The Apollo missions in the 1960s and 1970s were a big deal in space exploration. NASA sent 24 astronauts to the Moon during these missions. But now, as more countries want to go back to the Moon, we have to remember that there aren't many Apollo astronauts left. Recently, two of them, Ken Mattingly and Frank Borman, passed away. Now, there are only eight people who have been to space beyond Earth's orbit.
Buzz Aldrin is one of the most famous Apollo astronauts. He was the second person to walk on the Moon during the Apollo 11 mission. Even though he was proud of his achievement, Aldrin always felt a bit upset that he wasn't the first. He still supports space exploration and has even gone on expeditions to the North and South Poles.
Bill Anders was part of the Apollo 8 crew and was one of the first people to orbit the Moon. He took a famous picture called "Earthrise" during the mission, which helped inspire the global environmental movement. After leaving NASA, Anders worked in the aerospace industry and became the US Ambassador to Norway.
Charlie Duke is one of the four remaining astronauts who have walked on the Moon. He was the Capsule Communicator during the Apollo 11 mission and was the one who heard Neil Armstrong say, "The Eagle has landed." Duke now lives in Texas and is still excited about NASA's future missions.
Fred Haise was on the Apollo 13 mission, which had a scary explosion that almost ended in disaster. After leaving NASA, Haise continued to work in the aerospace industry and became a test pilot for the space shuttle prototype.
Jim Lovell was part of the Apollo 8 and Apollo 13 missions. He was one of the first people to orbit the Moon. Even though he never walked on the Moon, Lovell's experience on Apollo 13 was made into a movie. He is now the oldest living astronaut.
Harrison Schmitt was a geologist and academic who was on the last crewed mission to the Moon, Apollo 17. After leaving NASA, Schmitt became a US Senator and has been known for not fully agreeing with the scientific agreement on climate change.
David Scott was the commander of Apollo 15 and was one of the first astronauts to drive on the Moon using a special vehicle. After retiring from NASA, Scott worked in management and has been involved in movies and TV shows about space exploration.
Tom Stafford was the commander of Apollo 10, which was the final test mission before Apollo 11 landed on the Moon. He also played a big part in the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project, which was the first joint mission between the US and the Soviet Union. Stafford and his
Original news source: The last of the Moon men: the stories of the surviving Apollo astronauts (BBC)
π§ Listen:
π Vocabulary:
Group or Classroom Activities
Warm-up Activities:
– Charades
Instructions: Divide the class into two teams. Give each team a list of words or phrases related to space exploration, such as "Moon landing," "astronaut," "spaceship," etc. One person from each team will come to the front of the class and act out the word or phrase without speaking. The team members must guess what their teammate is acting out within a time limit. The team with the most correct guesses wins.
– News Summary
Instructions: Provide the students with a short summary of the article about the Apollo missions. In pairs or small groups, have them create a news report summarizing the main points of the article. They can take turns being the news anchor and the reporter. Encourage them to use their own words and present the information in a clear and concise manner.
– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Create a list of discussion questions related to space exploration, such as "Do you think it is important for countries to go back to the Moon?" or "What are the potential benefits of space exploration?" Have the students walk around the classroom and ask their classmates the questions, recording their responses. Afterward, they can share their findings with the class and discuss the different opinions.
– Word Association
Instructions: Write the words "space exploration" on the board. Have the students take turns saying a word or phrase that is associated with space exploration, such as "astronaut," "rocket," "Moon," etc. Each word or phrase must start with the last letter of the previous word or phrase. For example, if a student says "rocket," the next student must say a word that starts with "t," such as "telescope." Continue until no more words or phrases can be thought of.
– Sketch It
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs. Give each pair a piece of paper and a pen. One student in each pair will describe a scene or object related to space exploration, such as "an astronaut planting a flag on the Moon" or "a spaceship launching into space." The other student must try to sketch what is being described. Afterward, they can compare their sketches and discuss any differences or similarities.
