PATTERNS & MOTION
If Earth stopped rotating, what would happen to day and night?
One side always day, one side always night
Why are winters colder even though Earth is sometimes closer to the Sun?
Less direct sunlight
If you see half of the Moon lit, what phase could it be?
First or third quarter
Why doesn’t a solar eclipse happen every new moon?
Orbit is tilted
What happens to gravity when objects are closer together?
It increases
A student says seasons are caused by Earth being closer to the Sun. What is wrong with this?
Seasons are caused by tilt, NOT distance
If sunlight is spread over a larger area, what happens to temperature?
It decreases
Why is the Moon always half lit but we don’t always see half?
We see different angles of the lit side
In which order must objects line up for a solar eclipse?
Sun → Moon → Earth
Why does Earth stay in orbit instead of flying away?
Sun’s gravity pulls it
Why do we see the Sun appear to move across the sky each day?
Earth’s rotation
A location receives long days and direct sunlight. What season is it?
Summer
A student says the Moon makes its own light. How do you correct them?
It reflects sunlight
A model shows Earth between the Sun and Moon. What event is happening?
Lunar eclipse
If gravity suddenly disappeared, what would happen to planets?
They would move in straight lines (fly away)
If Earth rotated twice as fast, how would this affect a day?
Days would be shorter
Explain why seasons are opposite in hemispheres using the word sunlight.
One hemisphere gets direct sunlight, the other indirect sunlight.
If the Moon is between Earth and Sun, what phase do we see and why?
New Moon; lit side faces away
A student builds a model but the eclipse never happens. What might be missing?
Proper alignment
Why do objects move faster when closer to the Sun?
Stronger gravitational pull
Scientists notice a repeating pattern in sunrise times. What does this pattern help them do?
Predict future events
At which time would shadows be shortest and WHY?
Noon, because Sun is most direct overhead
Why does the Moon appear to change shape over time instead of instantly? (Think about what type of pattern this is)
It orbits Earth gradually
Explain why eclipses are rare using BOTH orbit AND alignment vocabulary.
Orbit is tilted so alignment doesn’t happen every month
Explain how gravity keeps BOTH the solar system AND galaxies together.
It pulls objects together and holds systems in place