School Improvement in Maryland

Using the State Curriculum: Science, Grade 5

Skills and Processes | Earth/Space | Life | Chemistry | Physics | Environmental

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Standard 2.0 Earth/Space Science

Topic D. Astronomy

Indicator 2. Recognize and describe the causes of the repeating patterns of celestial events.

Objective b. Recognize and describe that the rotation of planet Earth produces observable effects

Selected Response Item

The Little Dipper is a group of stars. During the night, the Little Dipper appears to change positions in the sky.

Question Image

Which of these statements best explains why the Little Dipper appears to change positions in the night sky?

  1. Earth rotates on its axis.
  2. Earth revolves around the stars.
  3. The Little Dipper moves around the sun.
  4. The stars in the Little Dipper move in the sky.
/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_science_5_048.xml

Correct Answer:
A

Selected Response Item

The sun appears to rise in the east and set in the west each day. During the day, the sun is so bright that other objects in space are rarely visible. At night, other objects in space, such as planets and stars, are often visible.

The data table below contains information about the planets in our solar system.

Question Image

Which of these actions is responsible for the sun appearing to rise and set?

  1. Earth rotating on its axis
  2. the sun rotating on its axis
  3. Earth revolving around the sun
  4. the sun revolving around Earth
/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_science_5_053.xml

Correct Answer:
A

Selected Response Item

Use the information below to answer the following.

Students visited the Morris W. Offit telescope located at the Maryland Space Grant Observatory in Baltimore. They learned about the stars, planets, and moon.

The students recorded the information below.

  • Star patterns stay the same, but their locations in the sky seem to change.
  • The sun, planets, and moon appear to move in the sky.
  • Proxima Centauri is the nearest star to our solar system.
  • Polaris is a star that is part of a pattern of stars called the Little Dipper.

Which statement best explains why the sun appears to move across the sky each day?

  1. The sun revolves around Earth.
  2. Earth rotates around the sun.
  3. The sun revolves on its axis.
  4. Earth rotates on its axis.
/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_science_5_105.xml

Correct Answer:
D