Baltimore County Public Schools Office of Secondary English Language Arts
Unit 1: Student Resource: Performance Based Assessment #1
Performance Based Assessment #1
Legend or Strange Phenomenon Informational Essay Overview
Assignment: As part of Unit 1, Making Connections through Research: Connecting Research to the 21st Century, you will use credible sources and research a legend or strange phenomenon in order to develop an informational essay.
Before you begin to develop your essay, think about:
· Which of the legends or strange phenomenon interests me most? Why?
· How do I effectively research information related to the legend or strange phenomenon I selected?
· Where can I find the most credible and reliable sources to conduct my research?
· What are the most credible and reliable sources to conduct my research?
While researching, you will be:
· Navigating the BCPS databases to locate and use credible sources.
· Reading different websites in order to find credible information about your topic.
· Distinguishing the difference between relevant and irrelevant details.
· Taking notes on important research information.
· Correctly citing your sources.
Once you have finished your research, you will begin to plan, organize, and write an informational essay with the following:
· Introduction paragraph (with hook, topic overview, and main idea statement)
· At least three body paragraphs (with topic sentences and supporting details)
· Strong conclusion (with a synthesis of ideas and new learning)
Topic Choices:
Grade 6 Reading p. 6 Summer 2013
Unit 1, PBA 1
Baltimore County Public Schools Office of Secondary English Language Arts
Unit 1: Student Resource: Performance Based Assessment #1
Alien Encounters/Abductions
Amelia Earhart
Area 51
Atlantis
Bermuda Triangle
Bigfoot (Sasquatch)
Chupacabra
Crop Circles
Ghosts & Hauntings
Moai of Easter Island
Nazca Lines
Psychic Powers (ESP)
Roswell
Stonehenge
UFOs
Yeti (The Abominable Snowman)
Grade 6 Reading p. 6 Summer 2013
Unit 1, PBA 1
Baltimore County Public Schools Office of Secondary English Language Arts
Unit 1: Student Resource: Performance Based Assessment #1
PARENTS: Please sign and return the bottom portion below.
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IMPORTANT NOTE TO PARENTS: This essay is part of an ongoing, multi-step research process. It will be a major part of your student’s grade for Unit 1. Although the majority of the process will take place in school, students will be responsible for working on some aspects of the essay at home. Therefore, it is important that your student have Internet access so that they can conduct some research at home. Students who do not have Internet access at home will need to meet with their teacher to find time to research at other times before, during, or after school.
Does your student have access to the Internet (for research purposes) at home?
___Yes, there is Internet access at home
___No, there is no Internet access at home (Students will need to meet with their teacher to find time to research at other times before, during, or after school.)
I have read and reviewed the Informational Essay Overview with my student.
Student signature______
Parent Signature______Date ______
Legend or Strange Phenomenon Informational Essay
Scoring Rubric
Construct Measured / Score Point 4 / Score Point 3 / Score Point 2 / Score Point 1 / Score Point: 0Comprehension of Key Ideas and Details / Accurate analysis of the research.
Includes relevant information only.
Demonstrates complete understanding of the research. / Accurate analysis of the research.
Includes relevant information.
Demonstrates some understanding of the research. / Mostly accurate analysis of the research.
Includes relevant information.
Demonstrates minimal understanding of the research. / Minimally accurate analysis of the research.
Includes information.
Demonstrates minimal understanding of the research. / Inaccurate analysis of the research.
Includes information.
Demonstrates little to no understanding of the research.
Development of Ideas / Informs about an approved legend or phenomenon.
Comprehensively develops topic.
Uses clear, relevant, and descriptive details.
Writes consistently appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. / Informs about an approved legend or phenomenon.
Effectively develops the topic.
Uses clear and descriptive details.
Writes mostly appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. / Informs about an approved legend or phenomenon.
Somewhat develops the topic.
Uses some descriptive details.
Writes somewhat appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. / Informs about an approved legend or phenomenon.
Minimally develops the topic.
Uses minimally descriptive details.
Writes with limited appropriateness to task, purpose, and audience. / Underdeveloped
Inappropriate to task, purpose, and/or audience.
