Name: Class:

"New Mysteries Surround New Horizons’ Next Flyby Target" byNASA is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0.

Learning about the Solar SystemBy Barbara Radner

2005

Earth is a part of a solar system that includes seven other planets and their moons, all of which orbitaround the sun. In this informational text, Barbara Radner provides additional information about whatscientists have learned about our solar system. As you read, take notes on the different planets and starsthat the author discusses.

When scientists looked at the stars long ago, theysaw patterns. They did not understand everythingabout what they saw. So they kept looking tolearn more. That is what scientists do. They askquestions and look for information to answertheir questions. They are like explorers. They donot travel far the way explorers do. But they domake a kind of journey. They want to learn more.They go from what they know to what theydiscover.

Scientists have learned about our planet. It is verybig. It is very diverse.1 There are places that arehot. There are places that are freezing. There aremountains and plains.2 There are hills and valleys. There are deep oceans. There are great rivers andwaterfalls. There are rainforests. There are deserts. Those are all parts of our planet. There is muchmore to learn about what is here on Earth. A scientist dedicates3 much time to learning. The scientistworks hard. The scientist helps us all find out more about our world.

Our planet is in a galaxy4 called the Milky Way. The sun is a big star in our part of this giant galaxy. Ourgalaxy holds millions of other stars. The sun is very important to our planet. The sun gives us lightduring the day. It gives us heat, too. Two other planets are closer to the sun than Earth: Mercury andVenus.

Scientists figured out how the Earth changes. Earth orbits the sun once each year. It travels oncearound the sun every 365 days. The other seven planets in our solar system also orbit around the sun.All travel in a pattern called an ellipse, which is a kind of oval. So at times Earth is farther from the sun.Scientists figured out that made it cooler on Earth then. But they also figured out that it is the tilt of theEarth’s axis,5 however, that has the greatest effect on temperatures.

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1. Diverse (adjective): very different2. a large area of flat land with few trees3. Dedicate (verb): to set aside time to do something4. a system of millions or billions of stars held together by gravity5. the invisible line that goes through the north and south poles, on which Earth spins

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“Learning about the Solar System” by Barbara Radner. Copyright © 2005 by Barbara Radner. Reprinted with permission, all rights reserved.

Scientists are still learning about our galaxy. There is much to discover. Today astronauts travel intospace. They are explorers. It is dangerous to travel in space, but they are dauntless.6 They bravelytravel thousands of miles to learn.

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6. Dauntless (adjective): refusing to give into fear or to give up

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Text-Dependent QuestionsDirections: For the following questions, choose the best answer or respond in complete sentences.

1. PART A: What is the main idea of the text?A. Scientists and astronauts have given up on fully understanding our galaxy.B. Astronauts provide us with more information about space than scientists.C. Scientists spend their time learning about our planet and solar system.D. Scientists learn about our planet so we can save it from pollution.

2. PART B: Which detail from the article best supports the answer to Part A?A. “The scientist works hard. The scientist helps us all find out more about our

world.” (Paragraph 2)B. “Our planet is in a galaxy called the Milky Way. The sun is a big star in our part of

this giant galaxy.” (Paragraph 3)C. “Earth orbits the sun once each year. It travels once around the sun every 365

days.” (Paragraph 4)D. “Today astronauts travel into space. They are explorers. It is dangerous to travel

in space, but they are dauntless.” (Paragraph 5)

3. Which of the following best describes how the text is organized?A. The author describes what scientists do and then what they have learned about

our planet and solar system.B. The author discusses our solar system and then compares it to other solar

systems in our galaxy.C. The author describes what scientists know about our solar system today and

then what they hope to discover in the future.D. The author discusses the jobs of scientists and then advises readers on how

they can become a scientist.

4. How does the sun affect the earth and the other planets in our solar system?

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Discussion QuestionsDirections: Brainstorm your answers to the following questions in the space provided. Be prepared toshare your original ideas in a class discussion.

1. In the text, the author states that there’s still a lot that scientists don’t know about ourgalaxy. Do you think scientists will ever know everything about our galaxy? Why or why not?What is one thing you want to know about our galaxy?

2. In the context of the text, how do scientists and astronauts learn about our solar system?Why is it important to learn about Earth’s solar system? Do you want to be an astronaut ora scientist when you grow up? Why or why not?

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Name: Class:

"EdWhiteFirstAmericanSpacewalker.1965.ws" by NASA / JamesMcDivitt is in the public domain.

What Is a Spacewalk?By NASA

In this informational text provided by NASA, the author discusses what spacewalks are and how astronautsstay safe when they leave their spacecraft. As you read, take notes on the steps astronauts take to go on aspacewalk.

Why Do Astronauts Go onSpacewalks?

