Skill: course-build → write-mcqs → write-explanation, design-check-sequence @ cb79e2e
Topic 30 — The stars — the PP100's ten question types, with their exemplars
What this page is. James approves a bank's question TYPES before the bank is generated (vault: A bank is reviewed as its question types first, one exemplar each, 28 Sep 2026). This sheet writes the exemplars in full, exactly as they sit in content/G3T30.py (PP100, flagged TYPE_SHEET_ONLY). Ten types for four atoms, one exemplar each; at most two alone-types per atom. No other bank item exists yet. Once the types stand, about fifty items are generated from them, varying the child, the light (lamps, lanterns, candles, campfires, boat lamps, porch lights, headlights), the size ratio, the star count and the place, easy-heavy.
Revised 29 Sep 2026 after the non-author review (REVIEW_G3T30_2026-09-29.md, adjudicated in BUILD_RECORD_G3T30.md): PP-5 is a positive question (where does the Moon's light come from); PP-4 and PP-6 are new moves (two observers' counts; a two-claim sentence judged); PP-3 has no child watching the Sun; PP-9's stem is shorter and runs the rule backwards; PP-10's stem withholds the step; every item star is drawn in the Sun's colour so colour never tracks the key; "drawn to size" is Topic 29's phrase; the MCQ keys are two per letter.
James's rulings applied. Hard items are typed, never MCQs (28 Sep night): two text-entry types. Easy and medium are four-option MCQs. Every comparison a student judges is drawn — a star beside the Sun to size, two lights of the same kind at two distances, two stars at two distances on a map — and drawn honestly; no stem leans on a video; no option bundles a verdict with a reason; every stem is a positive question; a headache character (Saskia, Percival, Lysander, Georgiana, Zadie) appears in no item; every claim-maker is used once in the topic; no item figure carries a verdict chip; every exemplar is a fresh instance — no lesson, quiz, practice or Topic 29 scene reappears. Nothing James has rejected appears here.
How to read a type line. Each says what the stem asks, what the four options are (the kind of thing), and gives its exemplar scene. Every MCQ has a why (no per-option feedback in the bank; the engine prints Correct / Not quite). Tags follow depth of reasoning: easy = one fact recalled or one drawn comparison read (DOK 1); medium = the rule applied to a fresh case or the reason picked for a stated verdict (DOK 2); hard = typed — the word produced, not recognised (James, 28 Sep night: typed is the hard tier).
The ten types
| Type | Item | Atom | Tag | Form | The stem asks… | The options / the accept | Exemplar scene |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PP-1 | SPA3-003 | easy | MCQ, drawn | a star drawn to size beside the Sun, both in the Sun's colour: how does it compare with the Sun | four comparisons with the Sun: bigger / smaller / the same size / closer to Earth (the size-means-distance trap) | ratio 2.6, the star bigger |
| 2 | PP-5 | SPA3-003 | medium | MCQ | a named child thinks the Moon is a star: where does the Moon's light come from | four sources, single statements: the Moon makes it / light from other stars / sunlight lands on it and lights it up (key) / lights on Earth | Ezekiel and the Moon |
| 3 | PP-2 | SPA3-004 | easy | MCQ, drawn | two lights of the same kind drawn large and tiny: why does one look like a tiny dot | four reasons: a smaller lamp / gives out less light / far away (key) / behind glass | two fishing boats' lamps |
| 4 | PP-6 | SPA3-004 + SPA3-007 (pair) | medium | MCQ | a grandmother says the night stars are sparks and the Sun is something else: which sentence is true | four sentences about the Sun and the stars, one true: the Sun and the night stars are the same kind of thing (key) | Genevieve's grandmother |
| 5 | PP-3 | SPA3-005 | easy | MCQ | at sunset the sky turns orange and the first stars come out as dots: why does the Sun look so much bigger and brighter | four reasons: the biggest star / the closest star to Earth (key) / the only star that makes its own light / the only star out by day | a sunset, no child |
| 6 | PP-7 | SPA3-005 + SPA3-003 (pair) | medium | MCQ, drawn | a map from above shows two stars of the same size and brightness at two distances from Earth: which looks brighter | four: the near star (key) / the far star / they look the same / neither can be seen | the near star and the far star; Earth a dot |
| 7 | PP-4 | SPA3-006 | easy | MCQ | one child counts N stars with her eyes alone, another looks at the same patch through a telescope: whose count is bigger | four: hers / the same / neither can count stars / his, with the telescope (key) | Niamh's fifteen and Dougal's telescope |
| 8 | PP-8 | SPA3-006 + SPA3-004 (pair) | medium | MCQ | through a telescope a child sees hundreds where his eyes saw ten: why does the telescope show more stars | four reasons: pulls the stars closer / gathers more of the stars' light (key) / makes new stars / shines light onto the stars | Sebastian's hundreds |
| 9 | PP-9 | SPA3-005 + SPA3-003 (pair) | hard | text | two stars of the same size giving out the same light, one looks much brighter: type the missing word — the brighter-looking star is ____ to Earth | word_accept("closer", "nearer", …) | two equal stars |
| 10 | PP-10 | SPA3-005 (its day-sky case) | hard | text | at noon a child sees no stars, only the Sun: type the one word for what hides the stars — the Sun's bright ____ | word_accept("light", "sunlight") | Thaddeus at noon |
Hard because (type 9): the rule is run backwards — from how the star looks to where it is — and the word is produced, not recognised. Hard because (type 10): the stem withholds the step — the child must recall that the stars are still there and that the Sun's light hides them — and the word is produced. Medium because (type 2): the verdict is given and the student picks the light's source from four single statements. Medium because (type 4): a two-claim sentence is judged against Topic 29's fact. Medium because (type 6): a drawn map is read for distance, then the distance rule applied. Medium because (type 8): the reason is picked and the register's trap (pulls the stars closer) is a distractor.
