Lesson Plan - Destination Space!

Engage and Connect

Ask students to respond to this prompt: Would you want to be an astronaut? Why or why not? What do you think it would be like to live in space? You might have students write responses or record them using a video platform like Flipgrid.

Preview Vocabulary

Use Words to Know to preteach the domain-specific terms ultraviolet light, radiation, lunar, colony, probe, and colonize. Have students refer to the Skill Builder as they read.

Read the Article

Read the article aloud or have students read it independently. As students read, direct them to jot down a sentence that summarizes the main purpose of each of the four missions.

Answer Close-Reading Questions

Have students write their responses or use the Close-Reading Questions to guide a discussion.

• Which countries have sent spacecraft to Mars this year? How will the Perseverance rover help scientists prepare for sending people to the planet? (Key Details)
The United States, China, and the United Arab Emirates have all launched unmanned spacecraft to Mars this year. The U.S. rover Perseverance will help prepare for NASA’s goal of sending people to Mars in the 2030s by testing five spacesuit materials. Because Mars has an average temperature of -80 degrees Fahrenheit and a thin atmosphere, astronauts will need protection from the cold and radiation.

• How might finding water on the moon affect future space missions? (Cause and Effect)
Finding water on the moon might affect future space missions by allowing spacecraft to refuel there. Water is made up of hydrogen and oxygen, which are important for making rocket fuel. If scientists can figure out a way to make fuel on the moon, astronauts could travel in space for longer periods of time.

• Summarize the section “Search for life on Venus.” (Summarizing)
Scientists recently discovered phosphine in the atmosphere of Venus. The gas is found in the intestines of some animals on Earth and indicates that microorganisms might be living in Venus’s clouds. The New Zealand company Rocket Lab plans to send a spacecraft to Venus in the next few years that will release a probe that will analyze the planet’s atmosphere and send information back to Earth.

• What are two reasons why some private companies are interested in sending everyday people to space? (Central Ideas)
One reason is that some companies want to colonize the solar system. That could be important if people stop being able to live on Earth someday. SpaceX hopes to set up a human settlement on Mars in the next few decades. Another reason is that other companies want to let regular people take trips to space for fun. Virgin Galactic is hoping to offer flights through Earth’s atmosphere as soon as 2021.

• What does Robert Goehlich mean when he says “People who travel to space have a greater perspective on the Earth as a whole”? (Making Inferences)
He means that traveling to space can help people understand and better appreciate our lives on Earth. Seeing Earth from space can help people value its beauty and its environment. He says that if more people are able to experience spaceflight, it will be “a benefit for all humankind.”

• What are some ways that life on the International Space Station is different from life on Earth? (Text Evidence)
Because the pull of gravity is much weaker in space, objects and people float. Astronauts spend a lot of time upside down, and they sleep in sleeping bags that are strapped to the walls or ceilings. Sometimes astronauts perform spacewalks, which can make them feel like they’re hanging or falling. The food astronauts eat is freeze-dried, and they eat most of their meals from pouches. Their drinking water is actually filtered liquid waste!

Watch Videos

Before students watch “Blast Off to Mars!,” prepare them to complete a 3-2-1 activity and record three things they learned, two things they found interesting or surprising, and one question they have. Share responses. Then have students watch “At Home in Space.” Ask: How does the video add to what you learned from the “Life in Space” part of the article? What would you like most and least about living in space? If possible, have students discuss responses in pairs or breakout groups.

Write for a Task, Purpose, and Audience

Use the Skill Builder Choice Board to have students choose from eight activities related to the article. Options include writing about which mission students would like to work on, taking a stance on space tourism, creating Instagram posts for NASA, building a model spacecraft, exploring a text set, and analyzing a primary source. After students complete the task they chose, you might form groups of those who completed the same tasks or different ones to share their work. Guide students to provide peer feedback with frames like “Something you did especially well was . . .” and “One suggestion I have is to . . .”

Assess Comprehension

Assign the 10-question Know the News quiz, available in PDF and interactive forms. You can also use Quiz Wizard to assess comprehension of this article and three others from the issue.