Format
1. The program starts by looking into what the Space Race fundamentally was and introduces two astronauts: Colonel Walt Cunningham from the Gemini program and Captain Jim Lovell from the Apollo program.
2. It will look at the transition of the world atmosphere from World War II into the Cold War, the launch of Sputnik I and President Kennedy's issuing of the challenge to Americans to land on the Moon before 1970. The Race to the Moon and the milestones for both the United States and the Soviet Russia in their pursuit to make it to the Moon first.
3. The story will be told from the perspective of astronauts Colonel Cunningham and Captain Lovell, along with historic speeches by President Kennedy.
4. And post 1963, we look at the overarching milestones for both countries leading up to the landing on the Moon by Apollo XI in July 1969.
Objectives
1. Describe the main objectives of the Space Race between the United States and Soviet Russia.
2. Explain the key milestone for space exploration pre and post-1963 for both sides.
3. Analyze video interviews and speeches from two astronauts and President Kennedy, to better understand the importance of the getting to the moon first.
4. Evaluate the challenge issued by President Kennedy in 1961 and understand the complexity of accomplishing it before the end of the 1960s.
Standards Alignment
National Standards
NSS-USH.K-4.4 The History of Peoples of Many Cultures around the World. Standard 2. Understands major discoveries in science and technology, some of their social and economic effects, and the major scientists and inventors responsible for them.
NSS-USH.5-12.9 ERA 9: Postwar United States (1945 to Early 1970s). Standard 2. Understands how the Cold War and conflicts in Korea and Vietnam influenced domestic and international politics.
State Standards
Texas
§110.5. Grade 3 – English Language Arts and Reading (Elementary School)
(1): Developing and sustaining foundational language skills: listening, speaking, discussion, and thinking – oral language. The student develops oral language through listening, speaking, and discussion.
(3)(B): Use context within and beyond a sentence to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words and multiple-meaning words.
(4): Developing and sustaining foundational language skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking – fluency. The student reads grade-level text with fluency and comprehension. The student is expected to use appropriate fluency (rate, accuracy, and prosody) when reading grade-level text.
§112.5. Grade 3 – Science (Elementary School)
(4)(A): Explain how scientific discoveries and innovative solutions to problems impact science and society.
§113.14. Grade 3 – Social Studies (Elementary School)
(13): Science, technology, and science. The student understands how individuals have created or invented new technology and affected life in various communities, past and present.
(14): Social studies skills. The student applies critical-thinking skills to organize and use information acquired from a variety of valid sources, including technology.
(15): Social studies skills. The student communicates in written, oral, and visual forms.
§117.111. Grade 3 – Art (Elementary School)
(2): Creative expression. The student communicates ideas through original artworks using a variety of media with appropriate skills. The student expresses thoughts and ideas creatively while challenging the imagination, fostering reflective thinking, and developing disciplined effort and progressive problem solving skills.
(3): Historical and cultural relevance. The student demonstrates an understanding of art history and culture by analyzing artistic styles, historical periods, and a variety of cultures. The student develops global awareness and respect for the traditions and contributions of diverse cultures.
§113.19. Texas History (Middle School)
(1)(A): Identify the major eras in Texas history, describe their defining characteristics, and explain the purpose of dividing the past into eras, including Natural Texas and its People; Age of Contact; Spanish Colonial; Mexican National; Revolution and Republican; Early Statehood; Texas in the Civil War and Reconstruction; Cotton, Cattle, and Railroads; Age of Oil; Texas in the Great Depression and World War II; Civil Rights; and Contemporary; and
(12)(C): Analyze the impact of significant industries in Texas such as aerospace, medical, and computer technologies on local, national, and international markets.
(17): The student understands the importance of effective leadership in a democratic society.
(19)(B): identify Texas leaders in science and technology such as Walter Cunningham, Michael DeBakey, Denton Cooley, Benjy Brooks, Michael Dell, and Howard Hughes Sr.
(20): The student applies critical-thinking skills to organize and use information acquired through established research methodologies from a variety of valid sources, including technology.
(22): The student communicates in written, oral, and visual forms.