Moon Day

Objective:
The students will discover the history of the first manned mission to the moon. They will gain experience with the use of a timeline to study an event in history in relationship to the  present day and themselves.

Materials

• A book about the first landing on the moon ("Moonwalk" by Judy Donnelly would be a possible choice).

• The link The Apollo 11 Mission to be displayed for the students. 

• A printout of a picture of Apollo 11 or the astronauts that were on that mission.

• A baby picture of the teacher and each of the students (these can be actual photos or drawings). 

• A photo or drawing of each student on their first day of kindergarten, first grade, second grade, etc (go as high as to the current grade they are now in.)

• A long piece of butcher paper to be labeled with dates and photos/drawings for the timeline.

Procedure

1. Read the story about the first landing on the moon. 

2. Display the link mentioned in the materials list above.  This will give an actual sound recording of Neil Armstrong's first step onto the lunar surface.

3. Discussion will follow the story and web link visit.  Be sure to talk about the impact that this landing had on the country and the world.  Compare it to other events in the world today; the Olympics, an election, etc. 

4. Now help the class construct a timeline on the butcher paper that begins with an event before the moon landing.  It could be the teacher's birthday, the Principal's birthday, or a U.S. President's Birthday (attach a photo/drawing of this person on the correct date.)  The next event will be the lunar landing date (attach the printout of Apollo 11), then the students' birthdays,  followed by the date of the first day of K,1st or 2nd grade, and today's date.  Choose any other dates that are significant to the students.  The students will attach their photos/drawings on the appropriate place on the timeline.

5. Ask questions about the completed timeline.  The complexity of the questions will depend on the age of the students.  For example, "Were you born before or after Apollo 11's mission?", "How old was the principal/teacher/president when Apollo 11 landed on the moon?", etc.

Other Lesson Ideas

1. Read the book The Moon by Carmen Bredeson which gives the history of human beliefs about the moon over time and includes current scientific knowledge.