Private Cargo Rocket Heads to Space Station By Kenneth Chang, The New York Times

ESL Voices Lesson Plan for this post with Answer Key.

The Falcon 9  has made history in its voyage to the International Space Station.

This will be the first commercial spacecraft to land at the space station.

SpaceX's launch of its Falcon 9 rocket. Craig Rubadoux:Florida Today:AP Photo

Excerpt:

“A private cargo rocket bound for the International Space Station blasted off early Tuesday morning in what NASA hopes will mark an important step in handing routine space missions over to the private sector. 

The Falcon 9 rocket lifting off in Cape Canaveral, Fla., early Tuesday morning. Erik S. Lesser:European Press photo Agency

With the brilliant glare of nine engines spewing out 1 million pounds of thrust, the rocket, a Falcon 9 built by Space Exploration Technologies Corporation of Hawthorne, Calif., or SpaceX, rose slowly off the launching pad at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station here, then arced upward into the night sky… If the cargo capsule makes it all the way to the space station, it would be the first commercial, rather than government-operated, spacecraft to dock at the space station…In an aborted liftoff on Saturday morning… technicians had found a faulty valve and replaced it… 

This time as the countdown clock hit zero, the engines remained ignited. Less than 10 minutes later, the cargo capsule, known as the Dragon, was in orbit… The hard part of the SpaceX mission is still to come. It has to catch up to the space station, which circles the Earth at 17,000 miles per hour. …it is to fly about 1.5 miles underneath the space station to demonstrate its communication and navigation systems.” read more…

ESL Voices Lesson Plan for this post

Level: Intermediate -Advanced

Language Skills: reading, writing, speaking and listening. Vocabulary and grammar activities are included.

Time: approximately 2 hours.

Materials: student handouts (from this lesson) access to news article, and video.

Objective:  Students will read, about the historical flight of the Falcon 9 rocket. They will share their thoughts on the subject through discussion and writing.

I. Pre-Reading Tasks

•  Prediction

Analyzing headings and photos

Directions: Have students read the title of the post, the title of the  article, and analyze the photos. Next, have them  make a list of  words, and phrases they might find in this article.

• Stimulating background knowledge

 KWL Chart

Directions: Have students use the KWL chart to list the information they already know about the Falcon 9 expedition.  Later in the Post- Reading segment of the lesson, students can fill in what they’ve learned about the topic.

II. While Reading Tasks

•  Vocabulary

Word Inference

Directions: Students are to infer the meanings of the words in bold (taken from the article) and use a dictionary or thesaurus for assistance.

1. With the brilliant glare of nine engines spewing out 1 million pounds…
2. …SpaceX, rose slowly off the launching pad…
3. The payload is only about 1,000 pounds of cargo…
4. The importance is instead technical and symbolic.
5. A successful mission would reinforce NASA’s efforts…
6. it followed the same pattern… in which a last-minute glitch halted the first attempt…
7. In an aborted liftoff on Saturday morning…
8.  …enabling the capsule to be launched on a trajectory trailing the station.
9. the engines remained ignited.
10. Several other early tasks were also successful including deployment of its solar arrays…

•   Word -Recognition 

Directions: Students are to circle or underline the correct word or phrase from the article.  Have them skim the article to check  their responses.

1. With the brilliant gloss/glare of nine engines spewing out…
2. The payload is only about 1,000 impound/pounds of cargo…
3. The importance is instead technical/technicality and symbolic.
4. If the cargo capsule/cap makes it all the way to the space station…
5. “We’re really at the drawn/dawn of a new era of space exploration…”
6. With successfully/success of this flight…
7. Tuesday’s launching/lunching was the third for the Falcon 9 rocket…
8. In an abort/aborted liftoff on Saturday morning…
9. Falcon 9 rocket had already ignited/ignition before computers shut them down…
10. Less than 10 minutes later, the cargo capsule, known as the Dragon, was in obit/orbit.

• Questions  for Reading Comprehension

True / False

Directions:  If  the statement is true, students write (T) if  the statement is false they  write (F)  and  provide the correct answer from the article.

1. This event took place in the state of  Florida.
2. The Falcon 9 blasted off early Wednesday morning.
3. Another name for Space X is Technologies Corporation of Hawthorne, Virginia.
4. With success of this flight, SpaceX would begin a contract to fly 12 cargo missions to the space station.
5. Tuesday’s launching was the second for the Falcon 9 rocket.
6. Falcon 9 carried to orbit the ashes of  200 people.
7. The hard part of the SpaceX mission is still to come.
8. When it reaches the Space Station,  the Dragon would remain attached to the station until the end of the month.
9. A robotic arm on the Falcon 9,  will grab onto the Dragon and swing it to a docking port.
10. If  SpaceX does not reach all of the goals on this flight it will still get the contract.

•  Grammar Focus

Identifying Parts of Speech 

Directions:  Students are to identify the verbs in the following paragraphs, then use as many of the terms as possible to write their own paragraph about the Falcon 9 journey.

