GRASPS Performance Task

Science Topic: Day and Night Sky Grade Level: Second

Submitted by: Jacqueline Fawaz

Performance Task – GRASPS

Goal – Students will illustrate, label, explain and diagram through knowledge gained:

ü The size, brightness, and patterns of stars

ü What causes day and night

ü How shadows can tell a story

ü How changes of the moon follow patterns called phases

Role – You are an astronomer who has just returned from outer space. Your task is to complete a poster describing what you have learned and observed about patterns in the sky.

Audience – Your first grade buddy class

Situation –Your first grade buddy class has just finished a unit about weather and how patterns in weather effect the seasons. They are still confused about how the position of the sun, moon, and earth helps make these patterns. They have told their teacher through a 3-2-1 summarizer activity, they want to learn more about the night sky. Your teacher has spoken with the first grade teacher and told her you can provide information on the night sky from knowledge you have gained during your night views unit.

Product/Performance - You will create a poster that will have four sections. You will use this poster to explain to your first grade buddy class how the position of the sun, moon and earth make patterns in the sky. Using the information you have gained during this unit and your journal, you will, illustrate, label, diagram and explain these four topics: (you may change these titles if desired)

ü The Starry Night (Explain why stars have different sizes, brightness and patterns and include examples of constellations)

ü What Causes Day And Night? (Explain how the earth’s rotation indicates when it faces the sun it is day and when it turns away from the sun it is night)

ü Shadows Can Tell A Story (Explain how the direction of the sun shining on earth can cause shadows and these shadows change throughout the day, include information about sundials)

ü The Changing Face Of The Moon (Explain the orbit of moon around earth and how the reflection of the sun causes patterns called phases and include through illustrations new, full, half, and crescent)

Standard/Criteria for Success – see rubric

Making A Poster : NIGHT VIEWS

CATEGORY	4	3	2	1
PICTURES -CLEARNESS	ALL pictures are clear and easy to see by the whole class. There are at least 3 pictures for each of the 4 sections of the poster.	Most pictures are clear and easy to see by most of the class. There are at least 2 pictures for each of the 4 sections of the poster	Most pictures are clear and easy to see by most of the class. There is at least 1 picture for each of the 4 sections of the poster.	The pictures are not clear or are too small and hard to see by the class. There are less than 4 pictures on the poster
LABELS -correct spelling -large & easy to read -factual information -Items of importance: constellations, sun, earth, earth’s rotation, moon, moon’s orbit, phases of the moon; full, half, and crescent	ALL items of importance on the poster are CLEARLY and CORRECTLY labeled with labels that can be seen by the whole class.	Almost all items of importance on the poster are CLEARLY and CORRECTLY labeled with labels that can be seen by most of the class.	Some items of importance on the poster are CLEARLY and CORRECTLY labeled with labels that can be seen by most of the class.	Labels are too small to view and are hard to see by the class OR no important items were labeled.
REQUIREMENTS IN 4 SECTIONS: 1. STARS AND CONSTELLATIONS *size, brightness, patterns 2. CAUSES OF DAY AND NIGHT *how earth’s rotation affects day and night 3. HOW SHADOWS TELL TIME *earth’s rotation impacts the sun’s direction on the earth 4. PHASES OF THE MOON *orbit of the moon around earth causes phases; full, half, and crescent	The poster includes all 4 required elements AS WELL AS additional information.	All 4 required elements are included on the poster.	All but 1 of the required elements are included on the poster.	Several required elements were missing.
CONTENT - ACCURACY	ALL facts are correct and there are at least 2 facts in each section displayed on the poster AS WELL AS at least one additional fact in any of the sections.	ALL facts are correct and there are at least 2 facts in each section displayed on the poster.	Most facts are correct and there is least 1 fact in each section displayed on the poster.	There are less than 4 correct facts displayed on the poster.
ATTRACTIVENESS	The poster is EXCEPTIONALLY attractive in terms of design, layout, and neatness. Definitions and facts are easy to read and written carefully.	The poster is attractive in terms of design, layout and neatness. Definitions and facts are easy to read and written carefully.	The poster is satisfactorily attractive though it may be a bit messy. Some definitions and facts are hard to read and are not written carefully.	The poster is messy and poorly planned. Definitions and facts are hard to read and the writing is not neat.