WEB QUEST
(Grades 4 and 5)
INTRODUCTION:
The exploration of space had a
very exciting beginning. Two countries were racing against each other to be the
first country to put a man on the moon. This race pushed both countries to try
very hard to create new technology that would make them the leader in the race.
In this web quest, you will
follow the progression of the United States Space Program from its beginning to
the present. You will learn what events
pushed the United States into entering the space race and how the rocket and
the digital computer made it possible for us to learn what we know today about
Space, the Final Frontier.
TASKS:
Task 1: Use the World Wide Web to learn
about the major events that shaped the United States Space Program and record
your answers to the questions on the web quest form provided by your teacher.
Task 2: Use the answers you find to
understand the events that were important in pushing the space program forward
and how the computer and the rocket were important in the success of our
exploration of space.
Task 3: In small groups, discuss your
findings with others and plan a way to present what you have learned to the
class.
ASSIGNMENT:
PART 1: THE DAWN OF THE SPACE
AGE
Use the following website to answer
the questions below: www.imagine5.com/TimeLine/TL50_00.html
Before answering the questions,
become familiar with the interactive time line by scrolling completely through
the information in the top window and by clicking on one of the two areas in
the bottom window to read what appears on the screen above it. Once you
understand how to use the timeline, it will be easier for you to find the
answers you are seeking.
1. What type of rocket
was created in 1949 that would later be used for space exploration?
2. How did the invention of UNIVAC, the first digital
computer used for commercial
purposes, help open the doors to space travel?
3. What happened on October 4, 1957, and how did it
affect American space exploration?
4. What previous invention made this event possible?
5. What was started as a result of this major event?
6. What two countries
participated in the “Space Race?”
7. How much time passed between the launch of Sputnik and
when America was
able to launch its first satellite? (Calculate this
yourself.)
8.
What was the name of this satellite launched by the United States?
9. What country put the first man into space and what was the
name of the man?
10. Who became the first
American to orbit Earth on February 20, 1962?
11. What was the name of the
spacecraft this American used to orbit Earth?
12. How much time passed
between when the first Russian and the first American
orbited Earth? (Calculate this yourself.)
13. Each time the United States
made a step forward in space exploration, what
had just happened? What does this tell you about the United
States?
14. What was the name of the first
space program started by NASA?
15. What did this space program
accomplish?
16. What was the purpose of
the Apollo Program?
17. What event ended the
“Space Race?”
18. Where did the Lunar
Module Eagle from Apollo land?
PART 2: BEYOND THE MOON
Once the space race ended, the
United States turned its attention to learning more about the planets. Many
unmanned spacecraft were sent on missions to fly past certain planets and send
back information about the climate, temperature, surface characteristics, etc.
Answer the questions below to find out what the United States has learned about
our solar system and beyond.
Use the following website to
find the answers to the questions below:
www.solarviews.com/eng/craft2.htm
Click on the names of the planets
to find the information being asked for.
1. Which U.S. spacecraft was the first successful spacecraft to fly
past Venus and enter a solar orbit?
2. When did this event occur?
3. What was the first U.S. spacecraft to fly by Mars? On what date
did this occur?
4. What information about Mars did this spacecraft send back to
Earth?
5. What was the first U.S. spacecraft to enter into an orbit around a
planet other than the Moon?
6. What information did it send to Earth? Where is it today?
7. What was the first U.S. spacecraft to land on the Mars’
surface?
8. List three spacecraft that have traveled to Jupiter or beyond.
9. What information did the Titan Probe send back to
Earth?
10. Which spacecraft flew to Uranus and Neptune on the same
trip?
11. What types of spacecraft are we presently using to do work in
space? (besides space probes)
12. What new spacecraft has been designed to eventually replace
what is being used today?
13. What other space travel do you think will occur in the
21st century?
14. How was the Space Race between the United States and the
Soviet Union helpful to space exploration?
EVALUATION:
Think of a way you can present
what you have learned about the United States Space Program to the rest of the
class. A few possible ways to present your information are:
1. A poster timeline showing each major step taken by the Soviet Union
and the United States and the dates when each occurred (with pictures).
2. An oral presentation where each group member tells about one of the
important steps taken by each country. Have each group member wear a label,
hat, or costume that indicates which country he or she is representing and show
a picture of the event.
3. A report such as PowerPoint or HyperStudio presentation and/or
poster about the technology of the rocket and the computer and each was vital
to the success of the space program. Show how the computer and rocket were used
in each major step of the space program: launching a satellite, putting a man
in space, having an astronaut orbit the Earth and safely return, landing on the
moon, sending probes to planets and sending back information, the use of a
reusable spacecraft like the space shuttle, and the creation of the
International Space Station.
Other Planets, Other Moons Home Page
and relevancy of the information on all other site pages are entirely
the responsibility of the webmaster of the sites visited.
Louisiana
Public Broadcasting's Telecommunications Center, 7733 Perkins Road, Baton
Rouge, LA 70810
For additional information, contact us at edserv@lpb.org
or
Educational
Services at 225 767-5660 or 800-272-8161.