g6m4_modulelessons_performancetask-0520_0

Remarkable Accomplishments in Space Science Grade 6: Module 4: Performance Task
Performance Task Overview
Summary of Task
Hidden Figures in Space Science Picture Book
Throughout the module, students will have studied the contributions and
celebrated the accomplishments of key “hidden figures” in space science,
beginning with the titular hidden figures the West Computers at NACA, who
serve as the focus of the module’s anchor text—and culminating with other
under-recognized hidden figures in space science. In this performance task,
students (working in triads) will create and contribute three pages of a class
picture book devoted to the stories of hidden figures. Each triad, or crew,
will be responsible for three pages of content centered on the focus figure
of their research. These individual stories will be compiled into an
anthology-style picture book geared toward an elementary-age audience.
Students will use models of narrative nonfiction picture books to determine
the key criteria for this genre and incorporate those characteristics into
their own pages. To create the content of the text, students will conduct
independent research into the individual of their choosing to locate
particularly remarkable accomplishments worthy of being shared. Then,
students will collaborate within their crew to compose the text for their
three-page contribution to the class picture book. Illustrations (hand-drawn
sketches or images found online) will accompany each section of text. This
performance task intends to uplift the mostly unknown stories of these
other hidden figures and distill information about them into simpler
language that can be easily shared with younger students so that they, too,
may learn about these important figures in space science.
Format
A children’s picture book created from contributions by each crew, whose
work will focus on just one of many hidden figures in space science.
Students will share duties as authors, illustrators, and editors, designing
three pages of content for their class book. Each triad will be responsible
for highlighting their individual’s accomplishments in narrative nonfiction
text with accompanying illustrations.
Standards Addressed through This Task

The performance tasks at the end of every module are neither formative nor
summative assessments. They are not formative since they come at the end
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© 2019 EL Education Inc.
of the module, concluding students’ learning about the module topic and the
literacy skills they have built over eight or nine weeks. However, they are
also not summative because they are heavily scaffolded to help students
create high-quality work, and so are not a strong measure of what students
can do independently. For these reasons, we do not recommend analyzing
performance tasks with the same lens used to analyze assessments.
Consider looking at students’ performance tasks through the lens of the
attributes of high-quality student work (authenticity, complexity, and
craftsmanship).
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Below are possible questions to keep in mind when considering these

attributes:
 Authenticity: Were the students careful to conduct accurate research
from credible sources and to paraphrase their findings responsibly? Did
students internalize the roles of author, illustrator, and editor,
understanding the connection between their work and the tasks of those
who work in these occupations? Does student work reflect an
understanding of the need to lift up the stories of those who have
historically gone unrecognized?
 Complexity: Did the students carefully consider what accomplishments
are most important to share with their audience? Do the text and
illustrations reveal an understanding of the abilities and interests of an
elementary-age audience? Do students use thoughtful, precise, and
appropriate vocabulary and grammatical structures to convey their
ideas?
 Craftsmanship: Is the text carefully crafted to appeal to a younger
audience? Are the characteristics of narrative nonfiction present in the
writing? Is the text edited for conventions and aesthetics and presented
in a professional manner? Are the illustrations carefully drawn or culled
from online sources to accurately and meaningfully reflect the events
described in the text? Did the students draw from the criteria for an
effective children’s picture book to create a book worthy of publication in
the school library? During class presentations, did the students
appropriately adjust their language (i.e., their wording, volume, and
intonation) to share their work with a larger audience?
The following standards are addressed, but not assessed:
 RI.6.1: Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says
explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
 W.6.3: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or
events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-
structured event sequences.
 W.6.4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development,
organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
(Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1–
3 above.)
 W.6.5: With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop
and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing,
rewriting, or trying a new approach. (Editing for conventions should
demonstrate command of Language standards 1–3 up to and including
grade 6.)
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 W.6.7: Conduct short research projects to answer a question, drawing

on several sources and refocusing the inquiry when appropriate.
 W.6.10: Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research,
reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day
or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
 SL.6.1: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-
on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 6
topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their
own clearly.
 SL.6.3: Delineate a speaker’s argument and specific claims,
distinguishing claims that are supported by reasons and evidence from
claims that are not.
 SL.6.4: Present claims and findings, sequencing ideas logically and using
pertinent descriptions, facts, and details to accentuate main ideas or
themes; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear
pronunciation.
 SL.6.5: Include multimedia components (e.g., graphics, images, music,
sound) and visual displays in presentations to clarify information.
 SL.6.6: Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating
command of formal English when indicated or appropriate. (See grade 6
Language standards 1 and 3 for specific expectations.)
 L.6.3: Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing,
speaking, reading, or listening.
 L.6.6: Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic
and domain-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge
when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or
expression.
Student-Friendly Writing Invitation/Task Description

