Standards Correlations

R.1, R.3, R.4, R.6, R.7, R.9, W.1, SL.1, L.4, L.6

Learning Objective

Students will compare and contrast information from two texts about an explorer who went to space and to the bottom of the ocean.

Key Skills

compare and contrast, text features, vocabulary, author’s craft, interpreting text, problem and solution, critical thinking, drawing conclusions, argument writing

Complexity Factors

Purpose: The texts describe Kathy Sullivan’s travels in space and in the ocean.

Structure: Both texts include narrative and informational passages.

Language: The language is conversational.

Knowledge Demands: Some knowledge of space travel is helpful but not needed.

Levels

Lexile: 600L-700L 

Guided Reading Level: T 

DRA Level: 50

Lesson Plan: From Out of This World . . . To Under the Sea

Essential Questions

  • Why do humans want to explore faraway places?
  • What does it take to be an explorer? 

Literature Connection

  • Nonfiction: Galaxy Girls: 50 Amazing Stories of Women in Space by Libby Jackson

1. Preparing to Read 

Activate Prior Knowledge (5 minutes)

Ask students, “If you could choose between exploring space and exploring the bottom of the ocean, which would you choose? Why? What do you know about each environment?”

Preview Text Features (15 minutes)

Guide students to locate the texts. Then preview the text features by asking the following questions:

  • Read the title of the article. Then read the facts at the beginning about outer space and the ocean. Which fact do you find most surprising? Why? What questions do the facts raise for you? Answers will vary.
  • Read the subtitles under the titles “Reaching High” and “Going Deep.” What was Kathy Sullivan known for before last summer? What did she do last summer? Before last summer, Sullivan was known for her accomplishments in space. She was the first American woman to walk in space. Last summer, she became the first woman to travel to the lowest part of the ocean.
  • What do you think might be similar about exploring space and exploring the bottom of the sea? Make a prediction. Answers will vary. Students might say that both journeys probably take a long time and require a lot of training, knowledge, and courage.

Preview Vocabulary (10 minutes)

  • Point out the vocabulary box. Read the words (gravity, pursue, cherish, canyon, pressure) aloud and discuss the definitions.
  • Play the Vocabulary Slideshow.

Make a Plan for Reading

Before students start to read, walk them through a reading plan: 

  • Set a purpose for reading:  Tell students that by reading the texts, they’ll learn about a woman who has traveled to outer space and to the deepest part of the ocean.
  • Tell students that after they read, they’ll complete a compare-and-contrast activity by using information from the articles.

2. Reading and Unpacking the Text

Guide students to read the texts. Once they understand them well, discuss the following close-reading and critical-thinking questions.

Close-Reading Questions (15 minutes)

  • In “Reaching High,” what two things does the author compare flying in a space shuttle to? How do these comparisons help you understand the experience better? (author’s craft) The author compares flying in a space shuttle to riding a roller coaster and being in an earthquake. The roller coaster comparison helps you understand the intense force that astronauts feel as they’re being thrust up into space. The earthquake comparison helps you understand the feeling of rumbling and shaking that goes on as the shuttle zooms up into space.
  • What does Sullivan mean when she says “no one gets to edit your interests”? (interpreting text) Sullivan means that you get to decide what you want to be interested in. No one can interfere.
  • Why is it difficult to explore the deep sea? How did Victor Vescovo’s submarine overcome this challenge? (problem and solution) It’s hard to explore the deep sea because of pressure. Pressure is the weight or force created when something presses or pushes against something else. In this case, 7 miles worth of water presses down on the explorers. To stand up against all that pressure, the submarine had walls that were 3.5 inches thick and made of superstrong metal.

.Critical-Thinking Questions (10 minutes)

  • Do you think it’s important for humans to explore space and the depths of the ocean? Why or why not? (critical thinking) Answers will vary. Some students might say yes, it’s important because it adds to our knowledge about how the world works. Knowing what creatures are down on the ocean floor, for example, will add to what we know about how animals survive in extreme places. Other students might disagree and say that this type of knowledge is not very important, considering other areas of science that we could be putting energy toward. There is little practical value in knowing what’s out in space or 7 miles deep in the ocean.
  • Sullivan was inspired by Jacques Cousteau, a deep-sea diver. How do you think she might be inspiring people around the world? (drawing conclusions) Sullivan is probably inspiring a lot of young women around the world to follow their dreams. She was one of America’s first woman astronauts. She wasn’t intimidated by the fact that space exploration had been done mainly by men. She may also be inspiring a lot of older people to pursue their dreams. After achieving something like space travel, many people might be tempted to retire and take things easy. But she shows that it’s never too late to keep going where your curiosity takes you—in her case, to the bottom of the ocean. 

3. Skill Building and Writing

  • Have students work in pairs or small groups to complete the Compare and Contrast Skill Builder. (Click here to view all of your Skill Builders.)
  • Writing prompt: When Kathy Sullivan read about astronauts in Life magazine, she thought, “I wanted that kind of life.” What about you? Do you dream of exploring the world (or beyond), or would you prefer staying local? What do you think are the pros and cons of being an explorer? Answer these questions in a well-organized paragraph.

Learn Anywhere Activity

An enrichment activity to extend the learning journey at home or in the classroom

Review a TV Show

Sullivan says that she was inspired by watching Jacques Cousteau on TV. In the 1960s, Cousteau had a popular TV show called The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau. Find an episode of the show online and watch it. Then write a brief review (just a paragraph or two). In your review, answer the following questions:

  • What’s the episode about?
  • What do you like about it?
  • What do you dislike about it?
  • Can you imagine kids in the 1960s being inspired by the show?
  • Would you recommend the show to a kid today?

ELL Springboard

Teach similes to help students understand and use figurative language.

Let students know that a simile is when a writer compares two things using the word like or as. Writers use similes to help readers imagine what something is like. For instance, instead of simply saying, ”It was cold outside,” a writer might say, “Walking out the door was like walking into a freezer.”

Point out that Kathy Sullivan uses similes to describe her experiences. She says, “It’s like a giant is pushing on the back of your chair” to describe the feeling of being launched into space. She explains how different the Earth looks when you’re not standing on it: “The Earth is like a big beach ball that you’re going around.” And to show how peaceful her trip into the deep sea was, she says, “It was like a very quiet elevator ride.”

Now give students a chance to create a few similes. Ask them to try finishing these sentences:

  • My puppy’s ears are as soft as . . . (feathers, silk, a baby’s hair)
  • Finding out that I passed my math test felt like . . . (winning a race, discovering that I could fly)
  • Listening to my cousin Jane sing is like . . . (being attacked by bees, hearing a thousand cats in a fight)
  • My little sister’s smile is as bright and shiny as . . . (the sun, a diamond bracelet)
  • When I’m really tired, I stumble around like . . . (a toddler, a confused bear)

Looking for more ELL support? Download our full lesson plan and scroll to p. 5 to find questions that will help your ELLs respond to the text at the level that’s right for them.

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