The science and technology of the Apollo Space Program is a curriculum unit written for second language learners in the fifth grade. The unit could be adapted for mainstreamed fifth graders too. You can integrate English as a Second Language Instruction with science/reading using the literature approach. Are you ready to travel historically to the Moon with the astronauts? I am about to take you to the Moon with the former astronauts of the manned Apollo Space Program. As we travel you will learn about the six Apollo Missions that took twelve astronauts to explore the Moon and the other six astronauts who piloted the Command Module and returned safely to Earth. We will learn how the astronauts explored the Moon and helped the scientists with their experiments of the lunar samples. The unit will provide you information on the technology that allows humans to work on the Moon's environment. We will also read about space exploration, how 400,000 people landed Apollo 11 on the Moon, and the first Hispanic woman astronaut.

You will learn how to become an astronaut, how astronauts live in space, and try space food. We will sing spacey songs, read and write out- of -this world spacey stories. To blast off, tap into students' prior knowledge such as space, weightlessness- zero g, microgravity, Newton' three laws and address misinformation that they may have about space. So put on your space suits, and "climb aboard" the spacecraft. Are you ready? Ten. . .nine. . . eight. . . seven. . . six. . . five. . . four. . . three. . . two. . . one. . . blast off!

(Developed for ESL and Science, grade 5; recommended for Science, grade 5)