Back to the Moon – For Good: Teacher’s Guide Target Audience: Ages 9+ (grades 3 – adult) Length: 24 minutes + Live Portion (50 minutes total) Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOLRWMOf4jQ Expanded Description: Narrated by Tim Allen, this show chronicles teams from around the world competing to land a robotic spacecraft on the moon for the first time in more than 40 years. With stunning visuals and a compelling narrative, the show highlights the importance of the Google Lunar X-Prize. This encourages today’s space entrepreneurs and innovators to build a new space economy, while inspiring the next generation to “shoot for the moon”.

General Concepts:  The first human-made object to reach the surface of the Moon was the Soviet Union’s Luna 2, on September 13th, 1959.  Space probes and rovers explore unknown places before humans do, informing us of potential dangers.  Spacecraft are designed to be small and lightweight to better escape Earth’s gravity.  The United States’ Apollo 11 was the first manned mission to land on the Moon, on July 20th, 1969.  A total of 12 men have landed on the Moon – the first was Neil Armstrong with Buzz Aldrin. The Apollo 17 mission on December 14th, 1972 with Gene Cernan and Jack Schmitt was the last.  All Apollo lunar missions required a 3rd crew member to remain on board a Command Module that orbited the Moon.  Because the Moon is less massive, astronauts experience 1/6 the gravity we feel on Earth.  It takes the Moon roughly one month to orbit the Earth and one month to rotate about its axis. This is why the same side of the Moon always faces Earth.  Since the Moon has no atmosphere, temperatures can vary roughly 250°C, or 450°F, from night to day.  The moon has resources such as frozen water, aluminum, and iron to help humans explore the Moon and beyond.

Vocabulary: Atmosphere Gravity Revolve Axis Highlands Rotate Command Module Hydrogen Rovers Crater Maria Space Probes Engineering Oxygen Technology