You Can,t
RIDE
A
BICYCLE
TO THE MOON!
A Boo
kA
SPACEbout
TRAVE
L
Lesson Plan
OVERVIEW
In this activity, students learn about spacecraft and life in space. Students then design a spaceship
equipped to sustain astronauts.
CAN BE USED WITH
You Can’t Ride a Bicycle to the Moon by Harriet Ziefert and illustrated by Amanda Haley
(Blue Apple Books)
CONNECTIONS TO THE STANDARDS
THIRD GRADE
CCSS/ELA
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.3.7
Use information gained from illustrations (e.g., maps, photographs) and the words in a text to
demonstrate understanding of the text (e.g., where, when, why, and how key events occur).
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.2
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
NGSS/3-LS4-3
Construct an argument with evidence that in a particular habitat some organisms can survive
well, some survive less well, and some cannot survive at all.
Look for more curriculum on the “Librarian & Educator” page at
www.BlueAppleBooks.com.
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FOURTH GRADE
CCSS/ELA
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.1
Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and
]when drawing inferences from the text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.2
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
THIRD - FIFTH GRADE
NGSS/3-5-ETS1-1.
Define a simple design problem reflecting a need or a want that includes specified criteria for
success and constraints on materials, time or cost.
PREP
1. Locate a copy of You Can’t Ride a Bicycle to the Moon by Harriet Ziefert and illustrated by
Amanda Haley (Blue Apple Books).
2. Gather paper and art supplies for each student.
LESSON (POST-READING)
1. Share the illustration of the astronaut in a space suit on the “Suiting Up” page.
Talk about using labels on a diagram or picture as a part of informative writing.
2. In Chapter 2, we learn about spacecraft. Reread
the information on the “Spacecraft” page. Discuss
as a class why you can’t ride a bicycle to the
moon and discuss features a spacecraft needs
to support human life. Create a class-made
checklist of spaceship essentials: food storage,
sleeping area, etc.
3. Students can design, draw, and write about
their ideal spaceship. The spaceship should have
everything inside that astronauts need to live, as well
as something to make your spacecraft go. Students can
refer to Chapter 3 (Living in Space) for ideas. Encourage
students to use labels on any illustrations to convey
information as well as write a paragraph of
explanatory text.
Look for more curriculum on the “Librarian & Educator” page at
www.BlueAppleBooks.com.
2
EXTENSIONS
• Use the information from the book to compare and contrast spaceships and satellites.
Have students identify everyday items they use that work with a satellite.
• Hang a clothesline to use as a timeline. Use clothespins to clip in chronological order
these space travelers:
Gypsy, Leika, Starlet, and Albina
Rabbit named Little Martha
Shutka and Comet
Yuri Gagarin
Valentina Tereshkova
Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins
CURRICULUM CREATOR
Kristen Remenar is a children’s librarian, teacher, and a national presenter on early literacy.
Her picture book Groundhog’s Dilemma will be published by Charlesbridge in 2015 and will
be illustrated by her husband, author/illustrator Matt Faulkner.
Look for more curriculum on the “Librarian & Educator” page at
www.BlueAppleBooks.com.
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