Lesson Plan - At Work in Outer Space

Watch the Video
Play the video “How to Live in Low Gravity,” then have students pair up with a partner to discuss what they think are the hardest and coolest parts of living on the International Space Station.

Preview Words to Know
Project the online vocabulary slideshow and introduce the Words to Know.

• orbits
• gravity

Set a Purpose for Reading
As students read, have them think about what they think might be the hardest part of living in space.

1. Why do astronauts on the International Space Station do experiments on themselves? How might their experiments help people in the future?
The article explains that astronauts on the International Space Station do experiments on themselves “to better understand the effects of living in low gravity.” What they discover during these experiments “may help astronauts stay healthy during future missions to the moon or Mars.”
^{(RI.3.8 Cause and Effect)}

2. Explain what happens during a spacewalk.
During a spacewalk, astronauts go outside the station for up to six hours to install equipment or make repairs. They wear spacesuits that provide oxygen, water, and protection from the sun’s rays.
^{(RI.3.2 Key Details)}

3. What might be another good title for this article? Explain your answer.
Another good title for the article might be “Explore the International Space Station” because the article describes many of the important and interesting things that happen on the station, like experiments, spacewalks, and exercise.
^{(RI.3.2 Main Idea)}

FEATURED SKILL: Text Structure
Use the skill builder “Space Station Challenges” to have students record problems and solutions from the article and describe their own solution to a space station challenge.
^{(RI.3.8 Problem and Solution)}