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the ARTICLE (for teachers) How important do you consider history? Are some events more important than others? How would you rate Apollo 11, which landed on the Moon on July 20, 1969? Forty years ago, Neil Armstrong stepped from the lunar module and declared, "This is one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." Apparently someone at NASA didn't think that the moment was especially important because the original video footage of the live transmission wasn't saved. Officials at the space agency discovered that the tapes had been erased and reused for other missions in the 1970s and 1980s. They realized this about three years ago. It was an embarrassing and startling realization. How could such a momentous event in history be lost to the world? So many other artifacts were saved, why not the film? Many scientists and historians were surprised by the news, even when four copies were finally found around the world. Hollywood has come to the rescue. The four copies had badly deteriorated over the years, so the film appeared even fuzzier and grainier than the original transmissions. Although not yet finished, the shots of Armstrong, Aldrin, and the other men will be cleaned and sharpened. Nothing will be created during the process, because historical accuracy is important. Only 40% of the work has been completed. The project should take months. However, NASA has proudly displayed some of the scenes, just in time for the 40th anniversary of the historical occasion. Teacher's Notes: * Underlined words in red typeface are the recommended vocabulary for this lesson. Heads Up English - 1
WARM-UPS Select one or all of the following warm-up activities. 1: Define: What does "history" mean? Can you use it in a sentence? Can you give examples? 2: Brainstorm: Brainstorm with a partner(s) words and ideas associated with "history" for 2 minutes. Spend another 5 minutes or less discussing the words and ideas together. 3: Title: Speculate and/or discuss the contents of today's article from its title: "" 4: Speculate: Write in the missing word for today's article title: "Moon ( ) Erased!" Why did you choose this word for the blank? 5: Do you agree or disagree? Why? a. History isn't so important. b. The future is more important than the past. c. Some historical events should be remembered and studied. d. Apollo 11, the mission which first landed on the Moon, should be remembered and studied. e. I love history! Heads Up English - 2
VOCABULARY Select one of the following vocabulary acquisition activities. 1: Vocabulary match: Individually or in pairs/groups, match the words in column A (from the article) with the best choice in column B. a. lunar q. jump b. leap r. look c. especially s. surprise d. footage t. very e. startle u. important f. momentous v. worsen g. deteriorate w. moon h. appear x. correct i. fuzzy y. unclear j. accurate z. film 2: Fill in the Blanks: Fill in the blank with the correct word. deteriorated especially leap appeared fuzzier lunar accuracy startling momentous footage a. Forty years ago, Neil Armstrong stepped from the ( ) module. b. Armstrong declared, "This is one small step for man, one giant ( ) for mankind." c. Apparently someone at NASA didn't think that the moment was ( ) important. d. The original video ( ) of the live transmission wasn't saved. e. It was an embarrassing and ( ) realization. f. How could such a ( ) event in history be lost to the world? g. The four copies had badly ( ) over the years. h. The film ( ) even grainier than the original transmissions. i. The film was even ( ) too. j. Nothing will be created during the process, because historical ( ) is important. 3: Define: Define each word, correctly pronounce it, explain the meaning and/or usage, and offer an example sentence to the class. a. lunar c. especially e. startle g. deteriorate i. fuzzy b. leap d. footage f. momentous h. appear j. accurate Heads Up English - 3
WORD RECOGNITION 1: Word Search: Find the target words (in bold). Time yourself, and see how many words you can find in three minutes, five minutes, or ten minutes. deteriorated especially leap appeared fuzzier lunar accuracy startling momentous footage S Y L K V U Z L M Q F D Q D D R L E O Z E E O R J E A Z Y B P L A M T A W N K T V J I E G F A P V A Y R B E Q K O T R G F I N C I L P R X A J G W N A K C K M F U I M C K R L I E C D E T A R O R E T E D L D G C M P I A R N O E Y M T Q Z A U L S M A P E X Z I R A U B T R Z E T V K P Z M A Z L I D O A R E G K A U E T T F Z U L O C D O Q F F H S A C B N U N F Y W L Z E Y C C A R U C A F E C M O M E N T O U S E L U N A R R A C A U D P M R X D K V Q V 2: Target Word Pool: Find the target words (in bold) with their exact match. Time yourself, and see how many words you can find in three minutes, five minutes, or ten minutes. deteriorated especially leap appeared fuzzier lunar accuracy startling momentous footage fuzziness accuracy leaps minutiae inaccurate interior deterioration startles moment disappearing footages startling loony specially leap leaping foot fuzzy deteriorate moments starling momentously especially appeared esperanto alone furrier accurately startled disappeared momentous feet detonated inaccuracy specialness furry special leper deteriorated loon startle fuzzier language appearance frontage lunar footage accurate appearing leapt Heads Up English - 4
