Unit1, Cluster 4 Assignment : Language Arts, 7th grade

Web scavenger hunt: Search the following web site links to collect data on
our solar system and missions to the planets in the Milky Way.

Student Research Questions:
1. Essential Question:
Do you believe humans will colonize other planets in our solar system?
Why? or Why not?
2. What are the obstacles to investigation of Pluto?
3. Which planets are most likely to be visited by humans from Earth? Why?
4. NASA and the United States have a plan for Earth’s moon. What is the next planned step?
5. What mission is planned to explore Pluto? Describe the Mission and its objectives.
6. What missions have explored Mars? When did they occur? What has been revealed?
7. Which countries are participating in the International Space Station? What is required to keep the Space Station operational? What is the space station’s function and value to us?
8. How are photographs of Planets, Moons and Kuiper Space bodies delivered to Earth?
9. Where is the Hubble Telescope?
10. Describe the NASA mission in which a teacher-astronaut will go to the International Space Station. Include the Date, Mission Title, Name of the Teacher-Astronaut, and her Objectives.

Standards:

• Content Standard: CA ( http://www.cde.ca.gov/ci ).
  R3.2 Identify events that advance plot
  R3.3 Analyze characterization
  R3.4 Identify and analyze themes across works
  W1.7 Revise writing to improve organization and word choice
  W2.1 Write fictional narratives
  LS2.1 Deliver narrative presentations
• Technology Standard: (NETS for Students - http://cnets.iste.org/students/s_stands.html)
  A1. Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry
  A2. Understanding about Scientific inquiry
  D: Earth and Space Science
  Profile for technology literate students: grades 6-8:
  3: Gather data, examine patterns and apply information for decision making, using digital tools and resources

Objectives (steps: A,B,C,D), Assessment and grading rubric by %:

A) Collect scientific data from the web sites. In using the solar system we are crossing curriculum of science and language arts. The 10 questions are to be answered as a web scavenger hunt assignment. The questions represent 30% of the grade. Answers may be short sentences. You must answer in your own words. Submit assignment (A) in class. Due date: Sept 10,2007

B) Read Ray Bradbury’s, “Dark They Were and Golden Eyed”. (7th grade literature text, p. 478). Identify the plot (rising action, climax, falling action, and climax) in this short story (10%) Submit a plot outline in class. Due date: September 12, 2007

C) Write an original short story, after you have gathered concrete facts from the specified NASA web sites and have read the literature example from the text book.
Use your own imagination, as science fiction writers do, to create a story that might happen in the future. You may choose to write a story that could never happen. The short story is graded on grade level skills, such as setting, plot, theme, and characterization (30%)
Sentences, grammar and spelling will be peer corrected and returned to the student for correction before uploading to the Class Blog. Present the short story in class and correct before completing Step D, (10%) Due date for peer grading: September 18, 2007

D) Final step: publish YOUR short story on the Blog. Identify your work with Author, Title and Date. Comment on at least three other student's work on the Blog website (20%), being mindful of web etiquette. Due date: September 20, 2007