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

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.

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. 

• 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.