Big Idea Pop Quiz

Jim is writing a report about stars and the Sun. Which statement below is true and should be included in his report?

• A. All stars are the same brightness.

• B. The Sun is the star that is closest to Earth.

• C. The Sun is the same size as all other stars.

• D. Stars closer to Earth are brighter than stars farther away.

Quinn notices that on different nights, the shape of the Moon looks different. She decides to collect data on the phases of the Moon to find out how the Moon appears to change from night to night. If Quinn writes down the phases of the Moon every night for six months, what will she find out?

• A. The phases of the Moon always occur in the same order.

• B. The new moon always happens 29 days after a full moon.

• C. There are more full moons than any other phase of the Moon.

• D. There are more new moons than any other phase of the Moon.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

Although there are different types of galaxies including elliptical, spiral, and irregular galaxies, all galaxies must include certain characteristics in order to be classified as a galaxy. What do all galaxies have in common?

• A. galaxies revolve around a star.

• B. galaxies include only one solar system

• C. galaxies are made of a star and the planets

• D. galaxies are made of gas, dust, and many stars

When comparing inner planets to outer planets, what is the biggest difference?

• A. Inner planets do not have moons, outer planets do.

• B. Inner planets rotate on an axis, outer planets do not.

• C. Inner planets are solid and have little or no atmosphere, while outer planets are mostly made of gas.

• D. Inner planets take longer to revolve around the Sun, while outer planets take less time to revolve around the Sun.

Marissa observed stars in the sky. Which of her observations is a personal opinion?

• A. Stars give off light energy.

• B. Stars appear prettier in the winter.

• C. Some stars appear brighter than others.

• D. Some stars are much larger than the Sun.

While Earth revolves around the Sun, the Earth is also rotating. How many rotations does the Earth undergo during one revolution around the Sun?

• A. 1

• B. 7

• C. 30

• D. 365

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

As you look outside your window, you notice that the Moon is full.

About how long will it be before you see another full moon?

• A. a year

• B. a month

• C. two weeks

• D. two months

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

Rudolfo was observing the many stars in the night sky. He learned that many of these stars are actually much larger than the Sun. If this is true, why don’t stars that are larger than the Sun completely light up the Earth’s sky?

• A. These stars are hotter than the Sun.

• B. These stars have less mass than the Sun.

• C. These stars don’t give off as much light as the Sun.

• D. These stars are farther away from Earth than the Sun is.

What is the correct order of the planets from the sun? 

• Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
• Mercury, Earth, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
• Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Saturn, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune. 
• Mars, Venus, Earth, Mercury, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune. 

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-3

All of the outer planets--

• have many moons
• are small
• have a short orbit around the Sun
• are rocky