Moon Walk Storyboard Worksheet
Grade 3 History & Writing
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Date:
Apollo 11: First Moon Landing ★ July 1969
Follow the 6 major moments of mankind's first lunar mission, then write the sequence of events in order!
Mission: Apollo 11
The Historic 6-Stage Journey
Follow steps 1 to 6 in order
Step 1
1. Giant Blast Off!
Saturn V rocket roars into space from Florida!
Step 2
2. Space Journey
Flying 240,000 miles through quiet, starry space.
Step 3
3. Lunar Touchdown
"The Eagle has landed!" safe on the Moon's surface.
Step 4
4. One Giant Leap
Neil Armstrong takes mankind's first historic step!
Step 5
5. Planting the Flag
Astronauts set up the flag and gather moon rocks.
Step 6
6. Safe Splashdown
Parachuting safely into the Pacific Ocean!
Sequence of Events Writing Tell the Mission Story in Order!
Look at the 6 pictures above. Write a paragraph explaining the sequence of events of the Apollo 11 moon landing from blast off to splashdown. Be sure to use time-order transition words to link each step!
Transition Words Bank
First Next Then After that Finally
Sequence Self-Check:
Used order words (First, Next, Finally) Kept all 6 events in correct order Capital letters & periods
Apollo 11 Historical Inquiry • Student Worksheet Page 1 of 2
Teacher Script & Discussion Guide Pacing: 15–20 Minutes
Storyteller Script: Journey of Apollo 11
Read aloud each numbered segment while students follow along on their 6-image graphic storyboard on Page 1.
1 Giant Blast Off! (Launch Day) Cape Kennedy, FL
Say: "Look at image one! It is July 16, 1969. The Saturn V rocket is taller than the Statue of Liberty! Thousands of people hold their breath. [Count down together: 3, 2, 1!] Five giant engines roar to life with bright orange fire and huge white smoke clouds. The rocket pushes three astronauts up, up, and out into space!"
Quick Check: "Why did the rocket need so much power and fuel?" (To escape Earth's heavy gravity!)
2 Journey Through Deep Space 240,000 Miles
Say: "Now look at image two. Once in space, the loud roaring stops. It becomes completely silent. For three days, astronauts Neil, Buzz, and Michael float inside their capsule. They look out the window: behind them, our blue and green Earth shrinks into a tiny glass marble. Ahead, the giant gray Moon gets bigger and bigger!"
Quick Check: "What does Earth look like from far away?" (A small, shining blue marble.)
3 Lunar Touchdown (The Eagle) Sea of Tranquility
Say: "In image three, Neil and Buzz crawl into the small Lunar Module named Eagle. Neil takes manual steering control to dodge deep boulders and craters! With only 30 seconds of landing fuel left, the four gold landing legs touch the powdery dust. Neil radios Earth: 'Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed!'"
Quick Check: "Why did Neil have to steer carefully?" (To avoid dangerous boulders and craters.)
4 One Giant Leap for Mankind First Footprint
Say: "Look at image four. Neil Armstrong opens the door and slowly climbs down nine rungs of the ladder. Millions of families watch on glowing TV screens. He places his left boot into the soft dust and speaks his famous words: 'That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.' Because there is no wind on the Moon, his footprint is still there today!"
Quick Check: "Why do footprints stay on the Moon forever?" (There is no air, wind, or rain to blow it away!)
5 Exploring & Planting the Flag Moonwalk Activity
Say: "In image five, Buzz Aldrin joins Neil outside. Because the Moon has weak gravity, they don't walk—they bounce like kangaroos! They plant an American flag with a special metal bar across the top so it stays unfolded. They set up scientific tools and carefully scoop up 47 pounds of gray moon rocks to take home."
Quick Check: "How did the astronauts move on the Moon?" (They hopped and bounced in low gravity.)
6 Safe Splashdown Back Home! Pacific Ocean
Say: "Look at image six. After blasting off from the Moon and reuniting with Michael Collins, they fly all the way back to Earth. Their capsule hits the atmosphere and glows hot! Then, three enormous red-and-white striped parachutes pop open to slow them down. Splash! Navy divers pull them safely aboard an aircraft carrier. Mission accomplished!"
Quick Check: "How did the capsule slow down before hitting the water?" (Three huge parachutes.)
Facilitating Sequence of Events Writing
Chronological Discussion Prompts:
- Beginning: "What was the very first event that launched the Apollo 11 mission?"
- Middle: "What happened next as they traveled through space and landed on the Moon?"
- Ending: "How did the astronauts conclude their journey and return safely to Earth?"
Scaffolding & Differentiation:
Sentence Frames for Support: "First, the rocket blasted off. Next, they traveled through space. Then, the Eagle landed. Finally, the capsule splashed down into the ocean."
Extension Challenge: Have students incorporate causal transition words (such as after that, because, or soon after) to add historical detail.
Apollo 11 Historical Inquiry • Teacher Read-Aloud Script Page 2 of 2
