Subject:          Language Arts and Social Studies
Grade Level:   5th

 

The Challenger Disaster
"Shut up, everyone!" yelled a teacher who realized something was wrong.  The auditorium fell into silence as a television voice announced, "The vehicle has exploded."

 No one ever dreamed that such a horrible thing could happen.

by Mila Thomas

Introduction | Task | Resources | Process | Evaluation | Conclusion
 

 

Introduction
  Psssssss!!  If you are not sure of the meaning of the red vocabulary words click on the link for the definition!!!

3...2...1...action!  Hello, I'm reporting live from Florida!  Just minutes ago Space Shuttle Challenger took off and exploded!!  What a tragedy!!  Our news team needs your assistance.  As you know, we've dealt with other tragedies such as the Great Chicago Fire, the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake, and now this!!!  We would like to hire you as the student news team that will give a live news report on this tragedy.  Ms. Thomas has informed me that you are the best student team in the state of Maryland.  The people who will watch your live news report will be interested in hearing the details of the tragedy.  They will want to know about the grief that is being felt, how NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration)  will mourn the death of the astronauts, and information about tributes to the astronauts. We are counting on you to provide the audience with a creative and informative news report that is based on facts!!  We cannot complete this task without your help!  Good luck and thank you for accepting this job!  Now back to the newsroom.....this is a live report from Florida.
 
 

 
 

 
 

Congratulations!!!  Your four member news team is now the official student news team of the Challenger Disaster.  You are going to create an informative, creative, and factual news report of the Challenger disaster.  Your group mission and goals are listed below.

Group Motto
There is no news, like our news because we give all the clues!!

Group Mission
To write a news report informing the television viewers about the Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster.
To present an oral report about the Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster.

Group Goals
Your news report should include:
 

• a clear and articulate report including news team introductions
• graphics and library books about the the Space Shuttle Challenger (What did it look like?)
• information about the astronaut that was a school teacher (We really need her name!!)
• the number of astronauts who lost their lives
• the names of the astronauts who lost their lives
• how people are showing their grief
• how NASA will mourn the death of the astronauts
• how we can offer sympathy  to the families of the astronauts
• information about tributes to the astronauts.
• the cause of the deadly explosion (Trust me.....people really want to know this!)
• personal reflections on the explosion.  (How could this have been avoided?)

Internet Links
Click on the following links to answer the following questions.  Some of the questions can be used to make your news report creative and different.  Remember you are getting paid for this!!!!

How many crew members were in  Space Shuttle Challenger?
What were the crew member's names?
http://www.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/missions/51-l/mission-51-l.html

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Agora/9806/challenger.html

Why did the original take off date get moved to another day?
http://www.jlhs.nhusd.k12.ca.us/Classes/Social_Science/Challenger.html/Challenger.html

How did Space Shuttle Challenger get its name?
This web site has a great picture of  Space Shuttle Challenger!!
http://spaceboy.nasda.go.jp/Note/yujin/E/Yuj12_e.html

Which astronaut was a school teacher?
Why was the school teacher astronaut in Maryland in 1978?
Why was a school teacher chosen to be a crew member?
http://phacts.phys.lsu.edu/lasc/MEMORIAl/McAULIFFE/McAuliffe.html

What was created as a tribute to the school teacher astronaut?
http://www.starhop.com/cm_bio.htm

What was the cause of the Challenger explosion?
http://feynman.com/online/challenger.htm

Photo Gallery
Take a picture walk of the school teacher
http://pathfinder.com/Life/space/mcauliffe/mcauliffe01.html

Picture of the entire Space Shuttle Challenger Crew
http://pathfinder.com/Life/space/mcauliffe/mcauliffe07.html
 

Software
Inspiration software will allow you to create the brainstorming web.  This web will help you understand how people felt when the Space Shuttle exploded.  See how many descriptive words your group can add to the web.  *If you do not have this software, you can draw a brainstorming web.

Encarta Encyclopedia software will allow you to look up the event and view pictures, audio, and actual video clips on the Challenger Disaster.

Audio/Visual
You can view the video tape on the Challenger Disaster.  Each group will be given an allotted time.  This will give you an example of how an actual news broadcast was completed.

Video Footage
See events as they happened!!! Roll Video Please!!

Library books
During your library period you can check out books on the Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster.  These books can be used as research sources and items for display during your classroom presentation.

Interactive Homework/
Parent/Student Homework

You and your parents will go to the library and check out a book on the Challenger explosion.  Ask your parents where they were when the explosion occurred and how they felt.  Then discuss a time when you felt a lot of grief.  Make a venn diagram comparing and contrasting the two events.  This assignment is to be completed with a guardian.  See your teacher for the due date.
 
 

Parts of the news report:

1.  Introduction
2.  Challenger Disaster Story
3.  Family Interview
4.  Conclusion

Below is a list of the roles that need to be filled.  Please read the descriptions.

News Director:          You will be responsible for writing and reporting the group introductions and the
                                conclusion.

News Manager:        The News Manager will be responsible for writing and reporting
                                the Challenger Disaster story.

Photographer:           You will be responsible for collecting books and pictures on the Challenger
                                Disaster.  All pictures and books must include a written caption explaining
                                what the book or graphic is about.  You must include three books, and
                                four pictures.

On Site Reporter        You will be responsible for writing the section on the family interview.  Pick
                                an astronaut to interview, and based on what you know about tragedies and
                                grief write a segment.  Example:  I am here at the home of the astronaut,
                                (list name) and his family feels....

Whole Group           Discuss whether you feel this tragedy could have been avoided.  Come to a
                                group decision and include this in the conclusion.  Check out the internet links
                                for information on the cause of the deadly explosion.

We are family!!!!  This is a shared project because you were hired as a team.  Make sure you proofread your work and peer edit.  You are expected to work together and help one another on all parts.  No piece can be completed unless your team members have read it.  Follow the writing process and feel free to take a look at the writing process that is clearly displayed in the writing center in the classroom.
 

Once you've picked a role to play you can begin your mission as a student news team.

Okay team.....everyone should have their special news team writing tablets out.  As you find information that will be helpful for your part take notes so that you will be prepared for the final product.

1. Brainstorm on how a person feels when they experience a tragedy.  Use Inspiration software to create a web.  Use this information and include it in your final news report.
2. Use Encarta Encyclopedia Software to print pictures for your graphic display.  You can also use Encarta to make sure your news report is full of facts.
3. Use the internet links to help locate the answers that must be included in the report.  Please review tasks to make sure you include important information.  Please feel free to add additional information that will make your report informative, creative, and full of facts.
4. You may only use web sites that are listed on this web page.
5. Each section should be written in paragraph form.
6. The project rubric is located under evaluation on this web page.

Secret Question

This assignment will be evaluated by a writing rubric and your cooperative learning oral presentation.
 

Click on this link to view the writing rubric        Click on this link to view the oral presentation rubric.

No one ever expects a tragedy to happen.  Many Americans sat around a television screen and prepared to see a historic event.  Many students and teachers watched the broadcast to see the first teacher blast off into space.  This mission was not completed and has gone down in history as one of the worst tragedies viewed on television.  As students of history, we are left with the memory of the astronauts on the Space Shuttle Challenger.  They will live forever in our memory through tributes (like this web page) that we have explored.  We have accomplished the tasks of researching and informing others on facts in our history.  You have done a wonderful job as a student news team.

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