Description
What our Biographies: John Glenn lesson plan includes
Lesson Objectives and Overview: Biographies: John Glenn is a high-interest reading comprehension lesson plan. As such, students will practice various close reading and comprehension skills. In addition, they will learn about this famous American astronaut. This lesson is for students in 3rd grade, 4th grade, and 5th grade.
Classroom Procedure
Every lesson plan provides you with a classroom procedure page that outlines a step-by-step guide to follow. You do not have to follow the guide exactly. The guide helps you organize the lesson and details when to hand out worksheets. It also lists information in the yellow box that you might find useful. You will find the lesson objectives, state standards, and number of class sessions the lesson should take to complete in this area. In addition, it describes the supplies you will need as well as what and how you need to prepare beforehand. You will need a number of materials for the activity. These include cones or other markers, paper, markers or colored pencils, toy rockets or bean bags, and any additional supplies based on chosen “mission tasks.” Set up the open space for your launch path as well before the lesson begins.
Teacher Notes
The paragraph on this page gives you a little more information on the lesson overall and describes what you may want to focus your teaching on. It explains that you can teach this lesson in a whole-class setting or as an independent, small-group activity. The blank lines are available for you to write out any thoughts or ideas you have as you prepare.
BIOGRAPHIES: JOHN GLENN LESSON PLAN CONTENT PAGES
Who Is John Glenn?
The Biographies: John Glenn lesson plan contains three content pages. Let’s travel back to the 20th century to meet a man who made history in space. John Glenn was born on July 18, 1921, in the small town of Cambridge, Ohio. He grew up in a modest household with his parents, Clara and John Sr. They taught him the value of hard work and determination. As a boy, John loved building model airplanes, tinkering with gadgets, and dreaming about the skies. When he was eight, he experienced his first airplane ride, which sparked his lifelong fascination with flying.
Glenn’s early love for aviation continued into adulthood. After graduating high school, he went to Muskingum College in New Concord, Ohio. When World War II began, he felt called to serve his country. He left college and joined the military as a pilot in the US Marine Corps. Glenn flew over 57 combat missions during the war, bravely defending his nation. Later, during the Korean War, he flew another 90 missions. His skill and courage earned him many awards, including six Distinguished Flying Crosses and the Air Medal with 18 clusters.
From Pilot to Astronaut
John Glenn’s impressive flying career didn’t end with the wars. He became a test pilot, flying experimental jets to push the boundaries of aviation. In 1957, Glenn made headlines when he flew a supersonic jet from Los Angeles to New York in just under three and a half hours, setting a transcontinental speed record. This daring feat earned him national recognition and helped him land an even greater opportunity.
In 1959, Glenn was selected as one of the Mercury Seven, NASA’s first group of astronauts. These seven men were tasked with pioneering America’s space program during the intense Space Race with the Soviet Union. The training was grueling. Glenn and his fellow astronauts endured extreme tests to prepare for the dangers of space travel, including high-speed spinning machines and weightless environments. Despite the challenges, he remained focused and determined.
On February 20, 1962, Glenn’s moment of glory arrived. He became the first American to orbit the earth aboard the spacecraft Friendship 7. He orbited the planet three times, traveling over 17,000 miles per hour! Millions of people worldwide watched his journey on television, holding their breath as he splashed safely in the Atlantic Ocean after nearly five hours in space. His successful mission proved that humans could survive and work in space, paving the way for future space exploration, including the Apollo missions to the moon.
John Glenn and Politics
After his historic flight, Glenn became an American hero and a symbol of the nation’s potential during a time of significant change and competition with the Soviet Union. He toured the country, meeting students, scientists, and world leaders and inspiring others to achieve their dreams. However, he wasn’t ready to retire. In 1964, he left NASA to pursue a career in politics.
Glenn’s political career was as remarkable as his time in the skies. In 1974, he was elected as a US Senator, representing the state of Ohio. He held this position for 24 years. As a senator, he worked on issues like science education, environmental protection, and space exploration. He fought to ensure that future generations would have access to opportunities in science and technology, just as he had.
A Love for Outer Space
Even after retiring from politics, Glenn’s love for space never faded. In 1998, at age 77, he made history again by becoming the oldest person to travel to space! He flew aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery as part of a mission to study how space affects aging. His return to space proved that age is no barrier to achieving great things. It showed the world the importance of continuing to explore the unknown.
John Glenn’s life was filled with remarkable accomplishments. He was a war hero, a space pioneer, a dedicated public servant, and an inspiring leader. His contributions to science and exploration changed history, and his courage inspired people worldwide. Glenn passed away on December 8, 2016, at 95 years old, leaving behind a legacy that reminds us to aim high, work hard, and never stop dreaming. The American astronaut’s story is one of determination, bravery, and a belief in the power of human potential. Just as Glenn reached for the stars, we can all strive to achieve our dreams, no matter how far away they seem.
BIOGRAPHIES: JOHN GLENN LESSON PLAN WORKSHEETS
The Biographies: John Glenn lesson plan includes two worksheets: an activity worksheet and a practice worksheet. Each one will help students solidify their grasp of the material they learned throughout the lesson. You can refer to the classroom procedure guidelines to know when to hand out each worksheet.
FRIENDSHIP 7 RECREATION ACTIVITY WORKSHEET
For the activity, students will simulate a trip to outer space as if they were astronauts! The worksheet lists 15 missions, and you can choose which ones to have them complete, if not all of them. Each mission lists the directions and any materials you might need to complete it. At the end, students will “debrief” and discuss the questions in the box at the bottom of the third activity page.
BIOGRAPHIES: JOHN GLENN PRACTICE WORKSHEET
The practice worksheet requires students to answer a series of 11 questions. These questions all relate to the content pages, so students will need to refer to them often for the answers. In addition, each question provides which reading tool the question corresponds to, such as text feature, vocabulary, or comprehension.
Worksheet Answer Keys
At the end of the lesson plan document is an answer key for the practice worksheet. The correct answers are all in red to make it easier for you to compare them with students’ responses. If you choose to administer the lesson pages to your students via PDF, you will need to save a new file that omits these pages. Otherwise, you can simply print out the applicable pages and keep these as reference for yourself when grading assignments.
