Lessons & Units :: Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11 2nd Grade Unit

Read-Aloud Lesson: Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11

Lesson Plan

Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11 | 990L

Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11
Learning Goal
Compare the different settings in the book to identify and understand the major events in the Apollo 11 mission.
Duration
Part 1: Approximately 40-45 minutes
 
Part 2: Approximately 15-20 minutes
 
Part 3: Approximately 15-20 minutes
Necessary Materials

Provided:
1. Detailed lesson plan
2. Graphic organizer for guided practice
3. Independent student worksheet

Not Provided:
Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11

 
  1. This lesson is a close reading of the entire text. So it’s important to engage students often, to enhance their learning. Here are two tips:

    •   When you ask the more complex questions from the lesson, ask students to “turn-and-talk” or “buddy-talk” before answering.

    •   Once you are deep into the lesson, instead of asking students every question provided, ask them to share with you what questions they should be asking themselves at that point in the text. This is also a great opportunity to use "turn-and-talk."
       
  2. Suggested teacher language is included in the lesson.

  3. We recommend you read the book once to your students, either the day or morning before teaching the lesson.

  4. This research-based, read-aloud lesson may seem long. Why do students need the lesson to be this way?
 

Part 1: Teacher Modeling and Questioning

 

Write the following student-friendly learning goal on the board, then read the learning goal out loud with the class: 

We will compare the different settings in the book to understand the major events in the Apollo 11 mission.

 
Prepare Students for the Lesson
 

Teacher says: Today we are going to read about Apollo 11. Say “yes” if the statement I make is true, and “no” if the statement I make is false.

  • People have walked on the moon.
  • It would take over a year to reach the moon in a space shuttle.
  • Rocket ships are just like airplanes.
 
Transition Students into the Text
 
Teacher says: Let’s read today to find out if your answers were right or wrong.
 
Open the book and read page 1. Page 1 ends with, “...in the sky”. Show illustration.
1.
Teacher says: The author just gave us important information about the moon. The moon is cold and quiet, and there is no air or life. Today, we are going to pay close attention to the different settings, which means where and when the story happens. Listen for when the setting of the story changes. The setting changes more than once!
 
Read pages 3-4 out loud, then stop. Page 4 ends with, “...where no one has been”. Show illustrations.
2.
Teacher asks: Where are the men?
 
Students answer: The men are in Florida, near the sea.
3.
Teacher asks: What are they doing?
 
Students answer: They are dressing in special clothes for cooler, stranger places.
Read more
4.
Teacher says (models thinking): Good. Remember, of course, that Florida is still on Earth! The book opened with a picture of the moon, and stated that the moon was cold and quiet with neither air nor life. Then, the author tells us that three men are putting on special suits not made for Earth, and that they are dressed for colder, stranger places. Lastly, the author tells us that they will be gone for one week where no one has been. I am predicting that based on all this evidence, the men are going to the moon because the moon is a cold, strange place.
 
Read page 6 out loud, then stop. Page 6 ends with, “hums beneath them”. Show illustrations.
5.

Teacher says: I want to make sure we understand this. The astronauts are in the spaceships called Columbia and Eagle. A big rocket below them will give these spaceships energy to rise into space.

 
Read pages 7-11 out loud, then stop. Page 11 ends with “pound by pound”. Show illustrations.
6.
Teacher asks: What does liftoff mean?
 
Students answer: Liftoff means that the rocket with the two spaceships on top has ignited, or started. So the rocket and ships are rising into the sky toward space.
 
Read pages 13-16 out loud. Stop after, "...folded spider." Show illustrations.
7.
Teacher says: The astronauts are now in space. Remember that today we are listening for when the setting has changed. The astronauts were in Florida. Now they are in outer space. This is an example of the setting changing because the where and when of the story has changed. Remember, this happens more than once! Let’s read on.
8.
Teacher asks: "Shed" means to get rid of something. Where in the illustration do you see the rocket shedding parts?
 
Students answer: The rocket is shedding parts in the lower illustration on page 15.
 
Read the rest of page 16 and page 17 out loud, then stop. Page 17 ends with, “...glowing in the sky”. Show illustrations.
9.
Teacher asks: Where are the two spaceships flying toward? What is their destination?
 
Students answer: The two spaceships are flying toward the moon. The moon is their destination.
 