pre- or post-comprehension 1: Word Association: Brainstorm words associated with today's topic for two minutes. Present to the class. 2: Brainstorm Questions: Brainstorm questions that you would like to ask about today's topic. Answer the questions without looking at the article. 3: True or False?: Guess (before the article) or answer (after the article) whether the sentence is true or false. If false, correct the sentence. a. Someone at NASA didn't think the Apollo 11 mission was important. T/F b. NASA discovered the mistake in the 1980s. T/F c. Historians and scientists weren't so surprised. T/F d. Some footage will be manufactured, but historical accuracy will receive attention. T/F e. The tapes have just been finished for the 30th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission. T/F 4: Questions: Answer the questions to check comprehension. a. What did Neil Armstrong say? b. What happened at NASA with the original footage? c. Why did it happen? d. What will Hollywood do? e. How much of the project has been completed? 5: Vocabulary: In pairs/groups, remember how the words were used in today's article. a. lunar c. especially e. startling g. deteriorated i. fuzzier b. leap d. footage f. momentous h. appeared j. accuracy 6: Fragments: Remember how the fragments were used, and complete the sentence from today's article. a. Forty years ago, Neil Armstrong stepped from the lunar module and declared... b. How could such a momentous... c. Hollywood has... d. Nothing will be created during the process, because... e. Only 40% of... Heads Up English - 5
post-comprehension 1: Vocabulary: Circle any additional unknown words/phrases in the article. In pairs/groups, use your dictionaries to understand the meanings. Present to the class. 2: Class Questions: Read through the article once more, and write down any questions that you would like to discuss in pairs/groups or as a class. Discuss. 3: Summarize: Work with a partner to summarize the article in your own words. 4: Discuss: Talk about the following questions in pairs/groups. Remember to support your answers! a. Did you like this article? b. What was your general impression after reading this article? c. What do you think about history? Is it important or a waste of time? Why? d. What can be learned from history? Why do you think so? e. Are some historical events more important than others? Why/not? f. How important are the missions to the Moon? Why do you think so? g. Which is more important, the past or the future? Is there any connection between the two? h. Were you surprised that the video footage was erased? Why/not? i. What are some other momentous occasions in history? Do we have footage of these events? j. Will humankind ever return to the Moon? Should we? Why/not? 5: Debate: Why is the history important? Why is it a waste of time? Brainstorm several reasons for each, then discuss your answers with a partner. Next find a new partner, take a for or against position, and debate! Important! Waste of Time! 6: Google Search: Type "Apollo 11" into Google news and read additional articles on this topic. Discuss or write an essay about your findings. Heads Up English - 6
STUDENT HANDOUT (the article) How important do you consider history? Are some events more important than others? How would you rate Apollo 11, which landed on the Moon on July 20, 1969? Forty years ago, Neil Armstrong stepped from the lunar module and declared, "This is one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." Apparently someone at NASA didn't think that the moment was especially important because the original video footage of the live transmission wasn't saved. Officials at the space agency discovered that the tapes had been erased and reused for other missions in the 1970s and 1980s. They realized this about three years ago. It was an embarrassing and startling realization. How could such a momentous event in history be lost to the world? So many other artifacts were saved, why not the film? Many scientists and historians were surprised by the news, even when four copies were finally found around the world. Hollywood has come to the rescue. The four copies had badly deteriorated over the years, so the film appeared even fuzzier and grainier than the original transmissions. Although not yet finished, the shots of Armstrong, Aldrin, and the other men will be cleaned and sharpened. Nothing will be created during the process, because historical accuracy is important. Only 40% of the work has been completed. The project should take months. However, NASA has proudly displayed some of the scenes, just in time for the 40th anniversary of the historical occasion. Notes: Heads Up English - 7
