Lesson Plan - The Flight That Inspired a Nation

Build Background Knowledge

Before reading the article, have students take the five-question Prereading Quiz at junior.scholastic.com. The interactive quiz is self-scoring and will provide an explanation as students answer each question.

Preview Vocabulary

Use the online Skill Builder Words to Know to preteach the domain-specific terms Cold War, horizon, satellite, Soviet Union, and symmetry. Have students refer to the Skill Builder as they read.

Read the Article

Read the article aloud or have students read it independently or in pairs. As students read, direct them to circle or highlight any words whose meanings they’re unsure of.

Answer Close-Reading Questions

Have students write their responses, or use the Close-Reading Questions to guide a discussion.

• What was the Cold War? How did the U.S. and the Soviet Union compete in space? (Domain-Specific Vocabulary)
The Cold War was a standoff between the U.S. and the Soviet Union that was taking place in the 1950s and ’60s. The Soviet Union was the first country to send up an artificial satellite in October 1957 and the first to have an astronaut orbit Earth in April 1961. The U.S. sent two astronauts into space later in 1961, but they didn’t orbit Earth. When John Glenn became the first American to circle the planet in February 1962, the accomplishment marked a turning point for the U.S. in the space race. In July 1969, the U.S. became the first country to send astronauts to the moon, which is a feat no other country has yet to match.

• What were some of John Glenn’s accomplishments? (Key Details)
Glenn was an astronaut in Project Mercury, which was NASA’s first human spaceflight program. On February 20, 1962, he orbited Earth three times aboard the Friendship 7 spacecraft before safely splashing down in the Atlantic Ocean. After Glenn retired from NASA in 1964, he served in the U.S. Senate from 1974 to 1999. In 1998, he went to space one more time aboard the space shuttle Discovery. Glenn died in 2016 at the age of 95.

• What did President John F. Kennedy promise to do in his speech? What were his reasons for setting that goal? (Central Ideas)
On September 12, 1962, Kennedy promised to send Americans to the moon by the end of the 1960s. He wanted space to be a place of peace and worried that the Soviet Union might put weapons in space (possibly including nuclear ones). Kennedy wanted the U.S. to be the first to reach the moon. He also wanted the U.S. “to become the world’s leading spacefaring nation” so it could gain new knowledge that could be “used for the progress of all people.”

• Choose one of the photographs in the article to analyze. How does it support the article? What do you notice? (Visual Literacy)
Sample response: The photograph of Glenn getting into the spacecraft Friendship 7 supports the article by helping readers see what it looked like. I notice how small the capsule is because it looks like he barely fits through the opening. The spacecraft also has a prominent American flag and the words “United States” printed on it. The photograph shows the protective gear that Glenn wore in space. His suit is made of shiny silver fabric, and a helmet and gloves help protect his body.

Watch a Video

Before students watch the video “The Space Race Continues,” provide this 3-2-1 task for them to complete: Record three important facts, two surprising details, and one question you have. Use Think-Pair-Share to discuss responses.

Analyze Primary Sources

Have students answer the questions in the Skill Spotlight activity “Your Mission: Interpret the Past” on page 29 independently or in pairs. Review responses.

Assess Comprehension

Assign the 10-question Know the News quiz, available in PDF and interactive forms. You can also use Quiz Wizard to assess comprehension of this article and three others from the issue.