Innholdsfortegnelse for July/August 2019 i Cobblestone American History and Current Events for Kids and Children

The choice of “Apollo” as the name for NASA’s grand-scale space program came from Apollo, the mythical Greek sun god who rode his chariot across the sky. To recognize Cape Canaveral’s space heritage, that region of Florida was given the last three digits of a countdown—321—as its area code. Alan B. Shepard Jr. was America’s first astronaut in space in 1961. On February 6, 1971, he also became the first—and only—person to hit a golf ball on the Moon. The last three Apollo missions included a four-wheeled, battery-operated Lunar Roving Vehicle for traveling on the Moon. The vehicle included instructions for changing a tire.…

As Americans celebrate their history in space, they also look ahead to future missions. They hope to go back to the Moon within the next decade. Mars and elsewhere in the solar system also are on the list. And the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) will help lead the way. Lori Glaze is acting director of the agency’s Planetary Science Division. Ben Bussey is senior exploration scientist in the Lunar Discovery and Exploration Program. They both spoke at the 2019 annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Washington, D.C. And COBBLESTONE was there. Apollo missions brought back samples to Earth. Does NASA still use them? “We’re still discovering new things from [those samples] today,” Glaze says. They’re “the gift that keeps on giving,” thanks…

This month’s mystery hero is a living symbol of how to follow your dreams and to be successful. Her dilemma was which dream to follow. Our hero was born in Alabama in 1956. She grew up in Chicago after her family moved there for better jobs and better schools. She was an outstanding student. “Growing up . . . I was just like every other kid. I loved space, stars, and dinosaurs,” she recalled. She imagined that people would travel into space regularly just like they traveled daily to their jobs. Her early teachers did not encourage her curiosity about science, but her parents did. When she was 11 years old, her interest in science collided with a new love—dancing. She learned many styles of dancing: jazz, ballet, African, and…

Soviet Fires Earth Satellite into Space,” shouted The New York Times headline. On October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union launched the first human-made satellite into space. Sputnik measured just 23 inches across. Yet, the paper called the launch “an achievement of profound scientific significance for all mankind.” Both Soviet and U.S. scientists had talked about plans to send scientific instruments into Earth orbit. Neither nation knew the other’s precise dates, but U.S. scientists suspected the Soviet launch could come soon. Still, the Soviet Union’s success stunned many Americans. The launch worried them, too. After World War II (1939–1945), the United States and the Soviet Union had engaged in a Cold War. The countries didn’t shoot or bomb each other. But they were highly distrustful of each other. Americans saw themselves…

For eight days in 1969, the journey of the Apollo 11 astronauts to the Moon captured Americans’ attention. It is remembered today as one of the most historic and amazing events in history. The Apollo program was the brainchild of space scientist Dr. Wernher von Braun. Von Braun’s specialty was rocket physics. He began working in the field in Germany in the late 1920s. After he was captured toward the end of World War II (1939–1945), he worked for the U.S. Army and then the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Von Braun guided the work on U.S. rocket development, creating the largest rocket launch vehicle in the world—the Saturn V. Any spacecraft attempting to escape Earth’s gravity needs to accelerate to a velocity of about 24,500 miles per hour…

Liftoff: July 16, 1969 Splashdown: July 24, 1969 Lunar Landing: July 20, 1969 Duration of Flight: 8 days, or 195 hours, 18 minutes, 35 seconds Time on Moon (in the Lunar Module and walking on lunar surface): 21 hours, 36 minutes Time Walking on Moon: more than 2 ½ hours Commander Neil A. Armstrong Armstrong was born in 1930 in Wapakoneta, Ohio. He earned his pilot’s license when he was just 16 years old. After studying engineering at Purdue University, he became a test pilot for the U.S. Air Force. When NASA selected him in 1962, he became the first civilian astronaut in the corps. He commanded Gemini 8 in 1966. After his death in 2012, the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center was renamed in his honor. Command Module Pilot…

Long Island’s Cradle of Aviation Museum in New York displays many historic air and space vehicles. But one craft in the museum’s collection is extra special. It’s a National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Lunar Module (LM). “All the LMs were built right here on Long Island,” explains museum curator Joshua Stoff, an expert on early space travel. “In those days, engineers and scientists had to learn everything about landing on the Moon.” The spacecraft used to carry astronauts into space and to orbit the Moon—the Command and Service Module (CSM)—was not designed to land on the Moon. NASA sent the astronauts with a second complete spacecraft—the Lunar Module—to reach the lunar surface. The LM actually functioned like two craft. “Its bottom half is called the descent stage,” Stoff said.…