Astronauts go on spacewalks for many reasons.Spacewalks let astronauts work outside theirspacecraft while still in space. Astronauts can doscience experiments on a spacewalk.Experiments can be placed on the outside of aspacecraft. This lets scientists learn how being inspace affects different things.

Spacewalks also let astronauts test newequipment. They can repair satellites1 orspacecraft that are in space. By going onspacewalks, astronauts can fix things instead ofbringing them back to Earth to fix.

How Do Astronauts Go onSpacewalks?

When astronauts go on spacewalks, they wear spacesuits to keep themselves safe. Inside spacesuits,astronauts have the oxygen they need to breathe. They have the water they need to drink.

Astronauts put on their spacesuits several hours before a spacewalk. The suits are pressurized. Thismeans that the suits are filled with oxygen.

Once in their suits, astronauts breathe pure oxygen for a few hours. Breathing only oxygen gets rid ofall the nitrogen in an astronaut's body. If they didn't get rid of the nitrogen, the astronauts might getgas bubbles in their body when they walked in space. These gas bubbles can cause astronauts to feelpain in their shoulders, elbows, wrists and knees. This pain is called getting "the bends" because itaffects the places where the body bends, Scuba divers can also get “the bends.”

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1. an object placed in orbit around the Earth, moon, or another planet in space to collect information or communicate

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“What Is a Spacewalk?” by NASA is in the public domain.

Astronauts are now ready to get out of their spacecraft. They leave the spacecraft through a specialdoor called an airlock. The airlock has two doors. When astronauts are inside the spacecraft, the airlockis airtight so no air can get out. When astronauts get ready to go on a spacewalk, they go through thefirst door and lock it tight behind them. They can then open the second door without any air gettingout of the spacecraft. After a spacewalk, astronauts go back inside through the airlock.

How Do Astronauts Stay Safe During Spacewalks?

When on a spacewalk, astronauts use safety tethers to stay close to their spacecraft. Tethers are likeropes. One end is hooked to the spacewalker. The other end is connected to the vehicle. The safetytethers keep astronauts from floating away into space. Astronauts also use tethers to keep tools fromfloating away. They tether their tools to their spacesuits.

Another way astronauts stay safe during spacewalks is by wearing a SAFER. SAFER stands for SimplifiedAid for EVA Rescue. SAFER is worn like a backpack. It uses small jet thrusters to let an astronaut movearound in space. If an astronaut were to become untethered and float away, SAFER would help him orher fly back to the spacecraft. Astronauts control safer with a small joystick, like on a video game.

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Text-Dependent QuestionsDirections: For the following questions, choose the best answer or respond in complete sentences.

1. PART A: What does the word “thrusters” mean as it is used in paragraph 8 of the passage?A. ropes that connectB. machines that powerC. spacesuits that protectD. bags that hold tools

2. PART B: Which details from the passage helps the reader understand the meaning of“thrusters”?

A. “hooked to the spacewalker.” (Paragraph 7)B. “is worn like a backpack.” (Paragraph 8)C. “fly back to the spacecraft.” (Paragraph 8)D. “with a small joystick” (Paragraph 8)

3. Why are two doors needed to create an airlock on a spacecraft?A. to make it safe for astronauts to enter and exit the spacecraft on EarthB. to let the astronauts do scientific experiments to see how air in space affects

living thingsC. to allow astronauts to go into space without letting oxygen out of the spacecraftD. to provide a place where the astronauts can connect their ropes to a spacecraft

so they do not float away

4. PART A: What is the main idea of the passage, “What Is a Spacewalk?”A. Astronauts wear spacesuits that allow them to breathe and move in space.B. Astronauts need special machines to study outer space.C. Astronauts go on spacewalks to do important experiments.D. Astronauts have special tools to stay safe and work in space.

5. PART B: Which two details from the passage support the answer to Part A?A. “Astronauts go on spacewalks for many reasons.” (Paragraph 1)B. “This lets scientists learn how being in space affects different things.” (Paragraph

1)C. “They can repair satellites or spacecraft that are in space.” (Paragraph 2)D. “Once in their suits, astronauts breathe pure oxygen for a few hours.”

(Paragraph 5)E. “This pain is called getting ‘the bends’ because it affects the places where the

body bends.” (Paragraph 5)F. “When on a spacewalk, astronauts use safety tether to stay close to their

spacecraft.” (Paragraph 7)

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6. PART A: What is one kind of important work that astronauts do when they are on aspacewalk?

A. Astronauts fly through space to explore during spacewalks.B. Astronauts hook tools onto their spacecraft during spacewalks.C. Astronauts can make repairs to objects during spacewalks.D. Astronauts do scientific tests on their bodies during spacewalks.