Bank notes for the generator. Type 1: vary the ratio (0.3–3, never 1), keep both discs in the Sun's colour and the drawing to size; split bank instances between bigger and smaller stars. Type 3: vary the kind of light and which side is near; every pair is the SAME kind of light and the far one is drawn at one fifth or less; the alt says only where each is drawn. Type 6: keep the note "the same size and just as bright" in the drawing. Type 7: vary the count (eight to twenty) and the two children. Types 9 and 10 ask for ONE word; accept lists come from word_accept. Claim items with bare yes / no stay in the quizzes and practice; in the bank a claim takes type 2's form (the verdict given, four positive single statements).
Coverage (every atom alone, and the pairs)
| Atom | Types testing it alone | Pair types |
|---|---|---|
| SPA3-003 stars are not all the same | 1, 2 | 6 (with SPA3-005), 9 (with SPA3-005) |
| SPA3-004 why stars look like dots | 3 | 4 (with SPA3-007, the Sun is a star), 8 (with SPA3-006) |
| SPA3-005 why the Sun looks so big and bright | 5, 10 | 6 (with SPA3-003), 9 (with SPA3-003) |
| SPA3-006 a telescope shows more stars | 7 | 8 (with SPA3-004) |
At most two alone-types per atom. Order in the file: easy PP-1…PP-4 → medium PP-5…PP-8 → hard PP-9, PP-10. Keys of the eight MCQs, in file order: PP-1 A · PP-2 C · PP-3 B · PP-4 D · PP-5 C · PP-6 D · PP-7 A · PP-8 B (2 A, 2 B, 2 C, 2 D). Typed items: 2 of 10 on the sheet; in a bank of about fifty, types 9 and 10 supply 10–14 typed items on fresh pairs and fresh noons.
Design-move inventory (every move on the page, then the bank's)
| Move (what the student does with what) | Lesson-side instances | Bank exemplar |
|---|---|---|
| compare a drawn star with the Sun, to size | L01 q2 (0.6, smaller), q6 (1.8, bigger), L01-V (0.5), SUMMARY-1 (2.2), PR-1 (1.5) | PP-1: ratio 2.6 with a fourth option, closer to Earth — the size-means-distance trap the lessons never offered |
| which of two drawn stars looks brighter / fainter | L01 q3, q9 | none — a two-panel read with two options; the bank asks brightness by type 6 |
| the Moon is lit by the Sun, not a star | L01 q4 (bare fact question), q10 (Fenella's dot), PR-7 (Tansy's lit thing) | PP-5: Ezekiel's belief with the light's source asked — a new form on the page |
| what every star is (Topic 29 recalled) | L01 q1, q8, q11 (typed), L02 q1, q9, L03 q1, PR-11 (typed) | PP-6: a two-claim sentence about the Sun and the night stars judged true or false — no lesson item judges a sentence |
| the Sun is not the biggest star; a faint dot may be bigger than the Sun | L01 q5 (Vikram), L03 q8, PR-6 (Jonty), PR-10 | — (folded into type 9) |
| why the far light of a same-kind pair looks like a dot | L02-V (flashlights), L02 q2 (lighthouse), SUMMARY-2 (lanterns) | PP-2: two fishing boats' lamps — a new kind of light and a new place |
| a light that looks tiny is not tiny / is far | L02 q3 (a plane's light), q4 (Kazu, true claim) | — |
| which of a same-kind pair is closer / farther, from how it looks | L02 q5 (lanterns), q6 (porch lights), L03 q10 (garden row), PR-2 (candles) | — (the bank asks the reverse, type 6) |
| the clouds are near, the stars far | L02 q7 (Xavier) | — (claim form; two options) |
| walking toward a light: it looks bigger | L02 q8 (Viggo's window) | — |
| why the Sun looks bigger and brighter than every other star | L03 q2, q3 (Everett, true claim), PR-3 | PP-3: the sunset scene, and the daytime-only distractor the quizzes never used |
| same-size lights / stars near and far: which looks brighter / fainter | L03 q4 (campfires, fainter), q6 (two equal stars, fainter), PR-8 (which is closer) | PP-7: the map from above — the distance is READ from a drawing, then the rule applied |
