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The Space Age at 50
World Space Week is an annual observance held from October 4-10. It was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1999 to be an international celebration of science and technology and their attendant contributions to the betterment of the human condition.
This year the central topic will be the 50th anniversary of the Space Age. The start and end dates of World Space Week recognize the launch of the first human-made Earth satellite, Sputnik 1, on October 4, 1957; and the signing of the Outer Space Treaty that promotes the peaceful uses of outer space on October 10, 1967.
This will be the largest public space event in world history, with celebrations in over 50 nations Here are some of the activities that are planned:
- Students from many countries will fly together on a zero-gravity weightless airplane flight as part of the World Space Week Youth Inspiration Program, October 4 in Houston.
- Youth all over the Earth will launch small rockets on October 4, the 50th anniversary of the Space Age.
- Russia launches a Soyuz to the International Space Station carrying an astronaut from Malaysia.
- Organizations around the world are planning events under the theme "50 Years in Space" which encourages events that are retrospective as well as forward looking.
Activity: Looking back at the original events that gave birth to World Space Week will give today's students some idea of the magnitude of vision, investment, invention, training, and technology that were needed to advance from Sputnik I to the Moon Landing, to the Hubble telescope, to the International Space Station, to the Mars Rover, and beyond.
Assign students one of the three eras listed below to ensure a variety of reports. Students should use at least three resources for their reports. Assign each student three of the essential questions for critical thinking listed below (you can create and include your own).
Oral (or PowerPoint) reports are recommended (limit: three minutes) so that student knowledge can be shared and students can be questioned by their peers (limit of three questions). This is an excellent way to motivate student interest and curb plagiarism. It also helps students to develop standards-based language arts presentation skills.
If written reports are chosen, the teachers can download this guide that provides mini-research models formats for a written report:
- Pathfinder 1: Click the Topics tab > Kennedy Era > Space Program
- Pathfinder 2: Click the Topics tab > Turbulent '60s > Moon Landing
- Pathfinder 3: Click the Topics tab > The Reagan and Bush Administrations > Space Exploration
Essential Questions for Critical Thinking:
- What major event(s) occurred in this era that relate to the space age?
- What were the motivations for these initiatives by the U.S.?
- What were the challenges that needed to be overcome to achieve this success?
- What new technologies needed to be developed to achieve this success?
- What were the immediate and long-range benefits?
- How is your life today affected by these events, discoveries, and new technologies?
Graphic: The New York Times, ProQuest Historical Newspapers
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