TEACHER’S GUIDE
TEACHER’S GUIDE
Discussions that ensue from thought-provoking questions provide a good
way to assess the overall depth of student understanding. The following
are some suggested discussion questions.
1. What events started the “Space Race?”What country was the United
States competing against? How has that spirit of competition changed
over the years?
• www.grc.nasa.gov/Other_Groups/
K-12/TRC/Rockets/RocketActivitiesHome.html
This NASA site contains activities that demonstrate principles of rocketry, a
detailed history of rockets and links to other worthwhile sites useful for
studying rocketry in the middle school classroom.
• spaceflight.nasa.gov/history/index.html
This site describes human space flight history from the first Mercury missions to the latest Space Shuttle mission.
• quest.arc.nasa.gov/women/intro.html.
This site is an excellent source of inspiration and information about women
who have chosen to pursue careers in the field of space exploration. It contains activities designed to promote gender equity in teaching math and
science, as well as interactive events featuring women who have achieved
firsts in their fields.
2. How did the telescope change our perception of the universe?
3. How has space exploration changed since the beginning of the “Space
Age”?
4. What were the now-famous words of Neil Armstrong? What did he
mean?
Follow-up Activities
• Research the history of rockets, from their use thousands of years ago to
the modern age, which began in 1926 when Robert Goddard sent a
rocket fueled by a liquid propellant 12.5 meters into the air. Bring in an
amateur rocket hobbyist. Have him/her explain and launch different
types of rockets.
• While the space shuttle always launches from Kennedy Space Center in
Florida, there are many other NASA agencies located around the country
that are deeply involved in the space program. Have students choose a
NASA space center in Texas, California,Alabama, New York or elsewhere
to research.They can then present a short report on the specific missions
of the space center to the class.
• Discuss with students the prospect of normal life with no artificial satellites
orbiting the Earth. How would our lifestyles change? Create short stories
that depict the changes we would face.
• Because of Galileo Galilei’s astronomical discoveries, many accepted
beliefs of philosophers were proven wrong. Galileo was arrested and put
on trial for these new views of the solar system. Research this historical
event and create an in-class re-enactment of the trial, with most students
defending the widely accepted Earth-centered theory and a few defending
the sun-centered theory. As a group, discuss the reasons new perspectives
are sometimes difficult to accept.
• Research the history of space stations, from Skylab in the 1970’s to MIR
and the International Space Station. Discuss the effects of microgravity on
astronauts working in the space stations and how research done in these
conditions can help us learn more about life on Earth as well as the
secrets of deep space.
5
Space Exploration
Suggested Print Resources
Grades 5–8
• Briggs, Carole S. Women in Space. Lerner Press, Minneapolis, MN; 1999.
• Cole, Michael. Vostok I: First Human in Space. Enslow Publishers,
Springfield, NJ; 1995.
• Johnstone, Michael. The History News in Space. Candlewick Press,
Cambridge, MA; 1999.
• Ride, Sally. To Space and Back. Lothrop, Lee & Shepard, New York, NY;
1989.
• Scott, Elaine. Adventure in Space: The Flight to Fix the Hubble. Disney
Press, New York , NY; 1998.
TEACHER’S GUIDE CONSULTANT
Conrad M. Follmer
25 years as a K–5 Science & Math Coordinator for a Pennsylvania public
school system, currently an independent consultant to elementary schools.
TITLES
• ASTRONOMY
• EARTH
• EARTH’S ATMOSPHERE
• MOON
• PLANETS & THE SOLAR SYSTEM
Teacher’s Guides Included
and Available Online at:
• SPACE EXPLORATION
• STARS
• SUN
• UNIVERSE
800-843-3620
Internet Resources
• www.seasky.org/sky5.html
This expanding site contains a memorial to the astronauts killed aboard
the Challenger in 1986, interesting information on past space missions
and biographies of those people who have advanced our knowledge of
the universe.