| the two things that decide how bright a star looks | L03 q7 | PP-9 (typed): the rule run backwards on two equal stars |
| the stars are still there by day | L03 q5 (Florence), PR-4 (Valentina) | PP-10 (typed): Thaddeus at noon — the hiding thing named; the stem withholds the 'still there' step |
| what a telescope shows (the count) | L04-V (Coral), L04 q2 (Octavia), q8 (drawn pair), SUMMARY-3 (drawn pair), PR-5 (Kirsty) | PP-4: two observers compared, the telescope named for one — no lesson item compares two people's counts |
| why a telescope shows more; it does not move or make stars | L04 q3 (Jarvis), q4, q5 (Perpetua), q7 (Olek), q9 (Flynn, true claim) | PP-8: Sebastian's hundreds — the reason picked with the trap as an option |
| the term by recall | L01 q11, L04 q10, PR-11, PR-12 | none — the practice set's job |
No bank exemplar shares a scene or a move with a lesson, quiz or practice item, and no two exemplars share a move. No exemplar repeats a Topic 29 item.
The exemplars, in full
Type 1 — PP-1 · SPA3-003 · easy · drawing star_pp_scale
Stem: Here is a star drawn to size beside the Sun. How does this star compare with the Sun?
- It is bigger than the Sun. ← key
- It is smaller than the Sun.
- It is the same size as the Sun.
- It is closer to Earth than the Sun.
Why: The two are drawn to size. / This star's disc is bigger than the Sun's disc. / So this star is bigger than the Sun. / The drawing shows size, not distance.
Type 2 — PP-5 · SPA3-003 · medium
Stem: Ezekiel thinks the Moon is a star. Where does the Moon's light come from?
- The Moon makes it itself.
- Light from the other stars lands on the Moon.
- Sunlight lands on the Moon and lights it up. ← key
- Lights on Earth shine up onto the Moon.
Why: A star makes its own light. / The Moon makes no light of its own. / Sunlight lands on the Moon and lights it up. / So the Moon is not a star.
Type 3 — PP-2 · SPA3-004 · easy · drawing boats_pp_lamps
Stem: Two fishing boats carry the same kind of lamp. Why does one boat's lamp look like a tiny dot?
- It is a smaller lamp.
- It gives out less light.
- It is far away. ← key
- It is behind glass.
Why: The two lamps are the same kind. / The farther away a light is, the smaller it looks. / So the far boat's lamp looks like a tiny dot because it is far away.
Type 4 — PP-6 · SPA3-004 · medium
Stem: Genevieve's grandmother says the night stars are sparks, and the Sun is something else. Which sentence is true?
- The Sun is the only ball of glowing gas.
- The night stars are sparks that fly off the Sun.
- The Sun is a star, and the night stars are rocks.
- The Sun and the night stars are the same kind of thing. ← key
Why: The Sun is a star. / Every star is a huge ball of glowing gas, like the Sun. / The night stars look like sparks only because they are far, far away. / So the Sun and the night stars are the same kind of thing.
Type 5 — PP-3 · SPA3-005 · easy
Stem: At sunset the sky turns orange, and as the Sun goes down the first stars come out as tiny dots. Why does the Sun look so much bigger and brighter than they do?
- It is the biggest star there is.
- It is the closest star to Earth. ← key
- It is the only star that makes its own light.
- It is the only star out in the daytime.
Why: The closer a light is, the bigger and brighter it looks. / The Sun is the closest star to Earth. / So the Sun looks bigger and brighter than every other star.
Type 6 — PP-7 · SPA3-005 · medium · drawing stars_pp_distance
Stem: Two stars are the same size and just as bright; the drawing shows how far each is from Earth. Which star looks brighter from Earth?
