Text Features
Look at the illustration and headline on pages 4-5. What mood, or feeling, do they create? Explain.
Suspense or fear.
The illustration shows part of the ship exploding in space.
What was the purpose of Apollo 13's mission?
The astronauts were on a mission to research the moon.
Lauren Tarshis writes that the astronauts’ journey to the moon “would not be a comfortable ride.” How does she support this statement?
The genre of the text is noted on page 4, top left. This text is a Narrative Nonfiction. What does this mean?
It is a true story.
An oxygen tank exploded and badly damaged the Apollo 13 spacecraft. Much of Odyssey’s power and oxygen supply were lost
The astronauts moved into the lunar model (LM) because it had its own power and oxygen supply.
Reread the section “A Space Race.” What can you infer about how the Apollo 13 space disaster affected Americans’ view of space travel?
Americans were interested in space travel again by reminding them how dangerous it was.
What type of account is this text? (Firsthand or secondhand) Explain.
Secondhand account, written by Lauren Tarshish. She was not actually on the space craft. She did research to write the true story. The quotes in the text are firsthand.
The lunar model did not have enough power during the astronauts’ four-day journey back to Earth.
They saved power by turning off all of the systems they didn't need to survive, including the heat.
According to the section “An Explosion,” what caused the Apollo 13 disaster? How did it put the astronauts’ lives in danger?
The title pages includes an illustration of the space craft "exploding." Why isn't this an actual photograph? Explain.
There was not someone on the moon with a camera to capture the events as they happened.
The lunar model (LM) did not have a heat shield to protect the astronauts as they re-entered Earth’s atmosphere.
They moved back into the command model because it had a heat shield to protect them as they re-entered Earth's atmosphere.
Summarize the section “Scanning the Sky.”
When it became clear that Odyssey couldn't continue on to the moon, the astronauts and engineers at NASA had to quickly think of creative solutions to bring Odyssey back to Earth. Both decided that the astronauts should move to the lunar module to survive. The LM had problems too though. People on Earth weren't sure that the astronauts would survive.
How does the visual on page 7 help readers to better understand the text?
It labels and describes each part of the Apollo 13. The text mentions each part of the spacecraft. The visual helps readers to know what each section of the spacecraft looks like and where it was located.
The Apollo 13 mission was called a “successful failure.” Why is this a good way to describe it?
Answers may vary.
Read the section “Free Fall to Earth.” How does Lauren Tarshis create suspense about the astronauts’ return to Earth?
She said that the astronauts "drop to Earth would be the most dangerous part of their journey." She includes questions relating to what could go wrong. She explains that the world would learn in four minutes whether the astronauts survived, then counts down the minutes one by one.