Houston, we have a problem. A problem with individuals not getting the
credit they deserve for their remarkable accomplishments. Throughout this
module, you have discovered that despite the contributions of many,
sometimes only a few key individuals get recognition for incredible
achievements, such as landing humans on the moon. For this performance
task, you will research other stars of space science who have been
underrepresented, just as Margot Lee Shetterly did in Hidden Figures. In
small crews of three, you and your peers will write and illustrate one
section of a children’s picture book, focusing your section on just one of
many “hidden figures” in the field of space science. Your story should reflect
the factual information you discover during your research but be written to
appeal to a young audience. Compile your section with those written by
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your fellow crewmates to make one stellar picture book to be shared with
elementary Earthlings.
Mission Objectives
1. In crews of three, choose a focus figure, and conduct research on this
individual’s remarkable contributions to space science.
2. Determine which accomplishments should be highlighted, keeping in
mind that each crew will be responsible for three pages of content.
3. Collaborate on the completion of the narrative nonfiction picture book,
sharing duties as authors, illustrators, and editors with the rest of your
crew.
4. Present your crew’s pages of the picture book to the class, explaining
why these particular achievements were highlighted.
5. Compile your story into a class anthology to be shared with the school
community.
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Key Criteria for Success (Aligned with CCSS ELA)

Below are key criteria students need to address when completing this task.
Specific lessons during the module build in opportunities for students to
understand the criteria, offer additional criteria, and work with their
teacher to construct a criteria list by which their work will be critiqued and
formally assessed.
Your contribution to the picture book will include the following:
 research conducted on an unsung focus figure in the field of space
science chosen from the provided list of options,
 the story of this individual’s remarkable accomplishments described in a
text that incorporates the characteristics of effective narrative nonfiction
writing,
 relevant and thoughtful illustrations (hand-drawn or computer-
generated) to accompany the text, and
 a presentation of your crew’s contribution to the class book.
Options for Students

 Expand learning outside of space science. Research hidden figures in
other fields, such as music or math, and come up with other creative
ways to share their stories.
 Look for the hidden figures within your school community. Whose efforts
at school often go unnoticed? Custodians? Secretaries? Honor them in a
public way that highlights their contributions.
 Reflect on your learning across the four modules. Consider places where
the learning in the different modules overlapped. What themes emerged
in more than one module? What connections can you make between this
performance task and others, such as the audio museum in Module 3?
Engage in a reflective class discussion about the lessons that resonated
most during this school year.
Options for Teachers

 Module 4 Unit 3 lessons take into account widely varying technological
resources in classrooms. Explore options carefully, and choose what is
best for aiding students in creating their texts and illustrations. Maintain
the focus on uncovering the contributions of hidden figures rather than
on comparing artistic talents amongst students. Direct students to online
sources for free, high-quality images if they are hesitant about their
ability to create original drawings.
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 The picture book could also be created using an online resource. This
may aid the collaborative process, allowing students to work from home,
and may make it easier to keep track of materials.
 Donate the completed picture book to the school library to extend
learning to the rest of the school community.
 Arrange to have the sixth-grade students partner with students in a
lower grade for a shared reading experience of the completed picture
book.
 Besides presenting their final product to their classmates, consider
inviting parents or other adults in the school community to share in the
celebration of their completed picture books.
 Leverage local resources by inviting an actual author, illustrator, or
editor into the classroom to speak with the students about the tasks and
responsibilities associated with their profession.
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Performance Task Anchor Chart
RI.6.1, W.6.3, W.6.4, W.6.5, W.6.7, W.6.10, SL.6.1, SL.6.4, SL.6.5, SL.6.6, L.6.3, L.6.6
Hidden Figures in Space Science Picture Book
Task
Create a picture book intended for an elementary-age audience that highlights the remarkable
contributions of those who have gone unrecognized in the field of space science. Students will
work in triads, or “crews,” and each crew will be responsible for three pages of an anthology
featuring a number of hidden figures who deserve to have their achievements celebrated.
Your contribution to the children’s picture book will include
 research conducted on an unsung focus figure in the field of space science chosen from the
provided list of options,
 the story of this individual’s remarkable accomplishments described in a text that
incorporates the characteristics of effective narrative nonfiction writing,
 relevant and thoughtful illustrations (hand-drawn or computer-generated) to accompany
the text, and
Purpose
Our study of history is most accurate when we celebrate the contributions of all involved. By
uncovering the stories of hidden figures and sharing them with a wider audience in the form of
a picture book, we contribute to a better world in which everyone gets the recognition they
deserve.
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Performance Task: Picture Book Directions
W.6.3, W.6.4, L.6.3, L.6.6
Name: Date:
Houston, we have a problem. A problem with individuals not getting the credit they deserve for
their remarkable accomplishments. Throughout this module, you have discovered that despite
the contributions of many, sometimes only a few key individuals get recognition for incredible
achievements, such as landing humans on the moon. For this performance task, you will
research other stars of space science who have been underrepresented, just as Margot Lee
Shetterly did in Hidden Figures. In small crews of three, you and your peers will write and
illustrate one section of a children’s picture book, focusing your section on just one of many
“hidden figures” in the field of space science. Your story should reflect the factual information
you discover during your research but be written to appeal to a young audience. Then you will
compile your section with those written by your fellow crewmates to make one stellar picture
book to be shared with elementary Earthlings.
Mission Objectives
1. In crews of three, choose a focus figure, and conduct research on this individual’s
remarkable contributions to space science.
2. Determine which accomplishments should be highlighted, keeping in mind that each crew
will be responsible for three pages of content.
3. Collaborate on the completion of the narrative nonfiction picture book, sharing duties as
authors, illustrators, and editors with the rest of your crew.
4. Present your crew’s pages of the picture book to the class, explaining why these particular
achievements were highlighted.
5. Compile your story into a class anthology to be shared with the school community.
Your contribution to the picture book will include