- the near star ← key
- the far star
- they look the same
- neither can be seen from Earth
Why: The two stars are the same size and just as bright. / The closer a light is, the brighter it looks. / So the near star looks brighter from Earth.
Type 7 — PP-4 · SPA3-006 · easy
Stem: Niamh counts fifteen stars in one patch of sky with her eyes alone, and Dougal looks at the same patch through a telescope. Whose count is bigger?
- Niamh's count
- the two counts are the same
- neither of them can count stars
- Dougal's count ← key
Why: A telescope gathers more of the stars' light. / Faint stars that eyes alone cannot see show through it. / So Dougal, with the telescope, counts more stars than Niamh.
Type 8 — PP-8 · SPA3-006 · medium
Stem: Through a telescope, Sebastian sees hundreds of stars where his eyes alone saw ten. Why does the telescope show more stars?
- It pulls the stars closer to Earth.
- It gathers more of the stars' light. ← key
- It makes new stars.
- It shines light out onto the stars.
Why: A far star sends only a little light to Earth, too little for eyes alone. / A telescope's wide opening gathers more of that light. / So faint stars show, and Sebastian sees more stars.
Type 9 — PP-9 · SPA3-005 · medium · MCQ from 29 Sep 2026 — the block below is superseded by the dated section at the end
Stem: Two stars are the same size and give out the same light. From Earth, one looks much brighter. Type the missing word: the brighter-looking star is ____ to Earth.
Typed answer. Accept: closer, the closer, a closer, nearer, the nearer, a nearer, close, the close, a close, near, the near, a near, closest, the closest, a closest, nearest, the nearest, a nearest
Why: The two stars are the same size and give out the same light. / So their size cannot make one look brighter. / The closer a light is, the brighter it looks. / So the brighter-looking star is closer to Earth.
Type 10 — PP-10 · SPA3-005 · hard
Stem: It is noon. Thaddeus looks up and sees no stars, only the Sun. Type the one word for what hides the stars: the Sun's bright ____.
Typed answer. Accept: light, the light, a light, sunlight, the sunlight, a sunlight
Why: The stars are there all day. / By day the Sun's light fills the sky. / The stars' faint light cannot be seen in the bright sky. / So the Sun's bright light hides them.
Typed items (James, 29 Sep 2026) — type 9 is an MCQ, medium
Skill: write-mcqs → review-questions (check 53) @ 5584bfd
James's ruling (29 Sep 2026; vault 10 Rules/A typed answer is asked only where the question is closed, and every correct answer is accepted.md): a text-entry item only where the question is CLOSED — one coined term, one name or one number — and every correct answer in the accept list; a direction, description, comparative or reason is OPEN and becomes a four-option MCQ. The sweep is S30; the course-wide audit is grade3/records/TYPED_ITEMS_AUDIT_2026-09-29.md. Bank items converted to MCQ drop to medium and move to the end of the medium block, because the bank's hard tier is typed entry only (S26 fails a hard MCQ) — the reasoning steps are unchanged, only the response mode; the type sheet says so per item.
Type 9 asked the student to type the missing word "the brighter-looking star is ____ to Earth" — a comparative (closer, nearer, near, not so far, close…): an OPEN answer — so it is a four-option MCQ now, tagged medium; it keeps its number (PP-9 sits before the typed PP-10, which stays the bank's hard item).
PP-9 · atom SPA3-005 · tag medium · type 9 · MCQ
Stem: Two stars are the same size and give out the same light, but from Earth one looks much brighter. Why does that star look brighter?
- a) It is closer to Earth. ← key
- b) It is farther from Earth.
- c) It is higher in the sky.
- d) The Moon shines on it.
Why: The two stars are the same size and give out the same light. / So their size cannot make one look brighter. / The closer a light is, the brighter it looks. / So the brighter-looking star is closer to Earth.
Medium (was hard because): the rule is still run backwards — from how the star looks to where it is — but the reason is recognised, not produced, and the bank's hard tier is typed entry only. Distractors: the reversed rule (b), a place-in-the-sky belief (c), and the Moon-lights-the-stars belief PP-5 also traps (d) — none restates a given. Nearest lesson-side instance: PR-8 asks WHICH star is closer; this item asks WHY the brighter one looks brighter (the reason picked). Type-9 bank items keep the form: two like lights, one looks brighter or fainter, the reason asked.
PP-10 (the Sun's bright ____) stays typed — "light" is the lexicon's word — with the list widened: + shine / brightness / sunshine / sun light / lite / brightnes / rays / shining (each bare, with "the" and with "a").
Key string of the 9 MCQs, bank order: A C B D C D A B A — A 3 · B 2 · C 2 · D 2.