Sixth graders think they know everything about space. They’ve learned the names of the planets; they’ve made the Oreo moon phases. They’re set. But they arrived in my classroom with a lot of misconceptions that, while based on reason or observation, are just plain wrong. I wanted a way to show them that they have something to learn about astronomy, and to gauge what they already know and don’t know. Astronomy concepts like these frequently aren’t taught again after middle school! As a result, we have a lot of confused adults walking around.
Introducing the Astronomy Pretest. I gave this quiz on the first day of the astronomy unit as a way to learn what they already knew – and I told them so. Sometimes I’d tell them ahead of time that the quiz was “diagnostic.” That they should do their best and tell me what they know, and to answer every question to their best ability, but it wouldn’t hurt their grade to be wrong.
STOP! Take the quiz!
Want to try it? Before you read any farther, click here to take the quiz. It’s 45 True/False questions and will only take a couple of minutes. Don’t look anything up! Guess if you need to.
When you’re done, read on…
Easy questions
True or False? Earth is warmer in the summer because it is closer to the sun.
This is false. Lots of kids know this if they’ve studied seasons. It’s counter-intuitive, so someone along the line has helped them remember that during summer (in the northern hemisphere), the Earth is actually a little farther away from the sun than it is in winter.
True or False? Moon phases are caused by the Earth’s shadow.
This is false too, but most people can’t explain why. Moon phases and eclipses look similar, so it’s hard to remember the difference unless you really think about it.
True or False? The moon is only visible at night.
False. I blame “Goodnight Moon” for this misconception that is very common among kids and adults. Also, the sun and the moon are different things.
Hard questions
True or False? There is no gravity on the International Space Station.
This one requires some thought. We see the astronauts floating around like there’s no gravity. But what holds the ISS in orbit? Gravity. And the ISS is a lot closer to Earth than the moon, which is also held in orbit by gravity. So there’s gravity, but how much? Some kids know that the ISS astronauts do “microgravity” experiments. So, how much gravity is there? Turns out that the gravitational force at the ISS’s altitude is about 90% of what it is at Earth’s surface. The astronauts float around because they’re in free-fall.
True or False? Zodiac signs indicate the constellation directly overhead on your birthday.
Most people don’t know this unless they happen to have learned it in a planetarium. In fact, most kids don’t know what zodiac signs are at all! They’ve never heard of it. But I still think it’s important to mention because it’s easy to confuse astronomy and astrology later in life. Your zodiac sign is the constellation that is directly opposite the SUN on your birthday – so you can’t see it. Look for your zodiac constellation on your half-birthday instead. Oh – and things have moved a little since 3000 years ago when those were designated.
Tricky questions
True or False? The reason there is no gravity on the moon is because there is no atmosphere on the moon.
Super confusing! The Apollo astronauts seem to “float around” on the moon and jump really high. But the moon does have gravity. The force of gravity on those astronauts is about one-sixth of their weight on Earth. Kids also confound what they see on the ISS with what they know about the Space Shuttle, Apollo, and all other manned spaceflight. Kids also know that there’s no air on the moon, and that air pressure can cause force. So they sometimes have concluded that the lack of air is what causes the (perceived) lack of gravity. But this statement is false.
True or False? The greatest tragedy in NASA history was when an astronaut on a spacewalk lost his tether and floated out into open space.
False. But it seems familiar because that happened in the movie Gravity in 2013. The astronaut was George Clooney.
Spoiler Alert:
On this quiz, all 45 statements are false! (Shhh…) Even tricky kids don’t expect that, and sometimes they mark the last (the Clooney one) True because they think 45 False answers in a row is too many (but 44 was okay, somehow).
The idea isn’t to show kids how much they don’t know, but to inspire curiosity, start conversations, and mess with their brains just a little. Let them know that it’s okay to have a misconception and correct it.
Read more about Astronomy Misconceptions:
Popular Misconceptions in Astronomy from astronomy.org
New York Science Teacher Astronomy Misconceptions
Freebie!
Teacher testers wanted! Fill out the form below to receive a FREE copy of “Astronomy Pretest” with all of the answers and teacher notes. Every False is accompanied by an oversimplified explanation of the science involved. All I ask is that you let me know what you think. Or you can purchase a copy at my TPT store.