Middle School Lesson Plan: The Artemis Program

🎯 Learning Objectives

Students will:

• Explain what the Artemis Program is.

• Compare Artemis to the Apollo missions.

• Describe why returning to the Moon is important.

• Identify key spacecraft and equipment involved.

• Identify Artemis astronauts and international partners.

• Create and present a structured slide deck.
  
  

🚀 Background Information for You

The NASA Artemis Program is the modern successor to Apollo program.

Artemis aims to:

• Return humans to the Moon

• Land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon

• Build a long-term lunar presence

• Prepare for future missions to Mars
  
  

LINK to Helpful Information

🖥 Student Project: Artemis Slide Deck

Students will create a Google Slides / PowerPoint presentation with the following required slides:

All Slides should include an appropiate image for the topic.

Slide 1 – Title Slide

Artemis: Humanity’s Return to the Moon

Slide 2 – What Is the Artemis Program?

Must include:

• Led by NASA

• International partnerships

• Goal: sustainable Moon exploration

• Long-term goal: Mars

Mention Artemis I (uncrewed test flight of Orion)

Slide 3 – How Is Artemis Different from Apollo?

Students should compare to the Apollo program

Slide 4 – Why Is Artemis Important?

Students should include:

• Scientific research

• Testing technology for Mars

• Economic opportunities

• STEM inspiration

• National and international cooperation
  
  

This is a great place to introduce Big Picture Thinking:

• How does space exploration impact life on Earth?

• Why prepare for Mars?

• Why invest in long-term goals?

Slide 5 – The Equipment

Students must include:

🚀 Space Launch System (SLS)

• Most powerful rocket ever built

• Launches Orion to space
  
  

🛰 Orion Spacecraft

• Carries astronauts

• Deep space capable
  
  

🌑 Human Landing System

Starship HLS

• Built by SpaceX

• Will land astronauts on the Moon
  
  

🌍 Lunar Gateway

Lunar Gateway

• Small space station orbiting the Moon

• Staging point for missions
  
  

Slide 6 – The Astronauts

Focus on Artemis II crew (first crewed mission around the Moon):

• Reid Wiseman

• Victor Glover

• Christina Koch

• Jeremy Hansen
  
  

Students should include:

• Why this crew is historic

• International representation (Canada)
  
  

Slide 7 – Timeline

• Artemis I (completed uncrewed test)

• Artemis II (crewed lunar flyby)

• Artemis III (planned lunar landing)

Slide 8 – Big Picture Thinking

Students answer:

• How could Artemis change the future?

• Why prepare for Mars?

• How does space exploration help Earth?