Have you ever felt over the moon, or “very happy”? Or thought something was out of this world, or “extremely impressive?” If so, then you were using phrases related to space. The exciting idea of traveling through space added new phrases to our everyday language. Many space-inspired words came from people watching coverage of early space missions on television. People adapted the new words they were hearing to their own lives. One example of this is countdown. A countdown counts backwards, or down, before a rocket launch. Today, we use countdowns to build excitement for all kinds of events. The best example is the annual countdown on December 31 before the start of each New Year. All systems go means that all operations needed for a space mission to proceed…

We’re looking for a funny caption for this photo. Send your idea, name, and address to: Just for Fun, COBBLESTONE, Cricket Media, 70 East Lake Street, Suite 800, Chicago, IL 60601, or email it to cobblestone@cricketmedia.com. Include a note from a parent or legal guardian clearly stating: “This is my child’s original work, and COBBLESTONE has permission to publish it with my child’s name, age, and hometown, in print and online.” If your caption is chosen, we’ll mail you a copy of the issue in which it appears. March Winners!…

On March 16, 1926, Dr. Robert H. Goddard launched the first liquid-fueled rocket. That was an important step for future space exploration. Powerful rockets are needed to carry spacecraft from Earth’s surface into suborbital and orbital space. Of course, several decades passed before a spacecraft made that trip. And other scientists played a part,  including German rocket scientist Dr. Wernher von Braun. In the decade or so before the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was created, he helped the U.S. Army develop improved rockets. He eventually joined NASA and became a strong supporter of space exploration. By the 1950s, the Cold War rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union had developed into an intense competition over space exploration. It became known as the Space Race. Here are…

Millions of people watched the Apollo 11 astronauts land on the Moon on July 20, 1969. What those viewers did not see was the effort that went into that moment. More than 400,000 people contributed to the successful landing. They included fellow astronauts, engineers, flight controllers, rocket scientists, medical professionals, and other experts. It took everyone, working as a team over a number of years, to ensure the mission’s success. The work began with the astronauts themselves. After being selected to participate in the astronaut program, they spent two years in basic training. They took classes in everything from geology to astronomy. They tested space suits and trained in them. They practiced scooping up rocks and doing scientific research. They experimented with reduced-gravity simulators and learned how to fly their…

Since 1972, NASA’s Landsat Imagery’s orbiting satellites have been capturing regular images of Earth. Now those photos have become important aids for archaeologists. High-resolution shots can show man-made disturbances on or below Earth’s surface. Historic sites, such as such as tombs, dwellings, and storage pits, are being discovered. That means that initial work on an archaeological dig can be completed in an office instead of out in the field. Archaeologists only need access to a high-resolution computer and a large format printer. Of course, any satellite discovery has to be checked out in real time. But that can be completed relatively quickly once a site is identified. Archaeologist Sarah Parcak, at the University of Alabama, Birmingham, relies on such modern technology. She has developed the GlobalXplorer project. The project trains…

Until Apollo 11 landed on the Moon, people had no idea what was out there. So they made up stories. Here’s a look at some science fiction that provides examples of what people expected to find in space. The Great Moon Hoax Readers of The Sun made a surprising discovery on August 25, 1835. The newspaper announced that the famous British astronomer Sir John Herschel had found life on the Moon! The article described how he had built an enormous telescope and had used it to see plants, animals, and even people, flying around with enormous bat wings. The winged people had built roads, cities, and temples. Readers were spellbound. Then, on August 31, The New York Herald, a rival newspaper, published “The Astronomical Hoax Explained.” There was no life…

In Orbit The Homestead Act of 1862 Six Nations Confederacy Land From Mexico Draw a picture or write a poem or short essay that connects to one of the above COBBLESTONE themes on which we currently are working. All contributions must be your original work. Include a note from a parent or legal guardian clearly stating: “This is my child’s original work, and COBBLESTONE has permission to publish it with my child’s name, age, and hometown, in print and online.” We will include as many as we can in the upcoming issue to which your work relates. Mail it to the address shown here, or email it to cobblestone@cricketmedia.com.…