With the brilliant glare of nine engines spewing out 1 million pounds of thrust, the rocket, a Falcon 9 built by Space Exploration Technologies Corporation of Hawthorne, Calif., or SpaceX, rose slowly off the launching pad at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station here, then arced upward into the night sky. “What a spectacular start,” the NASA administrator, Maj. Gen. Charles F. Bolden Jr., told reporters afterward. “It was a picture-perfect launch.”…Tuesday’s launching was the third for the Falcon 9 rocket and it followed the same pattern of two earlier ones in 2010, in which a last-minute glitch halted the first attempt before the rocket went off without a hitch on the next try… In an aborted liftoff  on Saturday morning, the engines of the 157-foot tall Falcon 9 rocket had already ignited before computers shut them down because of high pressure in the combustion chamber of the center engine.

Tags: Elon Musk, The Falcon 9

Thanks, Maurice By Steven Heller The New York Times: OP ART

ESL Voices Lesson Plan for this post with Answer Key

By now, we’ve all heard the  news of the passing of writer Maurice Sendak. There have been several well written articles about the man, and his wonderful stories and his  unusual art work. What is interesting is that Sendak stated in an interview with comedian extraordinaire Stephen Colbert (see lesson plan below ) is that he never intended to write for children, but rather other people took his stories as children’s literature.  Some of his stories and drawings were  criticized as being “improper” for children  and yet as this article points out, his books grew in popularity, and he inspired many artists and designers, some which  are presented in the slide show for this article.

Maurice Sendak, Maxx, and a Wild thing.

Excerpt:

“Maurice Sendak’s 1963 “Where the Wild Things Are” unlocked a scary, psychologically nuanced, inner world long taboo in mainstream children’s books. Mr. Sendak once told me that King Kong was a great character and had influenced him when he created “Wild Things.”

Drawing By Gary Taxali, NYT Slide Show .

“You’re supposed to be frightened of these things. Kids need Kongs to help them conquer their anxiety,” he said.

Art Spiegelman-NYT Slide Show.

Maybe “Wild Things” is not your particular inspirational tipping point.

NYT Slide show.

Mr. Sendak’s 1970 “In the Night Kitchen” also spooked a generation of readers. Mickey, the naked 3-year-old protagonist, and the whorl of sexual innuendos that floated around him, were shocking in their day.

 And, if Mr. Sendak’s work, in general, conjured demons, “In the Night Kitchen” kindly presented a way of using imagination to conquer them…

“Wild Things” and “Night Kitchen” exemplify Mr. Sendak’s skill at bifurcation. He often objected to being called a children’s book illustrator, despite his success at it. His heroes were not children’s favorites, but rather Mozart and Melville.”read more…

Drawing By Tomi Ungerer- NYT Slide Show

 

Read this creatives and funny  article in its entirety!

Drawing By Marc Rosenthal, NYT Slide Show

ESL Voices Lesson Plan for this post

Level: Intermediate -Advanced

Language Skills: reading, writing, and speaking.  Gammar activities are included.

Time: approximately  1 hour.

Materials: student handouts (from this lesson) access to news article, and video.

Objective:  Students will read and  discuss  some of the art work by Maurice Sendak and evaluate whether some of the stories and art work were appropriate for children.

I. Pre-Reading Tasks

•  Prediction

Analyze headings and photos

Directions: Have students read the title of the post, and the title of the  article. Next have them  analyze the photos to see if  they can predict what  information the article will discuss.  Then based on this information,  direct students to make a list of ideas, words and phrases they might find in this article.

II. While Reading Tasks

• Vocabulary

Word Inference

Directions: Students are to infer the meanings of the words in bold (taken from the article) and use a dictionary or thesaurus for assistance.

1. Where the Wild Things Are” unlocked a scary, psychologically nuanced inner world long taboo in mainstream children’s books.
2. You’re supposed to be frightened of these things. Kids need Kongs to help them conquer their anxiety…
3. Maybe “Wild Things” is not your particular inspirational tipping point.
4. Mickey, the naked 3-year-old protagonist…
5. …if Mr. Sendak’s work, in general, conjured demons…
6. The artists and designers here are direct beneficiaries of Mr. Sendak’s genius.
7. He revolutionized narrative and conceptual illustration…
8. “Night Kitchen,” his stylistic homage to the comics artist Winsor McCay…
9. …is a mash-up of comic strip hilarity, expressionist and surrealist absurdity…
10. Mr. Sendak was not the only illustrator to explore these recesses.
11. “Wild Things” and “Night Kitchen” exemplify Mr. Sendak’s skill at bifurcati

Reading Comprehension

Fill-ins

Directions: Place students in groups and after they read the article, have them complete the blanks from the paragraphs from the article (it is not the entire article). They can use the words and terms from the list provided, or provide their own terms. They are to find the meanings of any new vocabulary.

