Conditions on the moon are different from those on Earth—there’s no wind, weather, or people. So items astronauts leave there remain mostly untouched.
A Golden Branch
TRIFF/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM (BACKGROUND); AFRICA STUDIO/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM (GOLF BALLS); PHOTO BY ERIC LONG, SMITHSONIAN NATIONAL AIR AND SPACE MUSEUM (NASM 2009-4815) (CAMERA); SEAN LOCKE/EYEEM/GETTY IMAGES (POOP BAG); NASA (OLIVE BRANCH, FAMILY PHOTO); SEBASTIEN GABORIT/GETTY IMAGES (MOON)
A Mess on the Moon
From 1969 to 1972, NASA completed six missions to the moon as part of the Apollo program—and astronauts left more than 220 tons of stuff behind.
From the September 2020 Issue
This infographic was originally published in the September 2020 issue.
Activities
(2)
Skills Activities
Answer Key
(1)
More About the Story
Skills
reading for information, evaluating
Complexity Factors
Purpose
The infographic gives information about items left on the Moon during the Apollo program.
Structure
Information is presented using text and images.
Language
The language is mainly conversational but includes a few higher-level words, such as represent and conditions.
Knowledge Demands
The text refers to NASA and the Apollo program. It also mentions tons as a unit of measurement.
Step-by-Step Lesson Plan
1. Reading and Discussing
Project the infographic as students follow along in their magazines.
Prompt students to use the headline, subhead, and central image to identify the topic of the infographic.
Ask: Is the purpose of the infographic to
- explain something to you?
- convince you of something?
- tell you how to do something?
Have students look over the labels and images surrounding the central image. Ask:
- How are they related to the central image? (They provide details about the main idea.)
Break students into groups to read each section of the infographic and discuss what they find interesting, surprising, or convincing.
Come back together as a class and ask volunteers to summarize the main idea and supporting details from the infographic.
2. Writing
Preview the writing prompt in the “Write to Win” box.
Download and distribute the guided-writing activity that goes along with the infographic.
Have students respond to the writing prompt. If you wish, send their responses to our infographic contest.
Ideas to Engage and Inspire
Have students create their own infographics! Download our “Make Your Own Infographic” activity from Storyworks Digital.
Text-to-Speech