DO NOT WRITE ON THIS
SUN-EARTH-MOON ASSESSMENT
Directions: Follow each set of directions. For each question, identify the correct answer and record
it on your answer sheet. Answer Questions 16–20 in complete sentences.
Questions 1–11Read each question. Record the letter of the correct answer on your answer sheet.
1. The main source of energy for Earth is the—
A. Wind
B. Sun’s radiation
C. Moon’s radiation
D. Sun’s gravity
2. The Sun is bigger than the Moon, but they appear to be the same size in the sky when you look
at them from Earth. Why is that?
A. The Sun is closer to Earth than the Moon.
B. The Sun’s light reflects off the Moon, making it look the same size as the Sun.
C. The Sun is higher in the sky than the Moon.
D. The Moon is closer to Earth than the Sun.
3. Which statement explains why daytime and nighttime occur on Earth?
A. The Earth rotates on its axis.
B. The Sun rotates on its axis.
C. The Earth’s axis is tilted.
D. The Earth orbits the Sun.
4. It is necessary to add a day to the calendar every 4 years because—
A. The axis of Earth is tilted.
B. The gravitational pull of the Sun affects Earth’s orbit.
C. The orbit of Earth is not exactly 365 days.
D. The Moon crosses the orbit of the Sun every 28 days.
5. The Moon produces no light, and yet it shines at night. Why is this?
A. The Moon reflects the light from the Sun.
B. The Moon rotates at a very high speed.
C. The Moon is covered with a thin layer of ice.
D. The Moon has many craters.
6. How long would a complete day (including daytime and nighttime) on Earth be if it did not
spin on its axis?
A. 24 hours C. 3 months
B. 1 month D. 1 year
7. How many degrees is Earth currently tilted on its axis?
A. 421⁄2 degrees B. 14 degrees
C. 0 degrees D. 231⁄2 degrees
8. Why does the Sun appear to move across the sky each day?
A. The Sun is orbiting the Earth.
B. The Earth is orbiting the Sun.
C. The Sun is rotating on its axis.
D. The Earth is rotating on its axis.
9. The Twenty-Four men who went to the moon are the only ones to do what?
A. See how big the earth really is.
B. To ride in a rocket ship.
C. To see the full circle of the Earth.
D. To see how small the Earth really is.
10. Who was the first American in space? ______
11. How many Americans walked on the Moon?
A. 9
B. 12
C. 6
D. 24
Use the illustration below to answer Question 12. Record the letter of your answer on
your answer sheet.
12. Look at the illustration. Which statement is true?
A. The illustration shows a solar eclipse.
B. The illustration shows a lunar eclipse.
C. The illustration shows how summer occurs in the Northern Hemisphere.
D. The illustration shows how a full moon occurs.
Question 13 The diagram below shows the Moon, Earth, and the Sun’s rays as viewed from space.
Use the diagram to answer Question 13. Record the letter of your answer on your answer sheet.
13. For observers on Earth, which phase of the Moon is represented by the diagram?
A. New moon
B. Full moon
C. First quarter moon
D. Waxing crescent moon
Question 14 Use the illustration below to answer Question 14. Record the letter of your answer on
the answer sheet.
14. John stuck a meter stick in the ground at 8:00 A.M. How will the stick’s shadow at 2:00 P.M.
compare to its shadow at 8:00 A.M?
A. There will be no shadow at 2:00 P.M.
B. The shadow will be longer and on the opposite side of the stick.
C. The shadow will be longer and on the same side of the stick.
D. The shadow will be shorter and on the opposite side of the stick.
Question 15Indicate the best answer on the answer sheet. You will justify your answer in Question 16
.
15. Which statement explains why seasons occur in the Northern and Southern hemispheres?
A. The Earth is closer to the Sun in the summer.
B. The Earth is closer to the Sun in the winter.
C. The Earth is tilted on its axis and each hemisphere points toward the Sun in the summer.
D. The orbit of the Earth is not a circle.
Short Answer:
Questions 16–20: Answer Questions 16- 18 on the answer sheet by using pictures and words.
16. Explain your reasons for selecting your answer to Question 15. In other words explain why we have seasons on Earth.
17. Draw and label a total lunar eclipse. Below your drawing, describe why we do not have a lunar
Eclipse each month.
18. Draw a diagram showing the Moon in its eight phases. Label the Sun and Earth. Label the names of each lunar phase. Below your drawing, write a paragraph describing why the Moon seemsto change its shape.
Name: ______Class: ______Date: ______
Sun-Earth-Moon Assessment Answer Sheet
Number ______
Multiple Choice: 2 points each
1. _____9. _____
2. _____10. _____
3. _____11. _____
4. _____12. _____
5. _____13. _____
6. _____14. _____
7. _____15. _____
8. _____
Short Answer: 16- 18 using BOTH pictures and words
16.
17.
18.