The Space Race: How the Cold War Put Humans on the Moon

The Space Race: How the Cold War Put Humans on the Moon
ISBN-10
161930662X
ISBN-13
9781619306622
Series
The Space Race
Category
Young Adult Nonfiction
Pages
188
Language
English
Published
2018-05-01
Publisher
Nomad Press
Author
Matthew Brenden Wood

Description

On July 20th, 1969, Neil Armstrong landed gently on the lunar surface and became the first person to set foot on another world. People around the world stopped what they were doing to crowd around television sets and radios to witness one of the greatest achievements in human history—a man walking on the moon. How did we get there? Why haven’t we gone back? In The Space Race: How the Cold War Put Humans on the Moon, kids ages 12 to 15 explore the race to the moon against the chilling backdrop of the Cold War. The Space Race was the period during and after the Cold War when America and the Soviet Union participated in a fierce competition to see which country could beat the other into space. It was a time of bitterness, fear, and secrecy, but it was also a moment in history when two countries directed resources toward pushing themselves to reach goals that were once thought unattainable. Would we have succeeded as far as we did without the competition to be first? While Neil Armstrong will be remembered as the first person to set foot on the moon, the people and events behind this accomplishment populate a fascinating tale of politics, science, technology, and teamwork that resulted in what might be the greatest accomplishment of the twentieth century. In The Space Race, middle school students explore this history of science and discover the political, social, and economic factors that led to incredible achievements in space, including the launch of Sputnik, the launch of Explorer I, and eventually, the landing of Apollo 11 on the moon, where Neil Armstrong took those famous first steps. Middle school students will meet some of the tens of thousands of engineers and scientists that worked for years to create the technology needed to send humans to the moon and return them safely to Earth. By showing space events against the backdrop of the turmoil back on Earth, readers understand that scientific achievement doesn't happen in a vacuum, even when it happens in space! A wealth of links to primary sources makes this an interactive learning experience while science-minded STEAM activities link the historical and scientific material. Throughout the fun facts, cool photos, and investigative projects, kids are encouraged to explore creative and critical thinking and problem-solving strategies. The Space Race is one book in a set of four that explore great events of the twentieth century. Other titles in this set include Globalization: Why We Care About Faraway Events; The Vietnam War; and World War II: From the Rise of the Nazi Party to the Dropping of the Atomic Bomb.

Other editions

Similar books

  • Steve Jobs: The Man Who Thought Different: A Biography
    By Karen Blumenthal

    Framed by Jobs' inspirational Stanford commencement speech and illustrated throughout with black and white photos, this is the story of the man who changed our world.

  • Because I Was a Girl: True Stories for Girls of All Ages
    By Melissa de la Cruz

    Edited by #1 New York Times-bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz, the book is the perfect gift for girls of all ages.

  • Because I Was a Girl: True Stories for Girls of All Ages
    By Melissa de la Cruz

    True Stories for Girls of All Ages Melissa de la Cruz. Henry Holt and Company, Publishers since 1866 Henry Holt® is a registered trademark of Macmillan Publishing Group, LLC 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010 fiercereads.com ...

  • Split in Two: Keeping it Together When Your Parents Live Apart
    By Karen Buscemi

    Complete with: - Personal advice from teens who have lived or are living in two households - Tips on goal-setting and planning skills - Comic-book-style illustrations that give the book an edgy, modern, graphic novel feel

  • Bonnie and Clyde: The Making of a Legend
    By Karen Blumenthal

    On November 21, Clyde and Bonnie celebrated Cumie's fiftyninth birthday with other family members on a deserted road west of Dallas near an unincorporated community called Sowers. Clyde and Bonnie were planning to leave town for a while ...

  • Abraham Lincoln's Presidency
    By Karen Latchana Kenney, Catherine M. Andronik

    Violence even broke out in Congress when Representative Preston Brooks of South Carolina beat Senator Charles Sumner of Massachusetts almost to death on the Senate floor. Brooks was angry because Sumner had delivered an antislavery ...

  • Tommy: The Gun That Changed America
    By Karen Blumenthal

    At the Auto-Ordnance annual meeting, surrounded by antiques in Thomas Fortune Ryan's opulent New York office, Thompson suggested the gun be named after its chief financial backer. But Ryan wanted nothing of it.

  • The Wide World of Coding: The People and Careers behind the Programs
    By Jennifer Connor-Smith

    Kimberly Bryant founded Black Girls Code because her daughter was the only black girlinasea of white, malefaces at a computer science camp. “I wanted to create something where she could find another community of girls like her who were ...

  • Unsung Heroes: Women of the Civil Rights Movement
    By Jennifer Lombardo

    WOMEN OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT Shown here are members of Kimberly Bryant's organization Black Girls Code, which she created to help black girls advance in technology classes. LEARNING ABOUT CITIZENSHIP WOMEN OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS ...

  • Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr
    By Richard Worth

    Washington's logical successor was his vice president, John Adams. Burr, however, hoped that Thomas Jefferson would run for president. And Burr also believed that he would be an excellent choice for the Republican vice president.