Grade 3 Informational Performance Task: Astronauts 2
Sources for Performance Task:
Source #1
You have found a source describing the type of training that astronauts receive in
order to do their job.
What is an Astronaut?
by Talia Yee
Have you ever thought about what it is like in space? Astronauts are people who go
out into space. Being an astronaut is an exciting job. Astronauts who see Earth
from space say that it is round, like a ball. While in space, astronauts can look
down and see clouds, land, and water. Some can even see the moon up close.
Astronauts get the chance to see more stars than you or I have ever seen.
Being and astronaut may be exciting, but it is not an easy job. A person who wants
to be an astronaut has to study for years. There are many things an astronaut must
learn to do before going into space for the first time.
A Weightless Astronaut in Space
Astronauts train for hundreds of hours. During their training, they learn about
space. This type of training might include studying the stars and Earth. It is
important that astronauts study space so that they understand what they will work
with while in space. The astronauts also learn medical skills like basic first aid
during their training. This training allows them to treat simple medical problems so
that they can keep each other healthy and safe in space.
In their training, astronauts also learn what life is like on the International Space
Station (ISS). The ISS is a large spacecraft that orbits the earth. The ISS is a place
where astronauts do science experiments while in space. Astronauts also learn to
eat, exercise, and do experiments while floating in the air. They also practice riding
in special vehicles that are just for space. These vehicles bring supplies like food
and fuel to the ISS. The vehicles are about the size of a pick-up truck with 12
wheels. Astronauts even take classes in scuba diving!* When they’re walking
underwater in their scuba suits, astronauts feel the same as they would feel walking
in space. Lastly, astronauts must also learn how to work together as a team. This is
important because as many as eight astronauts may be in one spacecraft. These
astronauts have to learn how to live and work together in space.
Each astronaut has a special job to do as part of the team. Some astronauts learn
how to put things together so they become good at fixing things. This is important
because if something on a spaceship breaks, the astronauts must be able to fix it
themselves. Some astronauts are pilots who know how to fly airplanes. These
astronauts have to study how to fly and steer a spaceship. They train for many
hours to learn how to turn it, how to make it go faster and slower, and how to
guide it through space. Some astronauts are leaders and are in charge of all of the