(Continued)
TEACHER’S GUIDE
Copyright 1999 by Schlessinger Media, a division of Library Video Company
P.O. Box 580, Wynnewood, PA 19096 • 800-843-3620
Executive Producers: Andrew Schlessinger & Tracy Mitchell
Programs produced and directed by JWM Productions, LLC
All rights reserved
S
tudents in grade 5–8 classrooms possess a wide range of
background knowledge. Student response to this video
program is sure to be varied, so the teachers for these
grades need all the help they can get! This guide has been
designed to help science teachers in grades 5–8 by providing a brief synopsis of the program, pre-viewing and followup questions, activities, vocabulary and additional resources.
Before Viewing: Extensive research tells how important
it is for the teacher to discover what the students know —
or think they know — about a topic, before actually starting a new unit.Therefore, after prompting discussion with
the pre-viewing questions, lead your class to create a
“Everything We Think We Know About…” list.You may also
wish to preview key vocabulary words and have students
raise additional questions that they hope will be answered.
After Viewing: Have your students share information that
fascinated or surprised them, then challenge your students
to prove or disprove the accuracy of the facts that they put
on their “Everything We Think We Know About…” list.
Discuss what else they learned and use the follow-up questions and activities to inspire further discussion. Encourage
students to research the topic further with the Internet and
reading resources provided.
Program Summary
The history of space is filled with heroes, and Malcolm and Stanley want
nothing more than to get a chance to become the next Armstrong and Aldrin.
As they wait for the “call from NASA,” this pair of comical, would-be astronauts
ready themselves by reviewing everything they know about space exploration. From Galileo and the telescope to the historic Apollo 11 moon mission,
Malcolm and Stanley examine the efforts of humankind to get a better grasp
on our place in the universe. While bigger and better telescopes offered
astronomers new and exciting views of space, it wasn’t until the invention of
the modern rocket that scientists were able to consider sending humans into
space. Sputnik — the first orbiting satellite — was launched by the former
Soviet Union in 1957.This event led Americans into the “space race” with the
goal of being the first to put humans into space and on the moon. Scientific
principles and the dangers involved in escaping Earth’s gravity are explored
while discussing the designs of the Saturn rocket and the space shuttle. A
student-led investigation helps to further illustrate the principles of thrust,
while an interview with Kathryn Thornton, a NASA astronaut, reveals the intricacies of a space suit and the challenges that face human space explorers.
Finally, Malcolm and Stanley look to the collaboration of 16 countries in the
construction of the International Space Station and the uses of other technologies that enable scientists to better explore the seen — and unseen —
elements of our universe.
Vocabulary
The following words are included for teacher reference or for use with students. They are listed in the order in which they appear in the video.
NASA — Acronym for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, a
government agency formed in 1958 with the goal of putting humans into
space and on the moon.
astronauts — Literally, “star sailors” — people who travel to space.
Cosmonauts are Russian astronauts.
universe — The vast expanse of space which contains all of the matter and
energy in existence.
telescope — An instrument used to view distant objects in space.
astronomy — The scientific study of objects outside the Earth’s atmosphere,
including planets, stars, moons and other matter found in space.
Galileo Galilei — (1564–1642 CE) An Italian astronomer and physicist who
studied the skies with one of the first telescopes.
gravity — A physical force that pulls objects together; the more massive the
object, the greater the gravitational force.
rocket — A device with jet propulsion that consists of a combustion chamber
and an exhaust nozzle that carries either liquid or solid fuel and oxygen
needed for combustion.
thrust — The force of a rocket’s engines used to drive it upward, countering
the Earth’s gravity and enabling it to lift off. Millions of pounds of thrust are
generated in the engines of the space shuttles in order to send it into space.
Saturn V — The powerful rocket that propelled the Apollo missions to the
moon.
(Continued)
2
Neil Armstrong & Buzz Aldrin — The Apollo 11 astronauts who became
the first humans to step onto the moon on July 20, 1969.
