Moonwalk: The First Trip to the Moon - Nonfiction

Moonwalk: The First Trip to the Moon is written by Judy Donnelly and illustrated by Dennis Davidson. It also includes real photographs. This is a nonfiction book about Neil Armstrong, Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, and Michael Collins going to the moon in Apollo 11. For a long time people did not know what the moon was. They thought is magical and dangerous. In the 1600s the telescope was invented and gave people more information about the moon. Jules Verne wrote about book in 1865 about a spaceship being shot from a cannon to get to the moon. Even though the cannon would not work, scientists kept improving spaceships and rockets. During the 1960s, America was in the "space race" with Russia who had already launched a satellite and sent a man to space but America was going to be the first to send a man to the moon. Scientists researched the moon with probes and with this information astronauts were trained. The first astronauts were the best pilots in the country. They went through many tests and simulators that was supposed to act like a real spaceship. To simulate taking off, scientist designed a centrifuge. Apollo 11 launched on July 16, 1969. It took them three days to reach the moon. Armstrong takes the first step onto the moon and then Aldrin joins him. There is no movement, wind, or life anywhere on the moon. Every footprint they leave will stay there for millions of years. The moon has less gravity so the men are able to hop around like kangaroos. The three men return home and are congratulated by many people. 

I would read this book aloud to the class and then have them do a research project on the moon. They would research its characteristics and it's phases. They would see why the men had to wear space suits on the moon and how gravity is different there and on Earth. We would explore the effects the moon has on the Earth and what would change if it was not part of our solar system.