Space Exploration History Timeline Activity | NASA | Space Race Lesson | Reading

This is an informational text timeline activity to help your students to learn about the biggest events in space exploration history. There are 29 events included, each represented on a timeline card with a relevant photo and caption (from NASA’s public galleries).

I have included two sizes for the timeline cards (large and smaller). There is a student timeline worksheet which contains a box for each major event on the timeline in which students will fill in information and answer questions while analyzing the text on the timeline cards. There is a last page of the student timeline that provides the directions and website links for students to do further research on events in space exploration since the last event represented on the timeline. This is a great way to allow students to follow their curiosities after learning the amazing history of what humans have learned about space so far!

There are a few ways to use this resource depending on your students and time allowances. I explain these further in the teacher notes but to give you an idea:

-Make a set of timeline cards per group of 2-3 students. Students will arrange the cards chronologically and use them to complete their timeline worksheet.

-Create booklets of the timeline cards already in chronological order using metal rings. Students will use the booklets to complete their timeline worksheet.

-Print the larger version of the timeline cards and tape them chronologically around your classroom; have the students travel around on a Gallery Walk to complete their timeline worksheet.

-Print the larger version of the timeline cards and date markers and create a bulletin board or wall display of the history of space exploration. This can be used for a station activity, an activity for early finishers, or simply as an informative display for during your astronomy unit!

Whichever way that you choose to use the timeline cards, you can still give students the follow-up assignment that is on the 5th page of the student timeline worksheet– they will research the recent and planned events in space exploration using provided website links or sources of their own finding.

There are also some blank timeline cards provided. You can use these in a few ways too!:

- Have students create a card for each of the ‘now and the future’ events that they research

- Add in other events if you feel that there were some missing from the resource

- Have students find other events through the past decades to add to the timeline

- Ask students to choose a few of the events that are most interesting to them and do a little extra research on those events– displaying it on the blank cards.

You may also be interested in these resources:

Masterpieces of the Hubble Space Telescope Activity

The Universe and Its Stars Unit

Earth in Space Unit

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