Sputnik — The first man-made satellite to orbit the Earth, launched in 1957
by the Russians.
Yuri Gagarin — The Russian cosmonaut who was the first human to orbit
the Earth in space in 1961.
space shuttle — NASA’s first space flight vehicles with reusable rocket
engines that lift off from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center, orbit the Earth, reenter the atmosphere and then land in a way similar to that of an airplane.
weightlessness — The condition of experiencing little or no effects of
gravity.
Mir — The Russian space station, the core module of which was launched in
1986.
International Space Station — An orbiting structure where people can live
and perform experiments in space; construction on the International Space
Station began in 1998.
light-year — A light-year is the distance that light can travel in one year in a
vacuum, which is about 5.8 trillion miles or 9.5 trillion kilometers.
Proxima Centauri — The closest star to Earth (other than the sun), located
some 4.2 light-years away.
Hubble Space Telescope — A powerful orbiting telescope named for
American astronomer Edwin Hubble, launched in 1990 and repaired in 1993.
It takes pictures of objects in space without the interference of the atmosphere and transmits the pictures back to scientists on Earth.
radio telescopes — Scientific instruments that listen and search for radio
waves from outer space.
galaxy — A huge group of stars and other celestial bodies bound together by
gravitational forces. Our sun and solar system are a small part of the Milky Way
Galaxy.
satellite — An object that orbits a planet or moon. Many man-made satellites
and one natural satellite (the moon) orbit the Earth.
space probes — Unmanned vehicles and/or instruments sent into space to
collect samples or take photos of areas where it is difficult, dangerous or
costly to send astronauts.
Pre-viewing Discussion
Before students generate their list of “Everything We Think We Know About…”
for this topic, stimulate and focus their thinking by raising these questions so
that their list will better reflect the key ideas in this show:
1. What do we know about people’s exploration of space?
2. Why are people interested in space exploration?
3. What are some of the ways people explore space?
4. What limitations are there to space exploration?
After the class has completed their “Everything We Think We Know About…”
list, ask them what other questions they have that they hope will be answered
during this program. Have students listen closely to learn if everything on
their class list is accurate and to hear if any of their own questions are
answered.
3
Focus Questions
1. How long have people been studying space?
2. Who was the astronomer who first used a telescope to study the night
sky, and what did he see?
3. How are rockets different from airplanes?
4. When did the “Space Age” begin?
5. What is the “payload?” How big is it compared to the rest of the typical
rocket?
6. What was used for fuel in the investigation with the bottle, baking soda
and vinegar?
7. How does the baking soda and bottle investigation relate to rocketry?
Why did the cork pop off the bottle?
8. What was the “Space Race?”
9. Which two historic accomplishments placed the former Soviet Union
well ahead of America in the “Space Race?”
10. What was the historic achievement of Apollo 11? Who was involved in
this mission?
11. How is the NASA space shuttle different from other spacecraft? Why
was this important?
12. What are some protective characteristics of the space suit that astronaut Kathryn Thornton talked about?
13. How is it possible that astronauts are taller in space than on Earth’s
surface?
14. What are space stations used for?
15. What is a light-year?
16. What does it mean when we say that the North Star, Polaris, is 700
light-years away?
17. What happened to the Space Shuttle Challenger in 1986?
18. Are there any limits to exploring space?
19. Name some tools that help us explore deep space.
20. How are artificial satellites placed in orbit?
21. What types of satellites are orbiting the Earth today? How do they
improve life on Earth?
22. What kind of information did the Sojourner collect during the Mars
mission in 1997?
Follow-up Discussion
Research indicates that students will retain their previous misconceptions
about a topic, in preference to new information, until they actively recognize and correct their own errors.Therefore, it is important to have your
students re-examine the facts/beliefs they put on their “Everything We
Think We Know About…” list. It might also be helpful to review the list by
marking each entry with a “+” or “-” to show which facts were correct and
which were incorrect.
(Continued)
4