Organization / Essay flows well and is clear.
Includes a strong introduction (with hook and preview).
Includes a strong conclusion (with a synthesis of ideas and new learning).
Includes three well-organized body paragraphs (with topic sentence and supporting details for each). / Essay has flow and is mostly clear.
Includes an introduction (with hook and preview).
Includes a conclusion (with a synthesis of ideas and new learning).
Includes three body paragraphs (with topic sentence and supporting details for each). / Essay has some flow and is somewhat clear.
Includes an introduction.
Includes a conclusion.
Includes three body paragraphs. / Essay has limited flow and not very clear.
Lacks a five-paragraph structure. / Essay has no flow and is not clear.
Lacks a five-paragraph structure.
Clarity of Language (voice, word choice, sentence fluency) / Maintains formal writing style throughout.
Uses descriptive words and phrases throughout.
Uses linking and transitional words throughout. / Maintains formal writing style throughout.
Uses descriptive words and phrases.
Uses linking and transitional words. / Maintains a mostly formal writing style.
Uses some descriptive words and phrases.
Uses some linking and transitional words. / Maintains a limited formal writing style.
Uses limited descriptive words and phrases.
Uses limited linking and transitional words. / Inappropriate style of writing.
Does not use descriptive words and phrases.
Does not use linking and transitional words.
Legend or Strange Phenomenon Informational Essay
Scoring Rubric Continued
Construct Measured / Score Point 4 / Score Point 3 / Score Point 2 / Score Point 1 / Score Point: 0Conventions / Has few minor errors in grammar.
Has few minor errors in vocabulary usage.
Varies sentence structure. / Has few distracting errors in grammar.
Has few distracting errors in vocabulary usage.
Varies sentence structure. / Has distracting errors in grammar that occasionally impedes understanding.
Has few distracting errors in vocabulary usage that occasionally impedes understanding.
Somewhat varies sentence structure. / Has multiple distracting errors in grammar that sometimes impedes understanding.
Has multiple distracting errors in vocabulary usage that sometimes impedes understanding. / Has multiple distracting errors in grammar that often impedes understanding.
Has multiple distracting errors in vocabulary usage that often impedes understanding.
Citations / Uses at least three credible sources.
Cites one source accurately in essay.
Accurately formatted works cited attached. / Uses at least three credible sources.
Cites one source in essay with minor errors.
Works cited attached with minor errors. / Uses at least three sources
Incorrectly cites one source in essay.
Incorrectly formatted works cited attached. / Uses outside sources.
Does not cite one source in essay.
Incorrectly formatted works cited attached. / Uses outside sources.
Does not cite one source in essay.
No works cited is attached.
Name ______Date______
Legend or Strange Phenomenon Informational Essay
Rubric Scavenger Hunt
Directions: Students should review their Scoring Rubric: Student Resource in order to complete the following questions.
1. In the section: Comprehension of Key Ideas and Details, what is the difference between earning a Score 3 compared to a Score 2?
______
2. In the section: Development of Ideas, list two things that a student must include in order to earn a Score 4.
______
3. In the section: Organization, what is the difference between earning a Score 3 compare to a Score 2?
______
4. In the section: Clarity of Language (voice, word choice, sentence fluency), it is important to use linking and ______words. Then give an example.
______
5. In the section: Conventions, what is the difference between earning a Score 4 compared to a Score 3?
______
6. In the section: Citations, how many credible sources need to be included in order to earn a Score 4? Then define credible. ______
Example A (Score of ______)
The Loch Ness Monster: Does Nessie Really Exist?
According to some, deep in the waters of Scotland’s Loch Ness lurks a mysterious dragon-like creature known as Nessie. For years, the people of Scotland and all over the world have debated whether or not this elusive creature really exists. Many believers and researchers have tried to find the evidence that will finally settle this debate, but the mystery continues to this day.
One such believer who is certain of the existence of Nessie is Gerald McSorley, a retired sea captain from Sterling Scotland. In 2003, McSorley found a fossil belonging to a “plesiosaur, a fearsome predator that ruled the seas between 200 and 65 million years ago.”
