Middle Years Program: Year 1: Grade 6 – Unit Four

GRASPS Performance Task: Spaceport Proposals and Presentations

Goal: The UAE, as well as private industries and other countries all have a vision for a
human colony on Mars. As with cities on Earth, a transportation centre (spaceport) will be
critical. This spaceport will need to be able to support take-offs and landings of a variety of
vehicles from the Earth and the Moon. It will also need to support vehicles used to travel
around Mars. The facility must meet the needs of the people who use these vehicles. Shelter,
conveniences, and safety will be vital parts of a successful spaceport. Similar to an airport or
ocean port, these facilities will need to allow these vehicles to "dock" at the port. 

Role: You are part of a team of transportation consultants working for a private company
interested in building the first spaceport on Mars. The UAE Space Agency is sponsoring a
contest to award the first Martian spaceport contract to an organization. You will be
competing with many other aerospace firms to win this contract. It will be critical to
understand: 
 potential vehicles using the spaceport; 
 the wants and needs of people using the spaceport; and 
 potential environmental impact on the building and utilization of the spaceport. 

Audience: Members of the UAE’s Space Agency will be reviewing and judging the spaceport proposals and presentations. Since this contract will involve
the design stage and the actual building of the facility is slated for 2035, you will need to be creative in your thinking and design the facility for vehicles
that do not yet exist. 
Situation: As the UAE considers returning to space and eventually setting up a colony on Mars, the federal government and many private industries are
building vehicles to send into space and to transport people around the lunar and Martian landscape. Many years of planning and preparation must begin
now for these future hubs of transportation. As a transportation consultant you will be submitting a proposal to design the first Martian spaceport. To
accomplish this task, you will need to research many of the vehicles that are currently in design and construction to help people get to these far-away
destinations. Please use the internet to discover some of these public and private projects. This project takes innovation and creativity on your part, as you
must think futuristically. 
Product Options:  
1. Please choose either a vehicle that will get you to and from Mars or a vehicle that will get you around Mars. To share with others how these
vehicles would work and look, please construct either a drawing or model of the vehicle. Include with your drawing/model important information
about your vehicle, such as how the motor works and the materials used to build it. Be sure to create your drawing/model using appropriate scale. 
 2. Create a narrated presentation that depicts the history of vehicles used to transport people beyond the Earth's atmosphere, as well as into space
during the past 60 years. Conclude this multimedia presentation with potential futuristic vehicles that may be used to move people to and from Mars,
as well as around Mars. Be sure to create your drawing/model using appropriate scale. 

Standards:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose,
and audience. (Refers to W.6.2 in this context)  
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.2 
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of
relevant content. 
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.2.A
Introduce a topic; organize ideas, concepts, and information, using strategies such as definition, classification, comparison/contrast, and
cause/effect; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., charts, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.2.B
Develop the topic with relevant facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.2.C
Use appropriate transitions to clarify the relationships among ideas and concepts.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.2.D
Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.2.E
Establish and maintain a formal style.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.2.F
Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from the information or explanation presented.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.6.1 
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. 
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.6.2 
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing. 
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.6.6 
Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a
word of phrase important to comprehension or expression. 
Criterion B: Organizing
Achievement Level Descriptor Task Specific Clarifications
Level
0 You do not reach a standard described by any of the descriptors below.
Unintelligible  Off-topic  Copied text  Off-purpose
1–2 You: The response is related to the topic but may demonstrate little or no awareness of the purpose, audience, and
i. make minimal use of organizational task; and it may have little or no controlling idea or discernible organizational structure.
structures, though these may not always The response may include the following:
serve the context and intention.  Confusing or ambiguous ideas
iii. makes minimal use of referencing and  Few or no transitional strategies
formatting tools to create a  Frequent extraneous ideas that impede understanding
presentation style that may not always be  Too brief to demonstrate knowledge of focus or organization
suitable to the context and
intention.
Minimally integrates/cites sources using MLA8 style with many errors.
3–4 You: The response is somewhat sustained within the purpose, audience, and task but may include loosely related or
i. make adequate use of organizational extraneous material; and it may have a controlling idea with an inconsistent organizational structure.
structures that serve the context and The response may include the following:
intention.  Focused controlling idea but insufficiently sustained or unclear
iii. makes adequate use of referencing and  Inconsistent use of transitional strategies with little variety
formatting tools to create a  Uneven progression of ideas from beginning to end with an inadequate introduction or conclusion
presentation style suitable to the context and Adequately integrates and cites sources using MLA8 style with some errors.
intention.
5–6 You: The response is adequately sustained and generally focused within the purpose, audience, and task; and it has
i. make competent use of organizational a clear controlling idea and evident organizational structure with a sense of completeness.
structures that serve the context and The response includes most of the following:
intention  Maintained controlling idea, though some loosely related material may be present
iii. makes competent use of referencing and  Adequate use of a variety of transitional strategies to clarify the relationships between and among ideas
formatting tools to create a  Adequate progression of ideas from beginning to end with a sufficient introduction and conclusion
presentation style suitable to the context and  Appropriate style and objective tone established
intention.
Competently integrates and cites credible sources using MLA8 style.
7–8 You: The response is fully sustained and consistently focused within the purpose, audience, and task; and it has a
i. make sophisticated use of organizational clear controlling idea and effective organizational structure creating coherence and completeness.
structures that serve the context and The response includes most of the following:
intention effectively  Strongly maintained controlling idea with little or no loosely related material
iii. makes excellent use of referencing and  Skillful use of a variety of transitional strategies to clarify the relationships between and among ideas
 formatting tools to create an  Logical progression of ideas from beginning to end with a satisfying introduction and conclusion 
effective presentation style. Appropriate style and objective tone established and maintained
Effectively integrates and cites credible sources using MLA8 style.

