Original Project
Weather and Climate II: Seasonal Differences
Item CL035002: For a place that is north of the tropical region, the maximum height the sun reaches in the sky gets a little lower each day in July.
Which of the following statements is TRUE about the maximum height of the sun in the sky during the day over the course of month of July 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 a little each day.
- The maximum height of the sun does not change at all over the course of the month of July.
- Distribution of Responses
- Students Responding Correctly
| Group | Correct | Total | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 705 | 2218 | 32% |
| Grades | |||
| 6–8 | 356 | 1236 | 29% |
| 9–12 | 346 | 971 | 36% |
| Gender | |||
| Male | 336 | 1075 | 31% |
| Female | 349 | 1079 | 32% |
| Primary Language | |||
| English | 618 | 1908 | 32% |
| Other | 65 | 234 | 28% |
- 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.