24 Jan

REACH FOR THE STARS

Publié par Sandrine CHARAVY

Reach for the stars ! A dream that has always inspired fiction: books, movies and comics ! This chapter will help you discover how scientifc progress and American progress inspire each other and if fiction is closer to reality than we usually think.

I. SPACE EXPLORATION: FICTION VS REALITY

Document 1 - From Verne to Gray: how space has always inspired fiction.

Document 2: Space exploration landmarks

1. Group work - Document 1

1. Before describing what you can see in each documents, focus on the genre of each document, on the author and on the date of publication / release.

2. Describe the pictures: what does each picture show? how is space exploration portrayed?

3. After the study of each documents, what can you say about space exploration? What important dates do you know about space exploration?

2. Personal work - Document 2

1. Reorder the events on the timeline.

2. Make three sentences to say what you imagine will happen in 2050's and later.

II. SPACE EXPLORATION: PREDICTING THE FUTURE

Document 3: From fiction to reality.

1. Describing: picture 1 and 2.

a. Study picture 1 and picture 2 and explain what the common points and diffrences are.

b. Read Clarke's quote and say what he thought about the link between sci-fi writers and astronauts.

2. Listening.

a. What is science according to the document?

b. What is the difference between science and science fiction?

c. What did Jules Verne predict in 1865?

d. Were his predictions true?

III. A JOURNEY TO MARS

Document 4 - Nasa's plans for Mars

Télécharger shine_bright_cd3_piste_07

Document 5: CO - Nasa's plans for Mars

1. Discover the "Journey to Mars" - document 4

What type of document is it?
Classify the information in the following chart.

ISS – Phobos – commercial cargo – proving round – landers – earth independent – Deimos – orbiters – Hubble space telescope – earth reliant – crewed spacecraft – habitat (mars / deep space) – space launch system

Natural satellites

Steps to reahc Mars

Necessary items

Goals

2. Try to understand.... document 5

The anniversary referred to.
Nasa’s biggest goal (in 6 words)
Explain what scientists have recently discovered
Say what it could prove
What Nasa is planning and the different steps.
The difference(s) between robots and human-beings for such a mission (give concrete examples)

IV - SPACE EXPLORATION: FROM IMAGINATION TO REALITY

Document 7: Stars like Dust, Isaac Asimov (1961)

Document 8:

There was music in the ship, and the walls that separated the salon from the view-room had been retracted. […]

Neither sun, earth, nor any planet was in view on that large, dark screen. They were facing the Milky Way, that longwise view of the Galactic Lens, and it made a luminous diagonal track among the hard, bright stars.

Automatically the tide of conversation ebbed (1). Chairs shifted so that all faced the stars. The dinner guests had become an audience, the music a faint whisper (2).

“Ladies, gentlemen! We are ready for our first Jump. Even at the speed of light, of course, it would take years, in resting time, to reach the stars.

“Therefore one leaves the space-time fabric to enter the little-known realm of hyperspace, where time and distance have no meaning. It is only the Jump which makes interstellar travel possible.

“The Jump we are about to make will take place in about ten minutes. You will be warned. There is never more than some momentary minor discomfort; therefore, I hope all of you will remain calm. Thank you.”

The ship lights went out altogether, and there were only the stars left.

It seemed a long while before a crisp announcement filled the air momentarily: “The Jump will take place in exactly one minute.” And then the same voice counted the seconds backwards: “Fifty… forty… thirty… twenty… ten… five… three… two… one…” […]

In that immeasurable fraction of a second, one hundred light-years had passed, and the ship, which had been on the outskirts of the solar system, was now in the depths of interstellar space. Someone near Biron said shakily, “Look at the stars!”

Isaac Asimov, The Stars Like Dust, 1951

(1)ebbed = stopped

(2) whisper = murmur

Télécharger shine_bright_cd3_piste_09

Document 9: Virgin Galactic New Spaceship

1. READING : Document 7 and 8 : Book cover from Stars Like Dust, Isaac Asimov (1961) - Exytract from the book.

a. Judging from the paratext (title, cover…), explain what the text might be about.

b. Read the text and find words corresponding to possible trips nowadays (by planes), references to space and fiction/ futuristic travel

c. Give of definition of “the Jump”

d. Explain what is special and exciting about this experience.

e. Focus on the tone used by the steward and on the passengers’ reactions. What does it reveal about the trip.

2. LISTENING - Document 9: Virgin Galactic New Spaceship (oral comprehension)

a. Quote key information about figures, places, moments, people.

b. Explain the potential of this form of tourism.

c. Compare what you have learnt about Virgin Galactic with space travel in doc1.

Creative writing: Write a short advertisement or a tourist brochure for an interstellar journey OR write a cover letter applying to take part in a Virgin Galactic space trip.

Télécharger SPACE TRAVEL - CREATIVE WRITING