northern hemisphere and north of the tropical region, the maximum height the sun reaches in the sky is a little greater each day between January and May.
Which of the following statements is TRUE about the maximum height of the sun in the sky during a day between January and May at Place 1 shown below?
- The maximum height of the sun gradually gets a little higher each day.
- The maximum height of the sun gradually gets a little lower each day.
- The maximum height of the sun changes on some days, but it does not change every day.
- The maximum height of the sun does not change at all between January and May.
- Distribution of Responses
- Students Responding Correctly
| Group | Correct | Total | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 802 | 2187 | 37% |
| Grades | |||
| 6–8 | 398 | 1177 | 34% |
| 9–12 | 399 | 998 | 40% |
| Gender | |||
| Male | 399 | 1058 | 38% |
| Female | 379 | 1056 | 36% |
| Primary Language | |||
| English | 710 | 1897 | 37% |
| Other | 65 | 211 | 31% |
- 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.