Read pages 19-22 out loud, then stop. Page 22 ends with, “...to be an astronaut”. Show illustrations.
10.
Teacher asks: Where is the story set on the pages we just read?
 
Students answer: The story is now set onboard Columbia and Eagle.
11.
Teacher asks: Has the setting changed? If so how?
 
Students answer: The story was set in outer space. Now it is set onboard Columbia and Eagle. This is an example of the setting changing because the where and when the story happens have changed.
12.
Teacher asks: What is it like to be onboard Columbia and Eagle? Use only what the text says to respond.
 
Stop after certain sections to make the responses more concise or clear, or continue to re-read sections so that the material is more clear for the students. Prompt them to come up with at least five specific differences.
 

Students answer:

  • The text says that the astronauts float, and that they can spin in air.
  • There are straps and screens and buttons all over.
  • The food, clothes, and other materials float too, and these things need Velcro to stay put.
  • The food comes in different forms, and it takes some skill to eat it.
  • There are no beds or pillows.
  • There is no night or day.
  • It takes some skill to use the toilet.
  • There is no fresh air outside the window, and after a week this small home will not smell so good.
13.
Teacher says: Good! Some of those things are the same on Earth. Some are not.
14.
Teacher asks: Which of those things are the same on Earth?
 

Students answer:

  • Sometimes on Earth there are straps and screens and buttons all over.
  • On Earth, food comes in different forms, and it takes some skill to eat it.
15.
Teacher asks: Which of those things are not the same on Earth?
 

Students answer:

  • The astronauts float, and that they can spin in air.
  • The food, clothes, and other materials float too, and these things need Velcro to stay put.
  • There are no beds or pillows.
  • There is no night or day.
  • It takes some skill to use the toilet.
  • There is no fresh air outside the window.
16.

Teacher says: Good! There are many differences between the two settings: Earth and onboard Columbia and Eagle. One of the reasons for all the differences is a force called gravity that keeps humans stuck to Earth. Gravity does not exist onboard Columbia and Eagle.

 
Read page 23 out loud, then stop. Page 23 ends with, “...it pulls them in close”. Show illustration.
17.
Teacher asks: I noticed that the author repeats information again. What information is repeated again?
 
Students answer: That the moon is cold and quiet with no air nor life.
 
Read page 25 out loud, then stop. Page 25 ends with, “...among the craters”. Show illustration.
18.

Teacher asks: While one astronaut stays in Columbia, where are the two other astronauts going in Eagle? How do you know?

 

Students answer: The other astronauts are going toward the moon. Earlier, the astronauts planned to fly toward the moon, and the text says the astronauts are taking Eagle lower and lower toward a place to land. [Students may also know that the moon has craters, and thus that the astronauts are landing on the moon.]

 
Read page 26 out loud, then stop. Page 26 ends with, “...no one has been”. Show illustration.
19.
Teacher asks: Where is the setting of the story now?
 

Students answer (may vary):

  • The story is now set back on Earth.
  • The story is now set in front of the television back on Earth.
  • (Based on the picture) The story is now set in a living or family room back on Earth.
20.
Teacher says: Yes. Even though the astronauts are not there anymore, the setting is back on Earth.
21.
Teacher asks: What is happening on Earth now?
 

Students answer (may vary):

  • Friends and strangers are staying up late and getting up early to watch.
  • Friends and strangers are watching maps and models.
  • Friends and strangers are watching images and listening to sounds between Mission Control and the men who are taking the Eagle to land on the moon.
22.
Teacher asks: So, what has changed from this page [point to page 25] to this page [point to page 26]?
 
Students answer: The setting has changed.
23.
Teacher asks: How has the setting changed?
 
Students answer: The story was set onboard the ship. Now it is set on Earth.
 
Read page 27 out loud, then stop. Page 27 ends with, “...fuel is running out”. Show illustration.
24.
Teacher asks: Where is the story set on the page we just read?
 

Students answer: The story is set onboard spaceship Eagle.

 
Read pages 29-30 out loud. Stop after, "...on Earth they cheer!" Show illustrations.
25.

Teacher says: The story is set in two places on this page. The first is the moon, where the spaceship Eagle just landed.

26.
Teacher asks: Where is the second setting on this page?
 

Students answer: The second setting is back on Earth, where friends and strangers hear that the Eagle has just landed.

 
Read the rest of page 30 out loud, then read pages 31-32. Page 32 ends with, "...standing on its face." Show illustrations.
27.
Teacher asks: Where is the story set on the pages we just read?
 