Criterion C: Producing Text

Achievemen Level Descriptor Task Specific Clarifications
t Level
0 You did not reach a standard described by any of the descriptors below.
Unintelligible  Off-topic  Copied text  Off-purpose
1–2 You: The response provides minimal support/evidence for the controlling idea or main idea, including little if any use of sources, facts, and details.
i. select few relevant details and The response may include the following:
examples to support ideas.  Minimal, absent, erroneous, or irrelevant evidence or citations from the source material
.  Expression of ideas that is vague, unclear, or confusing
 Limited and often inappropriate language or domain specific vocabulary
 Sentences limited to simple constructions
3–4 You: The response provides uneven, cursory support/evidence for the controlling idea or main idea that includes partial use of sources, facts, and
i. select some relevant details and details.
examples to support ideas. The response may include the following:
 Weakly integrated evidence from sources; erratic or irrelevant references or citations
 Repetitive or ineffective use of elaborative techniques
 Imprecise or simplistic expression of ideas
 Some use of inappropriate domain-specific vocabulary
 Most sentences limited to simple constructions
5–6 You: The response provides adequate support, citing evidence for the controlling idea or main idea that includes the use of sources, facts, and details.
i. select sufficient relevant details The response includes most of the following:
and examples to support ideas.  Generally integrated and relevant evidence from sources, though references may be general or imprecise
 Adequate use of some elaborative techniques
 Adequate expression of ideas, employing a mix of precise and general language
 Domain-specific vocabulary generally appropriate for the audience and purpose
 Some variation in sentence structure
7–8 You: The response provides thorough and convincing support, citing evidence for the controlling idea or main idea that includes the effective use of
i. select extensive relevant details sources, facts, and details.
and examples to support ideas. The response includes most of the following:
  Smoothly integrated, thorough, and relevant evidence, including precise references to sources
 Effective use of a variety of elaborative techniques (including but not limited to definitions, quotations, and examples), demonstrating an
understanding of the topic and text
 Clear and effective expression of ideas, using precise language
 Academic and domain-specific vocabulary clearly appropriate for the audience and purpose
 Varied sentence structure, demonstrating language facility

Criterion D: Using Language

Achievement Level Descriptor Task Specific Clarifications
Level
0 You do not reach a standard described by any of the descriptors below.
Unintelligible  Off-topic  Copied text  Off-purpose
1–2 You:
i. use a limited range of appropriate vocabulary and forms of o You use one or less technical word related to space transportation.
expression o Most words, phrases, and sentences used in your response are not correctly
iii. use grammar, syntax and punctuation with limited accuracy; punctuated, and pronouns are mostly incorrect.
errors often hinder communication o Many of the words you use are not spelled correctly.
iv. spell and pronounce with limited accuracy; errors often
hinder communication
3–4 You:
i. use an adequate range of appropriate vocabulary and forms of o You use two technical words related to space transportation.
expression o At least half of the words, phrases, and sentences used in your response are
iii. use grammar, syntax and punctuation with some degree of correctly punctuated, and pronouns are sometimes correct.
accuracy; errors sometimes hinder communication o At least half of the words you use are spelled correctly.
iv. spell and pronounce with some degree of accuracy; errors
sometimes hinder communication
5–6 You:
i. use a varied range of appropriate vocabulary and forms of o You use at least three technical words related to space transportation.
expression o Almost all the words, phrases, and sentences used in your response are
iii. use grammar, syntax and punctuation with a considerable correctly punctuated, and pronouns are mostly correct.
degree of accuracy; errors do not hinder effective o Almost all the words you use are spelled correctly.
communication
iv. spell and pronounce with a considerable degree of accuracy;
errors do not hinder effective communication
7–8 You:
i. effectively use a range of appropriate vocabulary and forms of o You use four or more technical word related to space transportation.
expression
iii. use grammar, syntax and punctuation with a high degree of
accuracy; errors are minor and communication is effective
iv. spell and pronounces with a high degree of accuracy; errors
are minor and communication is effective
o All or almost all the words, phrases, and sentences used in your response are
correctly punctuated, and all pronouns used are correct.
o All or almost all the words you use are spelled correctly.