(Owen 2013). He insists that the fossil was found in Loch Ness. However, most experts believe that the location of the found fossil was faked and that it did not come from Loch Ness, but from 30 miles northeast of where Nessie supposedly lives. Because of this debate, the secret of Loch Ness endures.
Yet another team of experts who has stirred the debate about Nessie is a BBC team who set out to discover Scotland’s legendary monster. The team of researchers hoped that their equipment would detect the air in Nessie’s lungs and reflect a signal back to the sonar sensors. However, “using 600 separate sonar beams and satellite navigation technology to ensure that none of the loch was missed, the team surveyed the waters said to hide the legendary tourist attraction but found no trace of the monster.” And even though this evidence supports the idea that Nessie does not really exist, true believers still insist that Nessie really lurks in the water of Loch Ness.
Further evidence that fuels the Nessie debate is the geological activity discovered by Italian geologist Luigi Piccardi. He believes that Loch Ness lies on an ancient fault line, which creates small shocks that causes large bubbles that rise to the surface of the lake. Piccardi believes that over the years, observers have mistaken these bubbles for the shape of a large reptile, or Nessie-like creature. However, Nessie enthusiasts disagree, arguing that most Nessie sightings include foreign objects rising out of the water, not just bubbles on the surface. Once again, the experts and enthusiasts keep the debate alive.
As this research suggests, the mystery of Nessie is not an easy debate to settle. Many have claimed to see her over the years, but no one has actually produced the conclusive evidence that settles the debate. Until the actual monster is found, the mystery will continue.
Works Cited
“BBC ‘Proves’ Nessie Does Not Exist.” BBC News. 27 June. 2003. Web. 14 June. 2013.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3096839.stm
Bennett Smith, Meredith. “Loch Ness Monster Mystery Solved? ‘Nessie’ Just Bubble From Seismic Activity,
Geologist Says.” Huffington Post, 4 July, 2013. Web. 14 July 2013.
<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/04/loch-ness-monster-seismic-activity_n_3542214.html>
Owen, James. “Loch Ness Sea Monster Fossil a Hoax, Say Scientists.” National Geographic News, 29 July,
2003. Web. 14 July 2013. <http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/07/0729_030729_
lochness.html>
Example B (Score of ______)
The Loch Ness Monster: Does Nessie Really Exist?
Deep in the waters of Scotland’s Loch Ness lurks a mysterious dragon-like creature known as Nessie. The people of Scotland and all over the world have debated whether or not this creature really exists.
One such believer who is certain of the existence of Nessie is Gerald McSorley, a retired sea captain from Sterling Scotland. He insists a fossil he found came from Loch Ness. Most experts believe that the location of the found fossil was faked. This makes the secret of Loch Ness endure.
A BBC team set out to discover Scotland’s legendary monster. The team of researchers hoped that their equipment would detect the air in Nessie’s lungs, but it did not. Even though this evidence supports the idea that Nessie does not really exist, true believers still insist that Nessie really lurks in the water of Loch Ness.
Luigi Piccardi believes that Loch Ness lies on an ancient fault line, which creates small shocks that causes large bubbles that rise to the surface of the lake. Nessie enthusiasts disagree, arguing that most Nessie sightings include foreign objects rising out of the water, not just bubbles on the surface. Once again, the experts and enthusiasts keep the debate alive.
As this research suggests, the mystery of Nessie is not an easy debate to settle. Many have claimed to see her over the years, but no one actually has.
Works Cited
Owen, James. “Loch Ness Sea Monster Fossil a Hoax, Say Scientists.” National Geographic News, 29 July,
2003. Web. 14 July 2013. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/07/0729_030729_ lochness.html
“Loch Ness Monster Mystery Solved? ‘Nessie’ Just Bubble From Seismic Activity,
Geologist Says.” Bennett Smith, Meredith. Huffington Post, 4 July, 2013. Web. 14 July 2013.
<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/04/loch-ness-monster-seismic-activity_n_3542214.html>
Grade 6 Reading p. 6 Summer 2013
Unit 1, PBA 1