Lunar Exploration Timeline

 

Objectives: 

          The learner will be able to…

·        Construct a timeline of worldwide lunar exploration missions.

·        Speculate the future of lunar exploration.

·        Describe the features and characteristics of the moon.

·        Explain the importance of the moon to life on Earth.

The Grading will be based on the following:

·        Project worth 100 points

·        Project completed individually with input from movie, computer sources, text, teacher, etc.

·        May work in small groups (not more than 3 people) gathering the material, but each person is responsible for the final presentation.

 

Tasks: 

1.     Students will construct a timeline of the most significant or interesting lunar missions and discoveries.  The timeline should start with Cassini’s map of 1680. It should end with speculated projects of the future.

2.     Some Key information needed includes, but is not limited to:

Assignment

Who

Status

a.       At least two scientific discoveries about the moon for the eighteenth century

Scott

 

b.      At least two scientific discoveries about the moon for the nineteenth century

Scott

 

c.       Jules Verne’s novel about a journey to the moon

Jim

 

d.      Who started the rocket program in the Soviet Union?

Jeremy

 

e.       Who experimented with rockets in the United States?

Brandon

 

f.        Who was the main developer of rockets for the man space-flight program in the U.S.?  From what country did he come?

A.J.

 

g.       When was the first satellite placed in orbit?  What was its name?  Who launched it?

Devin

 

h.       Who was the first astronaut to fly in space?  When?

Miles

 

i.         Who were the first American astronauts?  When?

Melissa

 

j.        What was the Mercury program?  How many missions were there?  When did it start and end?  How many astronauts could fly in the capsule?

Sam

 

k.      Who was the first American in Space?  When?

Jeff

 

l.         What was the Gemini program?  How many missions were there?  When did it start and end?  How many astronauts could fly in the capsule?

Pablo

 

m.     What was John F. Kennedy’s challenge to the astronaut program?

Carl

 

n.       What is the name of the U.S. space exploration program (both the acronym and the full name)?  When was it started?

Chase

 

o.      What is the name of the Cape where all U.S. launches occurred?  When was the first manned launch?

Chelsey

 

p.      What is the name of the Soviet Union’s space flight center?  When was the first manned launch?

Abby

 

q.      What is the difference between how Soviet and U.S. space programs land their space modules?

Rodney

 

r.        How many Apollo missions were there?  When did each occur?  What was the purpose of each?  Were there any problems with any of them?  What were they?  What were the results?

Adam & Sean F.

 

s.       What was read on the first pass of the far side of the moon?  Which mission?  When?

Sean

 

t.        What was the name of the first Lunar Lander to land on the moon?  What was the famous line stated at the landing?  What was the famous phrase stated when the first astronaut landed on the moon?  Who was in the command module?  Who were the two astronauts who landed?

Adam

 

u.       What was the major concern of the space program? (Hint: it was the second half of President Kennedy’s mission statement)

Sean B.

 

v.       What were some of the events that happened on earth during the moon-landing mission?

Dustin

 

w.     Do any of your relatives remember the lunar landing and what were there thoughts when it happened?

Jason

 

x.       Shuttle

Bivian

 

y.       Challenger

Neil

 

z.       Continue the time line to include the space program after the lunar landing and any plans for future human flight.

 

 

aa.    

3.      For each mission or discovery the students should include the following information if applicable:

a.       Name of mission or major discovery

b.      Time it happened or proposed time

c.       Purpose

d.      What actually happened or was discovered?

e.       Country, person, or organization involved

4.      While constructing the timeline students should define, explain, AND highlight the following terms:

a.      Maria

b.     Rilles

c.     Mascons

d.     Crators

e.      Regolith

f.       Rays

g.     Lunar Highlands

5.  Attached to the timeline should be an explanation of why the moon is important to life on earth.  At least four reasons included!

 

6.  Pictures and graphics should be used to enhance the quality of the project.

 

Below is a list of possible references for this project:

http://www.space.edu/moon/timeline/timeline1699.html

http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/lunar/lunartimeline.html

http://starryskies.com/articles/dln/1-01/no.moon.html

http://www.astrosociety.org/education/publications/tnl/33/33.html

http://www.uetigers.stier.org/library/esmannedexplorationchilds.html#Spaceflight%20-%20Current%20Status

 

Earth Science, McDougal Littell, 2003

Air & Space Smithsonian, Dreams of Flight: Space (DVD), Sun West Media Group, SlingShot Entertainment, 4000 West Burbank Blvd. Burbank, CA 91505