 research conducted on an unsung focus figure in the field of space science chosen from the
provided list of options,
 the story of this individual’s remarkable accomplishments described in a text that
incorporates the characteristics of effective narrative nonfiction writing,
 relevant and thoughtful illustrations (hand-drawn or computer-generated) to accompany
the text, and
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Performance Task: Focus Figure Options
Name: Date:
Directions: Choose one individual from the list provided to be the focus of your research for the
Performance Task: Hidden Figures in Space Science Picture Book.
 Aglaonice: (c. 1st or 2nd century): The first female Greek astronomer, she learned to predict
lunar eclipses, which gained her a reputation as a sorceress.
 Bell Burnell, Jocelyn: (1943– ) The 1974 the Nobel Prize for Physics was awarded to British
astrophysicist Bell Burnell’s male colleagues for discovering pulsars, though it was she who
discovered the weird, fast-spinning stellar bodies first.
 Cannon, Annie Jump: (1863–1941) Cannon’s stellar classification system, developed in the
early twentieth century, is still in use today as the instrument for organizing and classifying
stars.
 Cobb, Jerrie: (1931–2019) Cobb was an aviatrix and a member of the First Lady Astronaut
Trainees, an elite group of women pilots who underwent astronaut testing but never got
the chance to go into space due to gender discrimination.
 Cochran, Jacqueline: (1906–1980) An American pilot and the first woman to break the
sound barrier, Cochran then went on to sponsor the Mercury 13 program, an effort to test
the ability of women to be astronauts.
 Collins, Eilleen: (1956– ) After retiring as a Colonel in the US Air Force, Collins went on to
become the female pilot and first female commander of a Space Shuttle.
 Easley, Annie: (1933–2011) Easley started as a computer at NACA, just like the other hidden
figures. In her thirty-year career at NASA, she worked on many projects, most notably the
Centaur rocket which landed Apollo 11 on the moon and is still being used today to send
spacecraft to Mars.
 Ghez, Andrea: (1965– ) Astronomer and black hole hunter, Ghez helped prove the existence
of the black hole at the center of our Milky Way galaxy.
 Hamilton, Margaret: (1936– ) An American computer scientist, Hamilton coined the term
software engineer. She helped write the computer code for the command and lunar
modules used on the Apollo missions.
 Herschell, Caroline: (1750–1848) Herschel discovered eight comets and became the first
woman to be awarded the gold medal of the Royal Astronomical Society.
 Howard, Ayanna: (1972– ) Working at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory as a roboticist,
Howard developed the next generation of Mars rover.
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 Jemison, Mae: (1956– ) In 1991, Jemison became the first African American woman in space
as a research scientist on the shuttle Endeavor.
 Mitchell, Maria: (1818–1889) Mitchell was the first female astronomer in the United States
and the first American scientist to discover a comet.
 Mukai, Chiaki: (1952– ) A doctor and an astronaut, Mukai was the first Japanese woman in
space.
 Ocampo, Adriana: (1955– ) Ocampo works for NASA as a Program Executive. She leads the
Juno mission to Jupiter, the New Horizons mission to Pluto, and an asteroid sample return
mission.
 Ochoa, Ellen: (1958– ) As the first female Hispanic astronaut, Ochoa has flown on four
shuttle missions, working as a mission specialist, payload commander, and flight engineer.
 Porco, Carolyn: (1953– ) An imaging scientist, Porco led several missions to map the outer
solar system and has regularly consulted on major motion pictures, such as Contact.
 Ride, Sally: (1951–2012) Ride was selected as a candidate for NASA’s astronaut program in
the same year she received her Ph.D. in astrophysics. She became the first American female
in space.
 Roman, Nancy: (1925–2018) Known as the “Mother of Hubble,” Roman led the drive to get
the Hubble Space Telescope launched. She also served as the first chief of astronomy at
NASA.
 Shoemaker, Carolyn: (1929– ) Shoemaker is an American astronomer who, until 2002, held
the record for discovering the most comets.
 Smith, Eunice Gray: (1923–2006) During her forty-year career at NASA, Smith contributed
to research on aircraft antiskid braking systems, the use of photographic evidence for
aeronautic research, aircraft tire behavior during high-speed operations, and more.
