NASA Apollo Program Research Project & Website - United States History

Learn about the moon, explore the Apollo 11 mission, and complete an astronaut research project with this fabulous bundle. Kids navigate a student website to learn all about NASA's first manned mission to land on the moon. Then they research astronauts of the Apollo missions. As a bonus, you'll also receive two one-page information sheets about the moon and its phases.

It’s a great way to study this important piece of United States history.

Apollo 11 Website

This site offers hours of multimedia exploration about the mission. As kids navigate the site, they learn who, what, where, when, how, and why.

Home Page

• Video footage of Neil Armstrong's first step on the Moon (2:00)
• Photo of Buzz Aldrin walking on the Moon in his spacesuit

Who

• Individual photos of Apollo 11 astronauts
• Links to individual biographies of astronauts
• Signed mission photograph with all three astronauts

What

• Links to mission overviews of all Apollo missions
• Link to video explaining Apollo 11

Where

• Brief explanation of the difference between lunar seas (maria) and highlands
• Photo of Apollo 11 landing site, the Sea of Tranquility
• Photo of Armstrong and Aldrin flying American flag on the Moon
• Link to gallery of photos taken by Neil Armstrong

When

• Succinct timeline of Apollo 11 mission
• Link to complete timeline from NASA
• Link to audio and video footage of minutes leading up to the historic lunar landing

How

• Mission diagram
• Link to article about Saturn V rocket
• Diagram of Saturn V rocket
• Diagram of Saturn V stages
• Diagrams of Apollo spacecraft - command & service modules, command module interior, command module control panel, lunar module, lunar module adapter
• Links to interactive diagrams

Why

• One-page explanation of the Cold War history
• One page explanation of technological advances in the 1940s and 1950s
• Excerpt from John F. Kennedy's speech announcing that the United States will go to the Moon

These resources have been curated for student use. All photographs and videos embedded in the site are in the public domain and may be used freely. Additional videos have been saved using Safeshare.tv; therefore, no advertisements appear on the student's screen.

Apollo Astronaut Research Project

Guided by a research template, each student studies a different Apollo astronaut. For more depth, kids think critically about the man’s greatest lifetime achievement and consider preparation, character traits, and people that helped him realize it. When they finish their research, share findings with one of these options:

• Bulletin board
• Collective biography
• Google Slides
• Easel Activities

What’s Included

• Lesson plans
• Links to articles and videos
• List of astronauts in Apollo program + links to astronaut biographies from NASA
• Synopsis of all missions
• Astronaut research student sheet
• Astronaut analysis student sheet
• Themed stationery for writing
• Collaborative information sheets (Astronauts Who Lived in Our State, Apollo Astronauts with Military Experience, Astronauts Who Walked on the Moon, Astronauts Who Traveled to the Moon, When Astronauts Were Born)
• Cover sheets
• 32 sheets with astronaut portraits superimposed on the moon
• 32 sheets with astronaut names superimposed on the moon

Bonus

Two one-page informational texts teach kids about the moon and its phases. These sheets act as a springboard to your exploration of the Apollo mission.

Enjoy teaching!

Brenda Kovich