Original Project
Weather and Climate I: Basic Elements
Item WC034002: It is colder in the winter at a given place than in the summer because sunlight reaches that place at a smaller angle in the winter.
A student lives in a town where the summers are very warm and the winters are very cold. Why is it colder in the winter than in the summer?
- Because sunlight is cooled by the cold air in the winter.
- Because sunlight reaches the town at a smaller angle in the winter.
- Because sunlight has to pass through more clouds to get to the town in the winter.
- Because sunlight has to travel a much longer distance to get to the town in the winter.
- Distribution of Responses
- Students Responding Correctly
| Group | Correct | Total | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 1242 | 3041 | 41% |
| Grades | |||
| 6–8 | 775 | 1889 | 41% |
| 9–12 | 466 | 1148 | 41% |
| Gender | |||
| Male | 607 | 1489 | 41% |
| Female | 620 | 1505 | 41% |
| Primary Language | |||
| English | 1117 | 2703 | 41% |
| Other | 97 | 261 | 37% |
- NRC Framework
- ESS1.B …the intensity of sunlight falling on a given location on the planet’s surface changes as it orbits around the sun. Earth’s spin axis is tilted relative to the plane of its orbit, and the seasons are a result of that tilt.
- Notes
- See also Practice 6: Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions: ...evaluate…explanations for consistency with the evidence (Framework, chapter 3, p. 69).