One Giant Leap

Robert Burleigh
Philomel, 2009
Grade Level: 3
Lexile: 470L
Fountas & Pinnell: J
Suggested Reading: Read Aloud

"The important achievement of Apollo was demonstrating that humanity is not forever chained to this planet and our visions go rather further than that and our opportunities are unlimited". -Neil Armstrong

                                        Inspiring, Historic, Unbelievable, Uplifting, Scientific

The words are instantly recognizable: ?That?s one small step for man; one giant leap for mankind.? Spoken by Neil Armstrong moments after he became the first human being to set foot on the moon, they have come to represent all that is possible when man?s determination to achieve the seemingly impossible results in success.

To commemorate the 40th anniversary of this extraordinary moment in human history, Robert Burleigh and Mike Wimmer have created a breathtakingly beautiful tribute that transports readers to the stars, where they will experience the moon landing just as Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin did.

Teaching Strategies:

Key Vocabulary:
orbit
descend
spindly
gouged
forbidding
altitude
sextant

Before Reading Strategy: play this audio clip of Neil Armstrong's quote "thats's one small step for man- one giant leap for mankind". Ask the students if they are familiar with this quote. Have a class discussion on what they know, and what they wish to know about the first men on the moon.

During Reading Strategy: Have the students write any questions or unfamiliar vocabulary during the book. If their question is answered throughout the story, have the students write this answer down  beside the original question.

After Reading Strategy: Have the students write an exit slip about the first lunar  landing. This may be a fact they learned, something they found interesting or surprising or a comment about the text.

Writing Activity: Have the students write in a journal as if they were one of the astronauts on board. Have the students include facts about this trip, and also how they hypothesize they would feel if they were on this journey.

Watch footage from the first men on the moon!

interview with Neil Armstrong