Tides

Tides

Pencil and paperOnline interactive
Overview
Using this Resource
Connecting to the Curriculum
Marking Student Responses
Working with Students
Further Resources
This task is about how we get high and low tides.
High and low tides are caused by the gravitational pull of the Moon.
This causes the Earth's water to bulge out on the side closest to and farthest from the Moon.
These bulges of water are called high tides.
 
earth-moon-diagram.png

Question 2Change answer

a)  There are two places on the Earth that would have a high tide when the Moon is in the position
     shown in the diagram. 
     There would be a high tide at position numbers  and .

Question

b)  High tides occur approximately:

    • once every 24 hours.

    • twice every 24 hours.

    • once every lunar month.

    • once every year.

Task administration: 
This task can be completed with pencil and paper or online (with auto-marking displayed to students).
Level:
4
Curriculum info: 
Science, Knowledge, Planet Earth
Keywords: 
astronomical systems, tides, Moon
Description of task: 
For this task students understanding of tides is explored. Students are asked to identify where high tides occur when the Moon is in a certain position and how often high tides occur.
Curriculum Links: 
Science capabilities
The capabilities focus is brought about by the conversations you have and the questions you ask.
Capability: Interpret representations
This resource provides opportunities to discuss how ideas are represented in diagrams.
Science capabilities: 
Interpret representations
Answers/responses: 

 

Y8 (05/1998)

a)

3 or 7

easy

b)

B: twice every 24 hours

moderate
Diagnostic and formative information: 
  Common error
b) Option A (once every 24 hours) chosen by 30% of students.