“Maurice Sendak’s 1963 ___ unlocked a___, psychologically nuanced, inner world long ___in mainstream children’s books. Mr. Sendak once told me that___was a great character and had___him when he created “Wild Things.” “You’re supposed to be___ of these things. Kids need Kongs to help them conquer their___,” he said.Maybe “Wild Things” is not your particular___ tipping point. Mr. Sendak’s 1970 ___ also spooked a ___of readers. Mickey, the ___3-year-old ___ and the___of sexual innuendos that floated around him, were ___in their day. And, if Mr. Sendak’s work, in general, ___demons, “In the Night Kitchen” kindly presented a way of using ___to conquer them.  The___and ___here are direct___of Mr. Sendak’s___. He___narrative and conceptual___through the way he ___his own influences; he drew from the ___to illuminate the___.”

Word List

revolutionized, artists,  past, shocking, genius,  protagonist, beneficiaries, inspirational, imagination,  generation“Where the Wild Things Are” designers,  scary,  whorl, naked,  taboo, influenced, frightened, mainstream, anxiety,   conjured, illustration, interpreted, “In the Night Kitchen” King Kong, present.

•   Grammar Focus

Adjectives   

Directions: Have students choose a picture from this lesson and write a descriptive paragraph using adjectives.

 III. Post Reading Tasks

Reading Comprehension Check

Directions: Have students use the  WH-question format to discuss or to write the main points from the article.

1. WH-question format

Directions: In groups or as a class students can answer the WH-questions to check what they’ve learned about the topic.

WH-How Questions

Who or What is the article about?

Where does the action/event take place?

When does the action/event take place?

Why did the action/event occur?

How did the action/event occur?

  Group Writing Project

Directions: Place students in groups, and  have each one create a short story based on one of the following drawings of Marice Sendak.

Final drawing for Higgelty, Piggelty Pop! Maurice Sendak, 1967 Rosenbach Museum & Library

Final drawing for Kenny's Window..©Maurice Sendak, Rosenbach Museum & Library

Final drawing from Pierre- © Maurice Sendak, Rosenbach Museum & Library

IV. Listening Activity

Video Clip: Maurice Sendak’s Last Interview with Stephen Colbert, Part 1: Time NewsFeed.

Introduction: “At the time, the idea of putting a children’s author known for giving free rein to his dark side in the room with a famously irreverent late-night host seemed like a recipe for a prickly interview. But in hindsight, this face-off between Maurice Sendak and Stephen Colbert was a match made in comedy heaven. And after the beloved children’s author died on May 8 at age 83, it’s the interview NewsFeed will always remember him by.”

Note To Teachers: Some of the material in this video might be offensive to some ESL ( or non-ESL) students. So it is suggested that you review the video prior to showing it to your students.

Maurice Sendak’s Last Interview Stephen Colbert.Time NewsFeed

Questions for Listening Comprehension

Fill- ins

Directions: As students listen have them fill in the missing words from the conversation between Mr. Sendak and Mr. Colbert. They can use the words from the “Word List”  provided.

Stephen Colbert:  Nation, anybody who knows me knows that  I don’t like ___or books,  or___, but I respect the___ and children’s books still sell. The latest literary trend is children’s books by ___folks…Well folks,  ___wants in.  I’ve got everything it takes.  I’m a___.

For___I turn to one of the ___of children’s  literature,  Maurice Sendak, author of Where The Wild Things Are, Chicken Soup With Rice, and In The Night Kitchen, and his latest, Bumble-Ardy. I highly ___it unless you are ___ you can’t ___books about pork…I set down with Mr. Sendak where the mild things are.

Colbert:  Mr. Sendak thank you so much for___ to me today.  Now, tell me about children’s literature.  Don’t you think that by writing books for children, you’re ___children the___ that reading is important?

Maurice Sendak:   Very much so. Yes.

Colbert: Let’s  talk about___. I don’t ___them.

Sendak: Is that true?

Colbert: They are just biding their time until we’re___, and they get our stuff, and they take our place.

Sendak: That’s an ___point of view. But not interesting to me particularly.  There is something  in this___ that is so opposed to understanding the ___of children. It’s quite___.

Colbert:  What do you mean by the complexity of children? Cause children have it easy. They get ___every place, we ___them, we ___them. ___said it, “children don’t have a work ethic.”

Sendak:   But Newt Gingrich is an___.

Colbert: Why write for children?

Sendak:  I don’t write for children.

Colbert: You don’t?

Sendak: No, I write.  And somebody says “thats for children.”  I  didn’t  set out to make children___, or make life___ for them, or___for them.

Colbert: Do you___them?

Sendak: I like them as ___and___between as I do___.  Maybe a bit more because I really don’t like adults, at all practically…

Word List

easier, happy, interesting, gone, kids, message, talking, read, advice, celebrity, daddy, children, idiot, famous, country, complexity, amazing, driven, feed, Newt Gingrich, few, adults,

dress, children’s books, free market, giants, Jewish, sending, recommend, trust, better, like, far,

ANSWER KEY: Maurice Sendak

Tags: Marice Sendak