Unit Plan
The Newberry Library

The Newberry: Chicago Defined: Space and Place, Homes and Journeys

For Students 9th - 10th
Learning module examines how writers and artists have portrayed the city of Chicago as well as the response to the city's changing population and character during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Primary sources and questions for...
Website
Other

Soviet Space Photos: Photos of Voskhod 3

For Students 9th - 10th
Actual photos of the Voskhod 3, viewable as larger versions upon clicking the thumbnail.
Graphic
NASA

Nasa Star Child: Picture of Gagarin in Space Suit

For Students 9th - 10th
A large picture with very brief description of Yuri Gagarin in his orange cosmonaut suit. Link to a printable version included.
Website
Other

Aaa: Vostok 1

For Students 9th - 10th
Mechanical details about the Vostok 1 that carried the first man into space.
Website
NASA

Nasa: Sputniks 1, 2, and 3

For Students 9th - 10th
NASA provides a paper that "deals with the politics, planning and technology of the period 1946-1958" in the Sputnik program.
Website
NASA

Nasa: The International Geophysical Year

For Students 9th - 10th
This site from NASA outlines the Sputnik program and the political underworkings that allowed it to reach fruition.
Primary
NASA

Nasa: "Pravda" Press Release

For Students 9th - 10th
NASA provides the full text from the tersely worded "Pravda," the Russian national newspaper, that announced the successful launch of Sputnik.
Graphic
Other

3 D Vostok

For Students 9th - 10th
A 3-D VRML rendering of the Vostok spacecraft. Detailed and highly interactive.
Website
University of Wisconsin

The Why Files: Sputnik's Legacy

For Students 9th - 10th
This exploratory article (published September 11, 1997) outlines the history of the Sputnik Space program, but also includes the response within the United States educational system to speedily ramp up the study of science, math and...
Handout
History Link

History Link: Century 21: The Seattle World's Fair Part 1

For Students 9th - 10th
Captivating site chronicles the history of the 1962 World's Fair in Seattle, also known as Century 21. This event gave Seattle it's most well-known landmark, the Space Needle. Discusses the uphill battle to get a World's Fair in Seattle...
Article
NASA

Nasa: Pre and Post Sputnik Public Attitudes

For Students 9th - 10th
This site from NASA provides a paper that describes the public's attitiude before and after the launch of the Sputnik satellite. Originally presented as part of the "U.S. President's Committee on Information Activities Abroad."
Graphic
NASA

Nasa: Sputnik Pictures

For Students 9th - 10th
NASA provides pictures of various Sputnik program satellites, including Sputnik 1. Also has pictures of key officials involved in the Sputnik program.
Graphic
Curated OER

Npr: Sputnik at 50: Looking Back at the Space Race

For Students 9th - 10th
The Soviets were surprised at the world's reaction to their accomplishment. Little did they know that they had thrust the world into the Space Age. NPR supplies historic facts, thoughts of people involved, and information on the impact...
Graphic
Curated OER

Npr: Sputnik at 50: Looking Back at the Space Race

For Students 9th - 10th
The Soviets were surprised at the world's reaction to their accomplishment. Little did they know that they had thrust the world into the Space Age. NPR supplies historic facts, thoughts of people involved, and information on the impact...
Graphic
Curated OER

Npr: Sputnik at 50: Looking Back at the Space Race

For Students 9th - 10th
The Soviets were surprised at the world's reaction to their accomplishment. Little did they know that they had thrust the world into the Space Age. NPR supplies historic facts, thoughts of people involved, and information on the impact...
Article
University of Wisconsin

The Why Files: Sputnik's Legacy

For Students 9th - 10th
Easy-to-read history of the Soviet satellite launch that began the race for space between the Soviet Union and United States. Click on "next" at the bottom to advance to the next page.
Website
Smithsonian Institution

National Museum of American History: Teaching Math & Science in Age of Sputnik

For Students 9th - 10th
Why did the Soviet Union's launch of Sputnik throw the fields of mathematics and science into tremendous demand in the United States? Find the many ways this revolutionary event impacted children from the 1950s to become the...
Handout
Wikimedia

Wikipedia: John F. Kennedy

For Students 9th - 10th
From the online encyclopedia Wikipedia, this biographical account of JFK includes his military service during WWII, the significant events of his political career and presidency including Cabinet and Supreme Court appointments, and...
Website
Other

Vostok Pictures

For Students 9th - 10th
Pictures of various Vostok capsules, rockets, and suits.
Website
NASA

Nasa Star Child: Yuri Gagaran (Level 2)

For Students 9th - 10th
Brief biography, accompanied by a picture of Yuri Gagarin in his formal army suit. Printable version of page available.
Website
Other

We Choose the Moon

For Students 9th - 10th
Feel like you were right there when Apollo 11 was launched as you listen to the actual Mission Control audio from that date. The mission is further brought to life by photos and video of the event as well as a virtual animation. Go...
Article
A&E Television

History.com: How Landing the First Man on the Moon Cost Dozens of Lives

For Students 9th - 10th
NASA was preparing feverishly for a moon landing in a race against the former Soviet Union to honor slain president John F. Kennedy's 1961 pledge for the country to land a spacecraft on the moon (and return safely) before the end of the...
Handout
History of American Wars

History of American Wars: Cold War History: Kennedy and Johnson 1961 1969

For Students 9th - 10th
Describes the events of the Cold War during the presidencies of John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson.
Website
NASA

Nasa: The First Lunar Landing

For Students 9th - 10th
This site from NASA is extensive and contains a deep supply of information about the historical moon landing. Click on "Table of Contents" to proceed through the site. Wonderful images!

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