 Tartar, Jill: (1944– ) As the former director of the Center for SETI Research, Tartar led the
institute’s search for extra-terrestrial Intelligence. She earned the Lifetime Achievement
Award from Women in Aerospace and was named one of the fifty most important women
in science by Discover magazine.
 Tereskova, Valentina: (1937– ) In 1963, at age twenty-six, Tereskova became the first
woman in space and the only woman to have ever been on a solo space mission.
 Tucker, Virginia: (1910–1985) Tucker was one of the first five women hired by the Langley
Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory as a computer. As the first Head Computer, she recruited
hundreds more women computers to NASA.
 Whitson, Peggy: (1960– ) Dr. Whitson completed two six-month tours of duty aboard the
International Space Station before serving as Chief of the Astronaut Corps, for which she
prepared other astronauts for their missions aboard the ISS.
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 Williams, Sunita: (1965– ) Williams holds the records for most spacewalks by a woman
(seven), and the longest total amount of time spent on spacewalks (50 hours, 40 minutes).
She also was the first person to run a marathon in space!
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Model Performance Task: Wang Zhenyi
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Scribe Concepts for EL Education.
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Model Performance Task: Mae Jemison
15
Scribe Concepts for EL Education.
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Performance Task Presentation Checklist
SL.6.4
Name: Date:
Directions: Rehearse the presentation of your Performance Task: Hidden Figures in Space
Science Picture Book, checking to ensure that all of the following criteria are included in your
presentation. Check off whether the criterion needs improvement (Still in Liftoff) or if it has
been successfully incorporated into the presentation (Mission Accomplished!).
Put the initials of the crewmate next to the task(s) for which they are responsible, in the
Designated Crewmate column. Each crewmate should be responsible for at least one of the
four main parts of the presentation: introduction, reason 1, reason 2, or conclusion. Note: All
crewmates should initial the final criterion on the list!
Mission
Designated Still in Liftoff Accomplished
Crewmate !
Introduction
Begin with an interesting hook to engage
your audience.
Provide any necessary background on the
focus figure or the time period the
audience needs to understand the topic.
Statement
State your claim. Include the focus figure’s
name and remarkable accomplishments.
Reason 1
State the first reason that supports your
claim.
Include evidence and reasoning that
connect back to the reason.
Share them in a way that makes your
argument clear and easy to follow.
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Mission
Designated Still in Liftoff Accomplished
Crewmate !
Reason 2
State the second reason that supports your
claim. Include evidence and reasoning that
connect back to the reason.
Share them in a way that makes your
argument clear and easy to follow.
Restatement
Restate your claim, reminding the audience
of your two main reasons.
Conclusion
Conclude your presentation with a
statement that reveals additional thinking
or reflection on this topic.
Presentation Skills
Demonstrate appropriate eye contact,
adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.
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Remarkable Accomplishments in Space Science Grade 6: Module 4: Performance Task

Performance Task Overview

Hidden Figures in Space Science Picture Book

Standards Addressed through This Task

Below are possible questions to keep in mind when considering these

The following standards are addressed, but not assessed:

 W.6.7: Conduct short research projects to answer a question, drawing

Student-Friendly Writing Invitation/Task Description

Key Criteria for Success (Aligned with CCSS ELA)

Options for Students

Options for Teachers

Performance Task Anchor Chart

Hidden Figures in Space Science Picture Book

Performance Task: Picture Book Directions

W.6.3, W.6.4, L.6.3, L.6.6

Your contribution to the picture book will include

Performance Task: Focus Figure Options

Model Performance Task: Wang Zhenyi

Scribe Concepts for EL Education.

Model Performance Task: Mae Jemison

Scribe Concepts for EL Education.

Performance Task Presentation Checklist

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