John F. Kennedy Library Foundation
JFK Challenge
And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country. And so begins your invigorating, innovative learning experience in the JFK Challenge app! Learners choose from two "missions" and...
DocsTeach
The Process of Early Space Flight: The Gemini Program
Ideas take flight in an exciting activity on the NASA Gemini Program. Young scholars analyze photos from NASA's Gemini Program and place photos in the correct sequence of events. Academics also discuss the program and how the steps to...
DocsTeach
The Space Race: Project Mercury
Race to the moon! An engaging activity focuses on NASA's Project Mercury and the Space Race. Scholars read a memorandum regarding the project and explore how it fueled Cold War tensions. Academics complete a worksheet and discuss the...
DocsTeach
Landing a Man on the Moon: President Nixon and the Apollo Program
Take the small step for man and giant leap for mankind with the Apollo astronauts using primary sources. Young historians explore the documents related to the American space program up through the lunar landing, including presidential...
DocsTeach
Apollo-Soyuz: Space Age Detente
The Space Race saw the Soviet Union and the US go from competitors to partners. Scholars read a letter regarding the first docking of the US and Soviet space craft. Young historians also complete a written assignment and participate in...
A Mighty Girl
Gladys West
Teens might find it hard to imagine life before GPS. Using global positioning systems, they can quickly locate the nearest gas station, fast food establishment, or the home of a new friend. Introduce them to Gladys West, the lady who...
A Mighty Girl
Mae C. Jemison
The poster of Mae C. Jemison, the first African-American woman astronaut, challenges young scientists to consider what they intend to do to achieve their dreams.Â
New York State Education Department
US History and Government Examination: January 2013
While the 1950s seemed to be a time of peace and prosperity, Sputnik, the Korean War, and the Montgomery bus boycott were symptoms of the turmoil that loomed under the surface. Using documents, class members investigate what these events...
Reading Through History
The Cold War: The Space Race
What do the Cold War and the Space Race have in common? Learners search for that answer and many more, helping them to build their knowledge of historical global politics and tensions between nations. Following the reading, they answer...
Common Core Sheets
Reading a Timeline
Sometimes the most important details of an informational text aren't within the text at all. Teach your class how to read timeline with a set of activities that prompts them to find specific dates and events on the timelines, as well as...
Alabama Department of Archives and History
America in Space: German Voices from Huntsville, Alabama
Project Paperclip, the Redstone Arsenal, and the Huntsville Space Center are all featured in a resource that investigates the contributions of Dr. Werner von Brawn and other German scientists to the US space program. Working individually...
CommonCoreSheets.com
The Space Race
From the USSR's launch of Sputnik in 1957 to Neil Armstrong's mission to the moon in 1969, review major events in the timeline of the space race during the mid-twentieth century.Â
National Math + Science Initative
Reading an Informational Text: "It All Started with Sputnik"
Sputnik was one of the greatest scientific advancements of the 1950s, and this reading lesson does it justice. Pupils start off with pre-reading questions and a video. They then read an excerpt from an article, which is accompanied by...
Curated OER
The Kennedy Administration
From his inaugural speech to the Bay of Pigs, major events concerning the Kennedy presidency are discussed. Slides provide an array of images and web links to highlight some of the bigger issues surrounding President Kennedy. The...
Mr. E. Science
Manned Spaced Exploration: From Start to Gemini
Seven percent of Americans believe the moon landing was staged. The presentation covers manned space exploration from the beginning of the space race through the Gemini missions. The lesson is the 23rd in a set of 26.
Curated OER
Space Race Quiz
In need of a 14 question multiple choice quiz on the space race? This quiz will challenge your class to recall facts related to the moon landing, Neil Armstrong, Sputnik, and America's race to space with Russia.
Curated OER
The Cold War: 1945-1991
The best part of this presentation about the Cold War is the various pictures, photos, and maps throughout the slides. The timeline of this time period is difficult to follow in the presentation, as well as the details about several main...
Curated OER
The Cold War Era 1949-1989: What Really Happened
This novel approach to a discussion of the Cold War can be a way to introduce the topic in your classroom. The presentation is supposed to be played in conjunction with the song "We Didn't Start the Fire" by Billy Joel. It features lists...
Curated OER
Cold War Battle Grounds Arms Race, Space Race, Sports
Students explore the Space Race and Arms Race. For this Cold War lesson, students watch video clips and read information about how the Cold War was fought. Students complete a writing activity based on the information presented.
Curated OER
The Space Race in the '50's
Young scholars explore the impact of the space race. In this 1950's America lesson plan, students examine newspapers from the time period as well as Apollo mission episodes. Young scholars then create journals from the perspectives of...
Curated OER
Celebrating 100 Years of Flight for Grades 3-5
Students study the history of flight of the past one hundred years, focusing on the invention of the airplane, the introduction of women pilots and the space race. They conduct research and then write and publish a "100 Years of Flight"...
Curated OER
Men in Space: From Goddard to Armstrong
Students view "Men in Space: From Goddard to Armstrong," taking a examine the the extraordinary lives of the men who conquered space.
Curated OER
Cold War - The Space Race
In these Cold War worksheets, students read about the space race between the United States and Russia. Students also read about the first man on the moon and answer 8 questions about the texts.
Curated OER
Space Race Word Search
For this space race worksheet, students study the 18 words related to the 20th Century space race and Cold War. Students locate the words within the word search.