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Chapter 1 Performance Assessment

The table shows the average distance from the sun for each planet in our solar system. Planet Earth Jupiter Mars Mercury Neptune Pluto Saturn Uranus Venus Average distance from the sun 92,900,000 miles 483,880,000 miles 141,710,000 miles 35,980,000 miles 2,796,460,000 miles 3,666,000,000 miles 887,140,000 miles 1,783,980,000 miles 67,240,000 miles Average distance to the nearest million miles

1. Draw a picture including the sun and each of the nine planets, in the order they occur according to the data in the table. How many planets are closer to the sun than Earth? How many planets are farther from the sun than Earth?

2. Round each distance in the table to the nearest million miles. Use the rounded numbers to estimate the distance between each pair of neighboring planets and write the estimates on your picture.

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3. Choose a planet that you would like to visit. How far is the planet from Earth? Explain how you found your answer.

4. Assume you have access to a special spaceship that can travel 1 million miles each day. How long would it take to get from Earth to the planet you chose to visit? Explain how you decided.

Chapter 1 Performance Assessment

Chapter 1 Performance Assessment

Teacher Notes
Concepts and Skills This activity requires students to: order large whole numbers. round large whole numbers. estimate differences. subtract large whole numbers. use place-value patterns. Guiding the Activity Note that the distances in the table are approximate as actual distances from the sun vary with the revolution around the sun. Encourage students to underline the appropriate digit before rounding. Students may need help in starting their pictures. Answers 1. Check that students draw the planets in the following order, from the sun outward: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto; 2; 6 2. Pictures should include the following distances. Mercury to Venus: 31,000,000 miles; Venus to Earth: 26,000,000 miles; Earth to Mars: 49,000,000 miles; Mars to Jupiter: 342,000,000 miles; Jupiter to Saturn: 403,000,000 miles; Saturn to Uranus: 897,000,000 miles; Uranus to Neptune: 1,012,000,000 miles; Neptune to Pluto: 870,000,000 miles
Planet Earth Jupiter Mars Mercury Neptune Pluto Saturn Uranus Venus Average distance from the sun 92,900,000 miles 483,880,000 miles 141,710,000 miles 35,980,000 miles 2,796,460,000 miles 3,666,000,000 miles 887,140,000 miles 1,783,980,000 miles 67,240,000 miles Average distance to the nearest million miles 93,000,000 484,000,000 142,000,000 36,000,000 2,796,000,000 3,666,000,000 887,000,000 1,784,000,000 67,000,000

Scoring Rubric
Level 4 Standard to be achieved for performance at specified level Full Achievement The student ordered, rounded, estimated, and subtracted correctly. The student demonstrated a thorough understanding of place value concepts. Explanations were well written. Substantial Achievement The student ordered, rounded, estimated, and subtracted with only minor errors. The student demonstrated understanding of place value concepts. Explanations were basically well written. Partial Achievement The student ordered, rounded, estimated, and subtracted with errors. The student demonstrated a limited understanding of place value concepts. Explanations were fairly complete, but not well written. Little Achievement The student needed considerable help in ordering, rounding, estimating, and subtracting. The student either used inappropriate operations or made other computational errors. Place value concepts were not understood. Explanations and descriptions were missing or unclear. No Achievement The student provided a completely incorrect response, one that was not interpretable, or no response at all.

3. Sample answer: Saturn; 794,240,000 miles; I subtracted the distance from the sun to Saturn and the distance from the sun to Earth. 4. Sample answer: 795 days; There are a little more than 794 million miles in the distance from Earth to Saturn.

Chapter 1 Performance Assessment

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