1a. What did the speaker say to comfort the families of the crew members?
2a. What had the U.S. space program been doing for twenty-five years?
3a. How were the crew members like Sir Francis Drake?
4a. What words does the speaker use to describe the crew members throughout the speech?
5a. How well does the speaker get across the main message? How well do you think the speaker's words echoed the thoughts of the American public? In what ways might the speaker's message have been different from the thoughts of the American public?
1b. How might these words have comforted the families?
2b. What could the space program's activities have left people thinking?
3b. How did the mentality of the crew members set them apart from others?
4b. How do these descriptions help form the speaker's main message? What is the speaker's main message?
5b. Does the message sent by the speech parallel that of the newswire text of the same day? Does the message of the speech parallel that of "High Flight"? Explain your answer.
Diction and Style. What type of occasion or subject best describes the context of this speech? How did the intended audience and the intent of the speech affect the diction? How did the diction affect the style of the speech?
Compare and contrast the style, tone and point-of-view of "The Challenger Disaster," "High Flight," and the Associated Press newswire text.
1. Write newswire copy about a newsworthy event you have witnessed or imagined to send to your local newspaper.
2. Based on the information you have learned about the Challenger, its crew, and the explosion, write a ten-question true/false test for a parent, teacher, or other person who remembers the event.
3. Write a caption for the photograph of the space shuttle Challenger on page 425.
Using a computer with an Internet connection, look up information on the Challenger Center for Space Science Education. Try to find answers to the following questions.
1. Why was the Challenger Center originally founded?
2. Who founded the organization?
3. What happens at the Challenger Learning Centers?
4. Is there a Challenger Learning Center in your state?
5. Where is the closest one to your school?
6. How can students benefit from long-distance Challenger Center programs?
7. How can you get more information?
8. List the Internet addresses you used to find this information.
9. Where are two other Challenger Learning Centers?
10. Write one other interesting piece of information you found in your search.
Reviewing New Words. The following words appear either in "High Flight" or in the Associated Press newswire. Look up each word in the dictionary. Then write a short definition for each word, and use each word in a sentence.
Example primarily mainly; chiefly; for the most part. The old fire truck is used primarily in parades.
1. surly
2. mirth
3. delirious
4. sanctity
5. trod
6. debris
7. bureau
8. module
9. aerodynamic
10. external
Parts of Speech. Identify the part of speech for each numbered word. [Ex]Shock had set in [1]among the engineers, technicians [2]and others who [3]painstakingly [4]assemble the shuttle's three [5]primary components—the orbiter, two solid-fuel rockets and large mustard-colored [6]external fuel tank—[7]at the vehicle assembly building [8]just before [9]it goes to the launch pad aboard a [10]mobile platform.
Ex. Shock—noun
1. among
2. and
3. painstakingly
4. assemble
5. primary
6. external
7. at
8. just
9. it
10. mobile
Speaking Out about the News. Find a current topic in the national or international news that interests you. Gather information on your topic from newspapers and news magazines, consulting at least three sources. As you examine what you have found, look for differences among your sources. Does any source omit information found in another source? How do the sources differ in content and focus? Do the sources reveal any biases or opinions about the subject? Do the sources simply offer information, or do they try to persuade the reader to think a certain way? Take notes on what you have learned about your topic and how sources have reported it. You may want to review the Language Arts Survey 5.29, "Evaluating Information and Media Sources," for more help. After analyzing the information you have found, write a short speech about your topic. Decide if your speech is to be informational or persuasive. After doing your research, have you made any conclusions about the topic that you feel strongly about? If so, you may want to write a persuasive speech to deliver your opinions about the facts. If not, you may want to write an informational speech to simply report what you have learned. As you write, consider the style and diction that best fit your topic, purpose, and audience. See the Language Arts Survey 4.18, "Steps for Giving a Speech," for more help with speeches. Deliver your speech in class. Use this sheet to compare and contrast different news sources as you research your topic.
1. Source: Bias/Opinions Information
2. Source: Bias/Opinions Information
3. Source: Bias/Opinions Information
