Do you think someday we will be able to board a space shuttle and blast off to another planet or solar system just like we fly to other countries and states? How about vacationing on the moon instead of Europe?
Whether it’s a commercial shuttle to the moon or settlements on Mars, space travel (and even space tourism) has been capturing the imagination of humans for well over a century. But is it a realistic idea? The answer to this question increasingly appears to be “yes”. In 2020, for the first time in history, humans accessed space using a privately owned vehicle built by a private corporation. Their aim is to achieve an affordable space settlement. This was the first significant step toward building an economy in space.
The following resources and activity ideas will help students research and critically think about the possibilities around space travel. They are appropriate for students at a primary or middle school level.
Space Travel Resource Packs
This Britannica School Elementary resource pack ↗ includes age-appropriate articles, images, videos, and infographics on space exploration and travel. A Middle school version↗ of this resource pack is also available for more advanced learners.
Space Travel Activities
The following activities can be completed using resources found in the Britannica School “Space Exploration” resource packs.
- Choose 4 planets to research, and create a fact chart identifying key information about each planet and its suitability for a visit by humans.
- Explore space travel and previous space missions. What are the benefits of space travel? What are the drawbacks? Complete the Benefits and Drawbacks table.
- Unfortunately, space travel is still very expensive. Using the news articles below, create a bar graph illustrating the cost of various space flight journeys from recent years.
These activities and resources have been created using content from Britannica School, the go-to site for safe, comprehensive student research. Contact your librarian to find out if your institution already has access. Find out more about Britannica School.