7. PART B: Which detail from the passage supports the answer to Part A?A. “let scientists learn how being in space affects different things.” (Paragraph 1)B. “fix things instead of bringing them back to Earth to fix.” (Paragraph 2)C. “can cause astronauts to feel pain in their shoulders, elbows, wrists and knees.”

(Paragraph 5)D. “to let an astronaut move around in space.” (Paragraph 8)

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Discussion QuestionsDirections: Brainstorm your answers to the following questions in the space provided. Be prepared toshare your original ideas in a class discussion.

1. What are some character traits that astronauts would need to have? Would you ever wantto go on a spacewalk? Why or why not?

2. Spacewalks also allow astronauts to fix things in space rather than returning to Earth. Howcould this help with astronauts’ missions in space? In the context of the text, how dospacewalks help astronauts learn more about space?

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Name: Class:

"ISS Space Foods Assortment" by NASA is in the public domain.

Space FoodBy Barbara Radner

2005

Life in space is very different from life on Earth. When people living in space need to eat, it’s a differentexperience than when you eat. In this informational text, Barbara Radner describes how astronauts takefood into space. As you read, take notes on what kinds of foods astronauts eat in space.

You really know how important a clean kitchen isif you live in the same small place for weeks.Everyone needs to have a clean kitchen so theyare healthy. A dirty kitchen can make people sick.Astronauts are people who travel on spaceships.They need to have a very clean home. They travelfar from Earth. We need clean kitchenseverywhere on earth and in space.

Astronauts have to solve two problems: how toget food and how to keep their spaceship clean.They need to solve them in order to stay alive.They are in a spaceship far from Earth, and theyneed to take care of everything themselves. Theyneed to be sure they have what they need to live there, because the astronauts may be in space forweeks.

Here is how they solved the food problem. At first, the astronauts took tubes of food with them intospace. They would squeeze a tube and eat semi-liquid food. It did not taste great, but since they didnot need to take dishes or silverware with them, they had no dishes to wash.

Today’s spaceships have a bigger menu. Astronauts can eat from bowls. In fact, they take cereal andother standard1 foods with them. The foods are packaged in special containers to keep them fresh.They use knives, forks, and spoons. One unusual item on their table is a pair of scissors. They use thescissors to open the food packages. They can eat right from the package.

They have a kitchen on the spaceship. Its oven can heat food to 170 degrees. The kitchen has waterand sets of meals that come on trays. The astronauts choose their menu before they go into space.They take a lot of food with them.

The astronauts keep bread and fresh fruits and vegetables in a special food locker. Most flights taketortillas. They package the tortillas in an oxygen-free wrap so they stay safe.

How do they keep the kitchen clean? They do not have to worry about mice or other rodents.2Theymake sure that there are no rodents before the ship leaves. But sometimes mice travel on the ship.Those mice are part of experiments. They live in cages.

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1. Standard (adjective): very familiar and widely used2. small mammals

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“Space Food” by Barbara Radner. Copyright © 2005 by Barbara Radner. Reprinted with permission, all rights reserved.

How do astronauts keep their trays clean? That is another health problem the astronauts solve. Theyneed to stay healthy in space. To carry a lot of water to wash trays would be a lot of extra weight. Theypack wet wipes in plastic bags. They use them to clean trays. So, their kitchen is clean and they stayhealthy.

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Text-Dependent QuestionsDirections: For the following questions, choose the best answer or respond in complete sentences.

1. PART A: What is the main idea of the article?A. Astronauts must take special steps to eat in space and keep their kitchen clean.B. When astronauts are in space, they don’t worry about eating right or cleaning.C. Eating and cleaning the kitchen in space is no different than doing so on Earth.D. Astronauts are more active in space and therefore have to eat more food.

2. PART B: Which paragraph from the text best supports the answer to Part A?A. Paragraph 1B. Paragraph 2C. Paragraph 3D. Paragraph 5

3. Which of the following describes how the text is organized?A. The author discusses how astronauts keep their kitchens clean and then how

they get food in space.B. The author describes what astronauts do for food today and what they plan to

do for food in the future.C. The author discusses how astronauts keep their kitchens clean in space and

then what happens if they don’t.D. The author describes two problems that astronauts have in space and then goes

into detail about how they solve them.

4. Which of the following must happen before astronauts can eat food in space?A. The food must be packed up and brought with them.B. The food must be looked over for mold or bugs.C. The food must be turned into a semi-liquid form.D. The food must be put into small and easy-to-use tubes.

5. How is keeping the kitchen clean related to health in the text?

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Discussion QuestionsDirections: Brainstorm your answers to the following questions in the space provided. Be prepared toshare your original ideas in a class discussion.

1. In the text, the author describes how astronauts eat in space. If you had to eat in space,what do you think would be challenging about it?

2. What do you think space food will look like in the future? How could space food beimproved? What would you send with astronauts going to space if you got to pick out theirmenu?

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