Landing Humans on the Moon 

Appendix A.—Rubric for Engineering Design Process (EDP) 

EDP Step Novice 

(0) 

Apprentice

(1) 

Journeyperson

(2) 

Expert

(3) 

Score 

Identify the problem 

(Ask) 

Student does not 

identify the 

problem 

Student incorrectly 

identifies the 

problem 

Student identifies 

part of the problem 

Student fully and 

correctly identifies 

the problem 

Brainstorm a 

solution (Imagine) 

Student does not 

brainstorm 

Student generates 

one possible 

solution 

Student provides 

two solutions 

Student provides 

three or more 

possible solutions 

Develop a solution 

(Plan) 

Student does not 

select or present a 

solution, or the 

solution is off-task 

Student presents a 

solution that is 

incomplete or 

lacking details 

Student selects a 

solution but does 

not consider all 

criteria and 

constraints 

Student selects a 

solution that 

considers all criteria 

and constraints 

Create a prototype 

(Create) 

Student does not 

directly contribute 

to the creation of a 

prototype 

Student creates a 

prototype that does 

not meet problem 

criteria and 

constraints 

Student’s prototype 

meets most 

problem criteria and 

constraints 

Student creates a 

prototype that 

meets all problem 

criteria and 

constraints 

Test a prototype 

(Test) 

Student does not 

contribute to the 

testing of the 

prototype 

Student conducts 

tests that are 

irrelevant to the 

problem or do not 

accurately assess 

strengths and 

weaknesses of the 

prototype 

Student conducts 

carefully performed 

tests that consider 

one to two 

strengths and 

weaknesses of 

prototype 

Student conducts 

relevant and 

carefully performed 

tests that consider 

three or more 

strengths and 

weaknesses of 

prototype 

Redesign based on 

data and testing 

(Improve) 

Student does not 

contribute to the 

redesign 

Student does not 

improve the design 

or address 

concerns 

Student addresses 

one concern to 

improve the design 

Student addresses 

two or more testbased concerns to 

improve the design 

Communicate 

results from testing 

(Share) 

Student does not 

communicate 

results 

Student shares 

random results 

Student shares 

organized results 

but results are 

incomplete 

Student shares 

detailed, organized 

results with group 

Total 

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Landing Humans on the Moon 

Appendix B.—Rubric for Scientific Research Process (SRP) 

SRP Step Novice 

(0) 

Apprentice 

(1) 

Journeyperson

(2) 

Expert

(3) 

Score 

Pose questions 

Student does not 

identify the question 

Student incorrectly 

identifies the question 

Student identifies part 

of the question 

Student identifies the 

question completely 

Develop 

hypothesis 

Student does not state 

hypothesis 

Student generates a 

hypothesis that is not 

clearly stated or well 

thought out and is not 

testable 

Student generates a 

hypothesis that is 

clearly stated and 

testable 

Student generates a 

hypothesis that is 

formulated using 

appropriate terms and 

is testable 

Plan the 

investigation 

Student does not plan 

investigation 

Student does plan the 

investigation, but it is 

largely incomplete (no 

testing of hypothesis) 

Student does plan the 

investigation but does 

not adequately test 

the hypothesis 

previously stated 

Student does plan the 

investigation and 

adequately tests the 

hypothesis previously 

stated 

Assemble 

data 

Student does not 

present data 

Student does present 

data but uses 

inappropriate 

presentation for the 

type of data 

Student does present 

data and uses the 

appropriate 

presentation for the 

type of data 

Student presents data 

that show trends or 

patterns (insight) and 

uses the appropriate 

presentation for the 

type of data 

Document 

conclusions 

Student does not 

document 

conclusions 

Student does 

document 

conclusions, but the 

conclusions are 

incomplete or 

suggests student does 

not understand the 

conclusion 

Student does 

document conclusions 

and shows an 

understanding of 

evidence 

interpretation 

Student does 

document conclusion 

and shows 

understanding of 

evidence 

interpretations as well 

as any limitations 

Present 

findings 

Student does not 

communicate results 

Student shares 

random results 

Student shares 

organized results, but 

results are 

incomplete 

Student shares 

detailed, organized 

results with group 

Total 

Next Gen STEM  67 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Landing Humans on the Moon 

Appendix C.—Glossary of Key Terms 

Cargo. Goods carried on a large vehicle 

Central crater uplift. A mountain in the center of large (greater than 40 kilometers in diameter) impact craters 

Cinder cone. A low, broad, dark, cone-shaped hill formed by an explosive volcanic eruption 

Constraint. Limitation or restriction 

Crater ejecta. Material thrown out from and deposited around an impact crater 

Criteria. Standard for evaluating 

Dome. A low, circular, rounded hill suspected to be a volcanic landform 

Highlands. Bright areas of the Moon composed of countless overlapping craters (ranging from 1 to over 1,000 meters) that formed 

when meteorites crashed into the Moon 

Illumination. Period during which a lunar South Pole region site receives direct sunlight 

Impact crater. A roughly circular hole created when something, such as a meteorite, struck the Moon’s surface 

Kelvin. The kelvin (K) is the standard international (SI) unit of thermodynamic temperature 

Lava flow. A breakout of magma from underground onto the surface 

Maria. Areas that formed when lava flows filled in low places. The low places are mostly inside huge basins that were formed by large 

meteor impacts. The maria cover 16 percent of the Moon’s surface. 

Multi-ringed basin. Huge impact crater surrounded by circular mountain chains 

Optimize. Optimize is making the best or most effective use of a resource 

Orbiting lunar habitat. An outpost orbiting the Moon that provides vital support for long-term human return to the lunar surface as 

well as a staging point for deep space exploration 

Polyominoes. Equal-sized squares joined together edge to edge to form a plane geometric figure 

Priority. The fact or condition of one thing being regarded as more important than another 

Ray. Bright streak of material blasted out from an impact crater 

Rille. A channel in the lunar maria formed by an open lava channel or a collapsed lava tube 

Slope. The measure of the rise (steepness) or fall (inclination) of a feature relative to the horizontal plane 

Terraced crater walls. Steep walls of an impact crater with “stair steps” created by slumping due to gravity and landslides 

Topographic map. A detailed, two-dimensional representation of a three-dimensional surface that gives an accurate representation 

of its features and shape 

Volatile. A chemical element or compound that is a gas at room temperature and has been deposited in the top layers of the Moon’s 

surface 

Water ice. Frozen water mixed in the regolith (lunar soil) on the Moon in the form of grains 

Wrinkle ridge. A long, narrow, wrinkly, hilly section in the maria 

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