STUDENT HANDOUT (fill in the blank) Fill in the blank with the correct word. especially accuracy momentous historians fuzzier displayed startling rescue leap erased appeared lunar historical deteriorated footage How important do you consider history? Are some events more important than others? How would you rate Apollo 11, which landed on the Moon on July 20, 1969? Forty years ago, Neil Armstrong stepped from the (a. ) module and declared, "This is one small step for man, one giant (b. ) for mankind." Apparently someone at NASA didn't think that the moment was (c. ) important because the original video (d. ) of the live transmission wasn't saved. Officials at the space agency discovered that the tapes had been (e. ) and reused for other missions in the 1970s and 1980s. They realized this about three years ago. It was an embarrassing and (f. ) realization. How could such a (g. ) event in history be lost to the world? So many other artifacts were saved, why not the film? Many scientists and (h. ) were surprised by the news, even when four copies were finally found around the world. Hollywood has come to the (i. ). The four copies had badly (j. ) over the years, so the film (k. ) even (l. ) and grainier than the original transmissions. Although not yet finished, the shots of Armstrong, Aldrin, and the other men will be cleaned and sharpened. Nothing will be created during the process, because historical (m. ) is important. Only 40% of the work has been completed. The project should take months. However, NASA has proudly (n. ) some of the scenes, just in time for the 40th anniversary of the (o. ) occasion. Heads Up English - 8
STUDENT HANDOUT (extended listening) Listen and fill in the missing sentences. Compare your answers with a partner, and then listen once more. How important do you consider history? Are some events more important than others? How would you rate Apollo 11, which landed on the Moon on July 20, 1969? Forty years ago, Neil Armstrong stepped from the lunar module and declared, "This is one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." Apparently someone at NASA didn't think that the moment was especially important because the original video footage of the live transmission wasn't saved. a). They realized this about three years ago. It was an embarrassing and startling realization. How could such a momentous event in history be lost to the world? So many other artifacts were saved, why not the film? b), even when four copies were finally found around the world. Hollywood has come to the rescue. The four copies had badly deteriorated over the years, c). Although not yet finished, the shots of Armstrong, Aldrin, and the other men will be cleaned and sharpened. Nothing will be created during the process, d). Only 40% of the work has been completed. The project should take months. However, e), just in time for the 40th anniversary of the historical occasion. Heads Up English - 9
STUDENT HANDOUT (notes) Heads Up English - 10
ANSWER KEY Vocabulary 1. Vocabulary Match: 2. Fill in the Blanks: a. w f. u b. q g. v c. t h. r d. z i. y e. s j. x a. lunar f. momentous b. leap g. deteriorated c. especially h. appeared d. footage i. fuzzier e. startling j. accuracy pre- or post-comprehension 1. True or False: 2. Fragments: a. T b. F c. F d. F e. F a. "This is one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." b. event in history be lost to the world? c. come to the rescue. d. historical accuracy is important. e. the work has been completed. Student Handout 1. Fill in the Blanks a. lunar i. rescue b. leap j. deteriorated c. especially k. appeared d. footage l. fuzzier e. erased m. accuracy f. startling n. displayed g. momentous o. historical h. historians 2. Extended Listening a. Officials at the space agency discovered that the tapes had been erased and reused for other missions in the 1970s and 1980s b. Many scientists and historians were surprised by the news c. so the film appeared even fuzzier and grainier than the original transmissions d. because historical accuracy is important e. NASA has proudly displayed some of the scenes Heads Up English - 11