π€ Comprehension Questions:
NASA sent 24 astronauts to the Moon during the Apollo missions.
Buzz Aldrin was the second person to walk on the Moon during the Apollo 11 mission.
Bill Anders took a famous picture called "Earthrise" during his mission on Apollo 8.
Charlie Duke was the Capsule Communicator during the Apollo 11 mission.
Fred Haise was part of the Apollo 13 mission that had a scary explosion.
Jim Lovell's experience on Apollo 13 was made into a movie.
Harrison Schmitt was a geologist and academic before becoming a US Senator.
Tom Stafford was the commander of Apollo 10 and played a big part in the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project.
π§βοΈ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:
The Apollo missions in the 1960s and 1970s were a big deal in space exploration. NASA sent 24 astronauts to the Moon during these missions. But now, as more want to go back to the Moon, we have to remember that there aren't many Apollo astronauts left. Recently, two of them, Ken Mattingly and Frank Borman, passed away. Now, there are only eight people who have been to space beyond Earth's orbit. Buzz is one of the most famous Apollo astronauts. He was the second person to walk on the Moon during the Apollo 11 mission. Even though he was of his achievement, Aldrin always felt a bit that he wasn't the first. He still supports space exploration and has even gone on expeditions to the North and South Poles. Bill Anders was part of the Apollo 8 crew and was one of the first people to orbit the Moon. He took a famous called "Earthrise" during the mission, which helped inspire the global movement. After leaving NASA, Anders in the aerospace industry and became the US Ambassador to Norway. Charlie Duke is one of the four remaining who have walked on the Moon. He was the Capsule Communicator during the Apollo 11 mission and was the one who heard Neil Armstrong say, "The Eagle has landed." Duke now lives in Texas and is still excited about NASA's future missions. Fred was on the 13 mission, which had a scary explosion that almost ended in disaster. After leaving NASA, Haise continued to work in the aerospace and became a test pilot for the space shuttle prototype. Jim Lovell was part of the Apollo 8 and Apollo 13 missions. He was one of the first people to the Moon. Even though he never walked on the Moon, Lovell's experience on Apollo 13 was made into a movie. He is now the oldest living astronaut. Harrison Schmitt was a geologist and academic who was on the last crewed mission to the Moon, Apollo 17. After leaving NASA, Schmitt became a US and has been known for not fully agreeing with the scientific agreement on climate change. David Scott was the of Apollo 15 and was one of the first astronauts to drive on the Moon using a vehicle. After retiring from NASA, Scott worked in management and has been involved in movies and TV shows about space exploration. Tom Stafford was the commander of Apollo 10, which was the test mission before Apollo 11 landed on the Moon. He also played a big part in the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project, which was the first joint mission between the US and the Soviet Union. Stafford and his
π¬ Discussion Questions:
1. What is an astronaut?
2. How would you feel if you had the opportunity to go to space?
3. Do you think it's important for countries to continue exploring space? Why or why not?
4. What do you think it would be like to walk on the Moon?
5. Do you like watching movies or TV shows about space exploration? Why or why not?
6. How do you think the Apollo missions in the 1960s and 1970s impacted the world?
7. What is your opinion on the global environmental movement?
8. How do you think space exploration has changed since the Apollo missions?
9. Do you think it's important for astronauts to have scientific backgrounds? Why or why not?
10. How do you think the Apollo 13 mission affected the future of space exploration?
11. What would you do if you had the opportunity to drive on the Moon?
12. How do you think the joint mission between the US and the Soviet Union impacted international relations?
13. What is your opinion on the scientific agreement on climate change?
14. How do you think space exploration will continue to evolve in the future?
15. What do you think the role of astronauts will be in the future of space exploration?
Individual Activities
ππ Vocabulary Meanings:
Click a dot next to a word, then click the dot next to its meaning to draw a line connecting them.
Words
Meanings
π‘ Multiple Choice Questions:
π΅οΈ True or False Questions:
π Write a Summary:
Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.
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