Earth's Cycles
(Earth-Sun-Moon System - ESS1-1)
The Moon & Eclipses
(Gravity and Motions in Space ESS1-2)
Gravity
(Gravity and Motions in Space ESS1-2)
Our Solar System
(Scale Properties in the Solar System - ESS1 - 3)
Mix it Up
(ESS1-1 through 3)
100

What causes day and night?

What is...

Earth’s rotation West to East causes 50% of the Earth to get sunlight and 50% of Earth to get dark.

DAILY DOUBLE:  You have just earned 200 points.

100

How many phases of the moon are there?  What causes the phases of the moon?

What is...there are 8 phases of the moon.  The phases of the moon are caused by the moon orbiting the Earth.

100

What is GRAVITY?

What is...

GRAVITY is a force that attracts two objects together.

100

Our Solar System was formed about...

A.  5 million years ago.

B.  4 thousand years ago.

C.  4 1/2 billion years ago.

What is...

C.  4 1/2 billion years ago.

100

State at least 3 facts about the planets in our Solar System.

Answers vary...Some example facts are...

They orbit the Sun

They orbit due to Gravity

There are 8 main planets

Some are made of gases and others rock

Gaseous planets all have rings that are made of rocks and dust

You can see some planets just by looking up at the sky

200

What is Earth's orbit and why is it important?

What is...

Earth's orbit is the eliptical path that the Earth takes once every 365 1/4 days (or year) around the Sun.

200

How large is the Moon compared to Earth?

What is...

The Moon is 1/4 or a quarter the size of Earth.

200

What are two variables that impact GRAVITY?  Explain how they impact Gravity.

What is...

The two variables that impact GRAVITY are the DISTANCE between the objects and the MASS of the objects.  The closer the distance, the greater the gravitational force.  The larger the mass of the object the greater the gravitational attraction.

DAILY DOUBLE:  You have just earned 400 points.


200

What is TRUE about the SUN?

A.  The Sun was formed about 4 1/2 billion years ago.

B.  The Sun is a star.

C.  The Sun is so big that almost 1 1/2 million Earths could fit inside it.

D.  All of the above.

What is...

D.  All of the above.

200

Explain why we have LEAP year?

What is...We have LEAP year because every 4 years we need to make up the 1/4 day from the yearly orbital path Earth takes around the Sun. Leap years are needed to keep our calendar in sync with the solar year or the Earth’s solar orbit.

300

Explain what causes the seasons.

What is...

Earth's seasons are a result of the tilt of the Earth's axis away or toward the sun as it moves on its orbital path around the Sun.

300

What is it that causes the moon to orbit Earth?

What is Earth's GRAVITATIONAL pull causes the moon to orbit Earth.
300

As you go farther away from Earth the gravitational pull becomes..

A.  Stronger

B.  Weaker

C.  Is not impacted

What is B. Weaker?
300

Why do planets orbit the Sun?

What is...

Planets orbit the Sun due to gravity.  Gravity is the force that attracts objects to each other.  The Sun has the most mass, so it has the most gravitational pull. Therefore the planets orbit the Sun.

300

Explain WHY the temperatures are soo extremely hot OR extremely cold on the Moon.

What is the temperatures are soo extremely hot or cold on the moon because THE MOON HAS NO ATMOSPHERE.

400

When it is Winter in the Northern Hemisphere it is _______________in the Southern Hemisphere.  This is because...

What is...When it is Winter in the Northern Hemisphere it is SUMMER in the Southern Hemisphere.  This is because the Earth is tilted away from the Sun in the North and toward the Sun in the South.

400

What happens to cause a LUNAR ECLIPSE?

What is...

A LUNAR ECLIPSE occurs when the moon passes into the EARTH's shadow.

DAILY DOUBLE:  You have just won 800 points!

400

The Moon's ____________ pull is what causes the tides on Earth.

What is GRAVITATIONAL?

400

How far away is Earth from the Sun?

What is...

The Earth is 93 million miles from the Sun.

400

When you look up into the sky in the morning the sun appears to move from __________to ___________.  

A.  NORTH TO SOUTH.

B.  WEST TO EAST.

C.  EAST TO WEST.



This is logical due to the fact that Earth is spinning in its axis.

What is C.  EAST to WEST?

This is actually because the Earth is spinning from WEST to EAST on its axis.

500

Throughout history Earth’s cycles have helped people to mark time. The day comes from the _______ cycle. The month comes from the _______ cycle. The year comes from __________________________________.

What is The day comes from the DAILY cycle.  The month comes from the LUNAR cycle.  The year comes from Earth's journey around the Sun.

DAILY DOUBLE:  You've just won 1,000 points

500

What happens to cause a SOLAR ECLIPSE?

What is...

A SOLAR ECLIPSE is caused by the Earth passing into the MOON's shadow.

500

Imagine that the Moon and Sun are the same distance from Earth.  Which one would Earth be gravitationally attracted to?  Explain Why.

What is...If the Sun and Moon were the same distance from Earth, the Earth would be gravitationally attracted to the Sun, because it has more mass.  Objects with more mass have more gravitational pull. 


500

According to your article "Our Solar System," Scientists have calculated about how many Earth-size planets that could support life could be in our galaxy alone. How many planets do they estimate?

What is..

Scientists calculate there could be 40 billion planets that could support life in our galaxy.

500

Explain why TRAPPIST-1 was such an exciting discovery for science.

What is...TRAPPIST-1 was an exciting discovery because it is a dwarf star that has seven Earth-sized planets orbiting it.  This is important because the conditions might be right to support life.

DAILY TRIPLE:  You have just earned 1500 points!