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Moon History Erased!
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- Parent Category: Upper-Intermediate News Lessons
- Category: Science and Technology
- Written by Chris Cotter
How important do you consider history? Are some events more important than others? How would you rate Apollo 11, which landed on the Moon on July 20, 1969? Forty years ago, Neil Armstrong stepped from the lunar module and declared, "This is one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."
Apparently someone at NASA didn't think that the moment was especially important because the original video footage of the live transmission wasn't saved. Officials at the space agency discovered that the tapes had been erased and reused for other missions in the 1970s and 1980s. They realized this about three years ago. It was an embarrassing and startling realization. How could such a momentous event in history be lost to the world? So many other artifacts were saved, why not the film? Many scientists and historians were surprised by the news, even when four copies were finally found around the world.
Hollywood has come to the rescue. The four copies had badly deteriorated over the years, so the film appeared even fuzzier and grainier than the original transmissions. Although not yet finished, the shots of Armstrong, Aldrin, and the other men will be cleaned and sharpened. Nothing will be created during the process, because historical accuracy is important.
Only 40% of the work has been completed. The project should take months. However, NASA has proudly displayed some of the scenes, just in time for the 40th anniversary of the historical occasion.
Preview some of the lesson material:
Warm Up: Do you agree or disagree? Why?
- History isn't so important.
- The future is more important than the past.
- Some historical events should be remembered and studied.
- Apollo 11, the mission which first landed on the Moon, should be remembered and studied.
- I love history!
True or False?: Guess (before the article) or answer (after the article) whether the sentence is true or false. If false, correct the sentence.
- Someone at NASA didn't think the Apollo 11 mission was important.
- NASA discovered the mistake in the 1980s.
- Historians and scientists weren't so surprised.
- Some footage will be manufactured, but historical accuracy will receive attention.
- The tapes have just been finished for the 30th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission.
post-Comprehension: Talk about the following questions in pairs/groups. Remember to support your answers!
- What do you think about history? Is it important or a waste of time? Why?
- Are some historical events more important than others? Why/not?
- Were you surprised that the video footage was erased? Why/not?
- What are some other momentous occasions in history? Do we have footage of these events?
- Will humankind ever return to the Moon? Should we? Why/not?
Google Search: Type "Apollo 11" into Google. Look at the websites, and/or read additional articles on this topic. Discuss or write an essay about your findings.
