While daring each other to jump over rilles, or narrow valleys on the Moon, Gerry and Vern get into trouble. Vern falls and hurts his knee while also knocking his battery loose, the one that gives him air to breathe in his spacesuit. Luckily, the boys are able to get to a nearby shelter where Vern is out of danger.

1. Moonwalk Written by Ben Bova Illustrated by Peter Bollinger

2. Study Skills Genre: Science Fiction Comprehension Skill: Draw Conclusions Comprehension Strategy: Monitor and Fix Up Comprehension Review Skill: Theme Vocabulary: Context Clues—Synonyms

3. Summary While daring each other to jump over rilles, or narrow valleys on the Moon, Gerry and Vern get into trouble. Vern falls and hurts his knee while also knocking his battery loose, the one that gives him air to breathe in his spacesuit. Luckily, the boys are able to get to a nearby shelter where Vern is out of danger.

4. Genre: Science Fiction Science fiction is a story based on science. It often tells about life in the future. As you read this story about a walk on the moon, look for the scientific information on which it is based.

5. Comprehension Skill Draw Conclusions A conclusion is a decision you reach after thinking about what you have read. The small pieces of information in a piece of writing are called facts and details.

6. Comprehension Skill Draw Conclusions When you put these facts and details together to form a logical , well thought-out opinion , you are drawing a conclusion. Good conclusions can be supported with facts and details from the story.

7. Practice Drawing Conclusions 1. Facts and Details Martin created a realistic model of the solar system. 2. Facts and Details Martin read books about planets and stars. 3. Facts and Details Martin arranged plastic stars in his bedroom into constellations.

8. Practice Drawing Conclusions 4. Facts and Details Martin wanted to be an astronaut when he grew up. Conclusion Martin is very interested in space and astronomy.

9. Practice Drawing Conclusions PB 247 What conclusion can you draw about the Apollo missions? They have been very important to science. 2. What is one fact or detail that supports this conclusion? Apollo astronauts brought back rocks for scientists to study. 3. What conclusion can you draw about the challenge of understanding the moon? It will take a long time to understand the moon completely.

10. Practice Drawing Conclusions 4. What is one fact or detail that supports this conclusion? Scientists still study the Apollo mission information. 5. Reread the passage slowly. Did you understand the passage or any of its details more fully after this second reading? Explain.

11. Comprehension Skill Review Theme The theme of a story is its big idea , the idea that holds the story together. The author usually doe s n’t state the theme of the story, so readers have to figure it out. Let’s practice by determining the theme of Moonwalk.

12. Vocabulary Strategy Context Clues: Synonyms Sometimes when you are reading the author will give you a synonym for an unknown word. A synonym is a word that has the same or almost the same meaning as another word. The synonym may be in the same sentence as the unknown word or in a sentence around the word. They to replace the unknown word with the synonym to see if it makes sense . Let’s read Gone to the Moon paying attention to how vocabulary used on page 611.

13. Fun Stuff and Practice Drawing Conclusion Review More Drawing Conclusions Synonyms Practice Finding a Theme Practice Apollo 11

14. Question of the Week What are the risks when walking on the moon?

15. Day 2 - Question of the Day Why would the moon be an exciting place to explore?

16. What did Vern and Jerry learn about themselves when faced with danger? Day 3 – Question of the Day

17. Day 4 – Question of the Day What questions would you want to ask an astronaut who has walked on the moon?

18. Review Questions What happened prior to the father leaving the shelter? Why did Gerry try the jumps Vern did? Why did Vern end up falling and getting hurt? How did Gerry’s behavior change after Vern fell? What was the main problem in the story? What conclusion can you draw about the air on the moon and about the moon in general?

19. Review Questions 7. When did the sun begin to rise? 8. What event in the story support the fact that people can do extraordinary things in an emergency? 9. Why was Vern safe once he was inside the shelter? 10. How did this adventure likely affect the brothers’ relationship? 11. How did Dad probably feel when he got back? 12. What is an important theme?

20. Vocabulary - Say It loomed rille runt staggered summoning taunted trench trudged

21. More Words to Know conscious feebly rift astronomers launch probes crater

22. loomed appeared dimly or vaguely as a large, threatening shape

23. rille a long, narrow valley on the surface of the moon; wide crack

24. runt animal, person, or plant that is smaller than usual size. If used about a person, runt is sometimes considered offensive.

25. staggered became unsteady; wavered; stumbled

26. summoning stirring to action; rousing; calling upon

27. taunted jeered at; mocked; reproached; teased

28. trench any ditch; deep furrow

29. trudged walked wearily or with effort; slowly

30. conscious aware of what you are doing; awake

31. feebly weakly; without strength

32. rift a split; break; crack

33. probes spacecraft carrying scientific devices to record and report information

34. crater a bowl-shaped hole on the surface of Earth or the Moon

35. astronomers experts in the science that deals with the sun, moon, planets, stars, and so on

36. launch to send into the air or into outer space

37. The first colonists set up residence in the huge crater, Clavis.

38. The first colonists set up residence in the huge crater , Clavis.

39. They saw craters and a rille, a narrow valley that looks like a trench.

40. They saw craters and a rille , a narrow valley that looks like a trench .

41. They name some craters after famous astronomers, philosophers, and scientists.

42. They name some craters after famous astronomers , philosophers, and scientists .

43. Millions of people watched on television as the Apollo 11 spacecraft was launched.

44. Millions of people watched on television as the Apollo 11 spacecraft was launched .

45. They trudged along for an hour, leaving boot prints in the dust.

46. They trudged along for an hour, leaving boot prints in the dust.

47. The edge of the rille loomed up like the rim of the Grand Canyon.

48. The edge of the rille loomed up like the rim of the Grand Canyon.

49. The far side of the moon was unknown until space probes photographed it.

50. The far side of the moon was unknown until space probes photographed it.

51. It was easy to pick up moon rocks under whose weight they would have staggered and stumbled on Earth.

52. It was easy to pick up moon rocks under whose weight they would have staggered and stumbled on Earth.

53. How could we not conquer this small thing, this runt?

54. How could we not conquer this small thing, this runt ?

55. Summoning up his courage, Gary attempted to jump over the rille.

56. Summoning up his courage, Gary attempted to jump over the rille.

57. When Vern moved his hand, Gary knew he was conscious.

58. When Vern moved his hand, Gary knew he was conscious .

59. After Vern injured himself, the boys feebly made their way back to the shelter.

60. After Vern injured himself, the boys feebly made their way back to the shelter.

61. Vern repaid Gerry by never taunting him with the name Runt ever again.

62. Vern repaid Gerry by never taunting him with the name Runt ever again.