Students answer: The story is now set on the moon.
28.
Teacher asks: How is the moon different from Earth? Use only what the text says to respond.
 
Stop after certain sections to make the responses more concise or clear, or continue to re-read sections so that the material is more clear for the students. Prompt the students to come up with at least four specific differences.
 

Students answer:

  • The moon has no air.
  • The astronauts are as light as boys on the moon.
  • No seed has ever grown on the moon.
  • There are ash-gray plains on the moon.
  • The sky is pitch black and empty, and all the stars stay hidden on the moon.
 
Read pages 33-35 out loud, then stop. Page 35 ends with, “...glowing in the sky”. Show illustrations.
29.
Teacher says: The author states that the Earth has rushing oceans, racing clouds, and swaying fields and forests. The author includes this information to compare the features of Earth to the moon. The moon must not have oceans, clouds, fields, or forests.
 
Read pages 37-39 out loud, finishing the book. Show illustrations.
30.
Teacher asks: The author’s last statement is “To warmth, to light, to home at last.” What setting does “warmth,” “light,” and “home” best describe?
 
Students answer: “Warmth,” “light,” and “home” best describe Earth.
31.
Teacher asks: Let’s review the three main settings of this text. What are the three major settings?
 
Students answer: The three main settings are Earth, onboard the spaceships, and on the moon.
32.
Teacher asks: What were the most important events that happened on Earth?
 

Students answer:

  • The Apollo 11 rocket ship took off with three astronauts inside.
  • The astronauts returned home safely.
  • People watched the moon landing on TV.
33.
Teacher asks: What were the most important events that happened on the moon?
 

Students answer:

  • The spaceship Eagle landed safely on the moon.
  • A man walked on the moon for the first time.
  • Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin took pictures and stones.
 

Part 2: Guided Practice and Discussion

 
For this oral lesson, it is suggested to have both of the completed graphic organizers on the board with the answers concealed before this part of the lesson. After students provide a correct answer, reveal the corresponding answer on the graphic organizer.
1.

Teacher asks: What are the three main settings in the book Moonshot?

 
Students answer: The three main settings are Earth, onboard the spaceship, and the moon.
2.
Teacher says: We are going to closely compare and contrast the settings moon and Earth in a T-chart
3.
Teacher asks: How does the author describe the moon? [Put these responses under moon in the T-chart]
 

Students answer:

  • The moon is cold.
  • The moon is quiet.
  • There is no air.
  • There is no life.
  • The moon has ash-gray plains.
  • Astronauts can walk and jump like boys.
Read more
4.
Teacher asks: How does the author describe the Earth?
 

Students answer:

  • Earth is warm.
  • Earth is light.
  • Earth is home.
  • Earth has rushing oceans, racing clouds, swaying fields and forests.
5.
Teacher asks: What were the most important events that happened on Earth?
 

Students answer:

  • The Apollo 11 rocket ship took off with three astronauts inside.
  • The astronauts returned home safely.
  • People watched the moon landing on TV.
6.
Teacher asks: What were the most important events that happened on the Moon?
 

Students answer:

  • The spaceship Eagle landed safely on the moon.
  • A man walked on the moon for the first time.
  • Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin took pictures and stones.
 

After the answers for the graphic organizer have been completed and discussed with the class, ask and discuss the following two extension questions.

 
Teacher asks: Was the Apollo 11 mission successful? Explain why or why not using evidence from the book.
 
Students answer: Yes, the Apollo 11 mission was successful. Astronauts on the mission were able to land on the moon and come back to Earth safely.
 
Teacher asks: What were some of the things that made the Apollo 11 mission successful? Think about everything that went into the mission, including the equipment and the people.
 

Students answer (may vary and could include the following):

  • The determination of the astronauts to keep looking for a place to land on the moon after flying too far helped make the mission successful.
  • The bravery of the astronauts to go where no one had been helped make the mission successful.
  • The powerful rocket ship that could split apart helped make the mission successful.
  • The work of the people on the ground watching screens and charts with information about the rocket ship helped make the mission successful.
 

Part 3: Student Independent Practice

 
Read each question out loud to your students and have each student complete the worksheet independently.

Texts & Materials

Standards Alignment

(To see all of the ReadWorks lessons aligned to your standards, click here.)

User Comments

Looks like an exciting unit

Submitted by balloonlady on 1/18/17