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Table of Contents
On July 20, 1969, American astronaut Neil Armstrong famously said “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,” when he and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to ever land on the moon during the Apollo 11 mission. The U.S. government mission aimed to have the first manned lunar landing, which was a critical milestone for technology and history in the mid 20th century.
See the fact file below for more information on the Apollo 11 or alternatively, you can download our 23-page Apollo 11 worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.
Key Facts & Information
Historical Background
- On May 25, 1961, at the height of Cold War, U.S. President John F. Kennedy declared a national goal of sending man to the moon at the Congress joint session. Kennedy’s decision was because of Soviet success in sending cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin into space in April 1961. He specifically wanted to catch up to and overtake the Soviet Union in what we know today as the space race.
- Several NASA projects like Mercury, Gemini and Apollo were developed to materialize Kennedy’s vision and speech.
- By September 12, 1962, JFK delivered his famous quote, “We choose to go to the Moon” in front of a large crowd at Rice Stadium, Houston, Texas.
- JFK specifically tasked vice president Lyndon B. Johnson to oversee the project of the National Aeronautics and Space Council.
- After Kennedy’s assassination on November 22, 1963, the idea of a joint moon landing was abandoned but NASA’s Apollo mission became a memorial for him.
The Eagle has Landed
- Apollo 11 was the fifth manned mission under the Apollo program.
- On July 16, 1969, three American astronauts, namely Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins left the Kennedy Space Center in Houston, Florida, to fulfill NASA’s Apollo 11 mission and JFK’s vision. They traveled 240,000 miles for three days to reach the moon’s lunar orbit.
- The astronauts were carried by a spacecraft launched from the Saturn V rocket. On July 20, 1969, Armstrong and Aldrin entered the lunar module, Eagle, and separated from the command service module nicknamed Columbia, as they approached the lunar surface.
- At exactly 4:17 pm, Armstrong notified Houston of their lunar landing with the words “Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed.” Prior to landing, they only had 25 seconds of fuel to spare because of unclear landing sites.
- Approximately 600 million people around the world watched the televised lunar landing, a record-breaker at that time.
- Eagle, the Apollo lunar module, was named after the United States’ national bird. Moreover, it was Michael Collins who designed the Apollo 11 mission insignia picturing an eagle with an olive branch in its claw.
- The astronauts spent almost a day on the moon to perform experiments and place equipment.
- They collected samples of lunar soil and rock, a U.S. flag was erected and a plaque was placed stating, “Here men from the planet Earth, first set foot upon the moon. July 20, 1969, A.D. We came in peace for all mankind.”
- Memorial medallions for deceased astronauts and cosmonauts were left including a disk of goodwill messages from 73 countries.
- After spending 21 hours on the moon, Armstrong and Aldrin blasted back to Columbia. On July 24, 1969, the team splashed down in the Pacific Ocean a few miles from the recovery ship, U.S.S. Hornet. They were quarantined for 21 days after the Earth landing.
Apollo 11 Legacy
- Apollo 11 astronauts became well-celebrated men in history, especially Neil Armstrong who spoke some of the most famous lunar landing quotes.
- The success of Apollo 11 established the United States’ national and international dominance over rival countries. It also demonstrated the economic, political and technological virtuosity of Americans. Lastly, such achievement opened up possibilities for further aerospace exploration.
Apollo 11 Worksheets
This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about Apollo 11 across 23 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Apollo 11 worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the Apollo 11 . On July 20, 1969, American astronaut Neil Armstrong famously said “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,” when he and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to ever land on the moon during the Apollo 11 mission. The U.S. government mission aimed to have the first manned lunar landing, which was a critical milestone for technology and history in the mid 20th century.
Complete List Of Included Worksheets
- Apollo 11 Facts
- JFK and the Space Race
- Apollo 11 Astronauts
- Apollo Missions
- What’s in a Name?
- Mission Insignias
- Earth’s Natural Satellites
- Spacelog
- Apollo 11 Mission
- Great Leap For Mankind
- The Eagle has Landed
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Link will appear as Apollo 11 Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, June 27, 2023
Use With Any Curriculum
These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.