First Steps on the Moon Level J Lesson Plan

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Lesson Plan

Content-based Learning

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Level J (18)

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First Steps on the Moon retells the incredible story of Neil Armstrong’s life; from a young boy who loved planes to a NASA astronaut, and the first person to set foot on the moon.

Running words: 514 Informational text type: Report

WorldWise

Content-based Learning

C3 Social Studies Curriculum links

• D2.His.1.K-2 Create a chronological sequence of multiple events.

• D2.His.3.K-2 Generate questions about individuals and groups who have shaped a significant historical change.

Key concepts

• The moon landing was a momentous event in history.

• Neil Armstrong, the first person to set foot on the moon, is a significant historical figure.

• A huge amount of human skill, knowledge, and ingenuity went into making the moon landing possible.

Content vocabulary Apollo 11, astronaut, gravity, lunar module, moon, NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration), oxygen, pilot, rocket, space, spacecraft

Text features

• Chapter headings and sub-headings.

• Quote • Historical photographs with captions • Glossary Reading strategy

• Summarizing Links to Language Arts Standards Reading: Informational text

Speaking and listening

Ask and answer questions about key details in a text.

Build on others’ talk in conversations by responding to the comments of others through multiple exchanges.

Reading: Foundational skills Decode two-syllable words following basic patterns by breaking the words into syllables.

Writing Write informative/explanatory texts in which they name a topic, supply some facts about the topic, and provide some sense of closure.

Language Sort words into categories to gain a sense of the concepts the categories represent.

Before reading

During reading

Introducing the book

As each student reads the text independently, monitor and support them where appropriate. If necessary, ask the students to stop reading and remind them to use the reading strategy you are focused on. Encourage students to reflect on what they have read and say what the key ideas were. Stop them as they read and ask: What is this paragraph mainly about?

What do you think the most important idea is? Support students in identifying the key idea/s.

Activate students’ prior knowledge. Ask: What do you know about people traveling to the moon? Have you heard of Neil Armstrong? What do you know about him? Invite students to talk about this with a partner and then share their ideas with the group.

Provide each student with a copy of First Steps on the Moon.

Say: This book is about Neil Armstrong and the first moon landing.

Have students browse through the book, looking at the chapter headings and photographs.

Building vocabulary Ask: What words or phrases might be in a book about Neil Armstrong and the first moon landing? Have students talk to a partner, then share with the group. List the words on a chart and invite students to make suggestions about what each word means. Where appropriate, have students add a drawing (for example, a picture or a symbol) to the words on the chart to make the meaning clear. Discuss each word as you list them on the chart. If necessary, introduce the content vocabulary and add these words to the list.

Introducing the reading strategy Say: Good readers are able to think about what they have read, and then work out what the most important ideas were. This is called summarizing. Ask: Why do you think it is important to be able to summarize? Have students talk about this with a partner.

After reading Talking about the book Have students talk about the book. Encourage discussion by choosing questions that are appropriate for your students.

Ask them to support their answers by referring to the photographs and text in the book.

What was Neil Armstrong’s first job after he left college? How many astronauts flew to the moon on Apollo 11? (Literal) Why was it so important for NASA to land a crew on the moon? Why is Neil Armstrong still so well known? (Inferential) What skills does an astronaut need? (Applied)

Reviewing the reading strategy Give positive feedback on the strategies the students used as they read the book. Say: You clearly summarized the main points in each section so I know you understood the book well.

Returning to the book

Writing

Provide multiple opportunities for the students to reread and interact with the book – with teacher support, with a partner, and independently. Choose activities that are appropriate for your students.

Shared writing

Speaking and listening Have students work in pairs to role-play an interview between Neil Armstrong and a reporter. Say: The “reporter” thinks of interesting questions to ask “Neil” about his life, and “Neil” answers them.

Students can then change roles.

Vocabulary Write the content words onto cards. Say: I’m going to group some words together. Think about what the words in the group have in common. For example, astronaut, and pilot are people. The words oxygen and gravity are things, but they can’t be seen or touched.

Phonological awareness Say: I’m going to say a word. Listen carefully to hear each different sound.

Say the word moon. Ask: How many sounds did you hear?

What were they? (3 – /m/, /oo/, /n/). Repeat with the words space (4 – /s/, /p/, /a/, /ce/) and step (4 – /s/, /t/, /e/, /p/).

Phonics Write the word astronaut on a chart. Ask: How many syllables does this word have? How do you know? Discuss. Say: Each syllable in a word always has at least one vowel in it.

Remind students of the vowels a, e, i, o, u, and that y can act as a vowel. Have students identify the vowel/s in each syllable of astronaut. Repeat with the words oxygen and gravity.

Ask: What questions would you like to ask an astronaut? Discuss.

Say: Together we will write a letter to NASA, and include some of these questions. Use students’ ideas to scribe a letter onto a chart.

Have students contribute ideas about both the content and writing conventions. For example, you could ask: How will we begin the letter? What are the main questions we want answered?

What do I need to put at the end of a question? What word would sound good here?

The letter could be emailed to NASA, via its website.

Independent writing Ask: What have you learned about Neil Armstrong and the first moon landing? Have students talk with a partner and then share their ideas with the group.

Have students write two facts they have learned by reading First Steps on the Moon. Encourage them to check their information in the book. Students can then illustrate their writing.

Sharing and presenting Compile students’ writing into a book, and read it to the group.

Say: We have learned a lot about this topic. What other information would you like to know about space travel? Discuss as a group.

Blackline Master: Neil Armstrong’s Incredible Life Name: Cut out each photograph and its caption.

Stick them onto a piece of paper in the order that they happened.

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Neil was selected to work at NASA.

Neil steps onto the moon.

The lunar module detaches When Neil was a boy, he and flies to the moon. liked building model planes.

Neil gets a job as a pilot in the navy.

Apollo 11 lifts off, with Neil on board.

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