July 2014

BotM-OneGiantLeap

One Giant Leap

Robert Burleigh

Only July 29, 1969, as Americans sat glued to their televisions and radios, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin did the seemingly impossible—something humans had dreamed of doing for centuries: they traveled 240,000 miles through space and set foot on the moon. One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind. This achievement not only brought the moon within reach, but now everything seemed possible. If it could be imagined, it could be done.

Activities

  1. For centuries, landing on the moon was a goal that mankind could only dream of achieving. It took an incredible amount of manpower, brainpower, science and technology to accomplish the goal, but landing an astronaut on the moon suddenly made the impossible seem possible. Write a journal entry about something you dream to accomplish someday. Be sure to include the resources and planning you might need to achieve your goal.

  2. Public libraries plan fun activities over the summer to keep children engaged in reading, and this year they are featuring books and activities about science. If you enjoyed reading One Giant Leap, you can visit your local public library to check our other books about astronomy, planets, or space exploration. There are many more scientific topics to explore, too!

  3. Families often travel to visit family and friends or to see a new place during the summer time. Whether your family travels across the country, or just down the street, there are lots of ways to read on a trip. You can bring along books, magazines, and newspapers. You can also take advantage of the print around you. Road signs, license plates, street signs, billboards, and maps are filled with letters and words. Read them to play word games and letter hunts as you spend time traveling with you family.

  4. There are wonderful museums located throughout the state to help visitors learn about all different types of science, including astronomy, earth science and space exploration. You can take a trip with your family to visit a museum near you to learn more about these topics. Later this month, First Lady Haslam will visit Discovery Park of America in Union City, TN to read to students in the museum’s Starship Theater. This is the museum’s first summer, and it could be a great new place to visit if your family will be in west Tennessee. If you cannot visit a museum in person, be sure to check out its website. Many museums offer fun and interesting educational opportunities online.