Rocket to the Moon
by Don Brown
Informational Resources:
Author Information:
Don Brown Biography:
https://www.booksbybrown.com/about-don/
Activities & Resources:
Activities:
Rockets:
What is a Rocket?
https://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/k-4/stories/nasa-knows/what-is-a-rocket-k4.html
How do rockets work?
https://www.explainthatstuff.com/spacerockets.html
Create straw rockets:
Magnetic Rocket (0:47):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgf2qJt0p_8&feature=emb_logo
Moon:
Facts about the moon:
https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/all-about-the-moon/en/
https://www.generationgenius.com/videolessons/moon-phases-video-for-kids/
Moon Sand Recipe - How To (2:08):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVTJm36GzCc
DIY Moon Rocks (0:46):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bab6TaS0lFw
Graphic Novels:
Graphic Novel Facts:
https://kids.kiddle.co/Graphic_novel
Best Graphic Novels for kids:
http://www.ilovelibraries.org/article/best-graphic-novels-children
MakerSpace Activities:
Create Alka-seltzer rockets using film canisters:
https://www.imaginationstationtoledo.org/educator/activities/rockets
Create your own Graphic novel using this template or your own:
Turn your favorite book into a graphic novel.
Make a cardboard moon rover:
https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/learn/project/make-a-cardboard-rover/
Discussion Questions:
Examine the art work on the cover of the book and discuss what you think you know about the moon landing and all the events that lead up to it.
From the blast image on page 5, what do you predict will happen? How does the artwork lead you to that conclusion?
Brown discusses how science fiction leads people to think about space travel seriously. Do you enjoy reading science fiction? What other discoveries might science fiction lead us to?
Von Braun was thrilled by the idea of space travel. Do you think traveling to space would be exciting? Have you ever wanted to be an astronaut? Do you think it might be scary? Why or why not?
Page 22 mentions that Florida is now known for space travel and oranges. What is Texas known for? What about other states? Other countries?
Why do you think women were not considered for the space missions at first?
President John F. Kennedy decided to make it a goal to have a man land on the moon and make it back to Earth before the decade was out. Was this a worthy goal to focus on? How might the world be different if he hadn’t made such a push? Would you have chosen something different to focus on? What?
Of the rocket plans described, which would you have chosen to try, had you been there? Would you have come up with a different idea? What would it be?
Astronauts had to practice all of their maneuvers many times to make sure they could do them right. What have you chosen to practice in your life? Explain.
Page 53 states that “a poll showed that 46 percent of Americans opposed the aim of landing a man on the moon.” Which side of the poll would you have been on and why?
Imagine you were watching the Saturn take off. Describe where you would be, what you would be thinking, how you would feel.
Imagine yourself as a person working at command central. What would you be thinking, feeling? What would you want to ask the astronauts?
They use several acronyms at command central such as: “TLI,” “LME” and “TLA.” Make up your own space travel acronyms and share their meanings.
Did you know the quote, “The Eagle has landed” came from the space missions? What other famous quotes do you know?
How would you have felt watching the first steps on the moon from home? Would you have believed it? Why or why not?
Aldrin described the moon as “magnificent desolation.” How would you describe the moon? What might you have said while taking your first steps onto its surface? What else might you have done?
The astronauts left mementos on the moon when they landed.What memento would you choose to leave? Why?
Shepard hit a golf ball off the moon. If you were to go to the moon today, what would you do to be remembered as your signature?
Page 120 starts a timeline of the events that happened in the book. What would a timeline of your life look like?
How do you feel about using a Graphic Novel to present this story? Do you think it was a good form for the story? Why or why not? How would you have done it?
Book Talk Teasers:
Show the book trailer for Rocket to the Moon. After viewing, ask for predictions for what will happen in the story.
Talk about what a Graphic Novel is and how it can portray different kinds of stories. Discuss what stories work best and which stories they would like to see in a Graphic Novel.
Read Alikes:
Brinkley, Douglas. American Moonshot: John F. Kennedy and the Great Space Race: Young Readers' Edition. A young readers' edition of the award-winning historian's 50th anniversary account of America's race to the moon shares behind-the-scenes insights into the heroic achievements of the Apollo 11 team and why the mission was so important. (NoveList Plus)
Brouwer, Sigmund. Moon Mission: The Epic 400-Year Journey to Apollo 11. A narrative told from the astronauts' points of view describes the story behind Apollo 11's moon landing, linking the innovations and discoveries from the past four centuries that made the mission possible. (NoveList Plus)
Chaikin, Andrew. Mission Control, This is Apollo: the Story of the First Voyages to the Moon. July 20, 1969, marked one of the climactic moments in our history, the day Apollo 11 landed on the moon. But it is only one piece of a magnificent story. Mission Control, This Is Apollo, by the acclaimed Andrew Chaikin recounts space history from the Mercury missions through Apollo 17 and beyond. It is illustrated with stunning full-color paintings by astronaut Alan Bean, who walked on the moon with Pete Conrad on Apollo 12 and has devoted his post-NASA life to creating art. Handsome, informative, and dramatic, this is no textbook, it is the tale of humankind's greatest adventure in the last frontier: space. (NoveList Plus)
Edwards, Roberta. Who is Neil Armstrong? A biography of the first astronaut to walk on the moon, covering his childhood, training as a fighter pilot, and career at NASA. (NoveList Plus)
Long, David. When We Walked on the Moon. Chronicles the history of the Apollo space program, tracing the events of missions ranging from the 1969 lunar landing to the rescue of Apollo 13, offering lesser-known facts that marked each journey.(NoveList Plus)