Third graders in Mrs. Giarrusso’s class took their learning to new heights this week as they stepped into the shoes of real NASA engineers. After studying the historic Apollo 11 moon landing in Module 2 of Wit & Wisdom, students put their knowledge to the test by designing and building their very own lunar landers.
The project began with students exploring how astronauts traveled to the moon, how the lunar module worked, and what challenges scientists faced during the mission. With that background knowledge, students then shifted from readers to creators. Working in teams, they brainstormed, sketched, and constructed lunar landers using everyday materials like cardboard, cups, straws, tape, paper, and craft pom poms, standing in as “astronauts.”
The excitement really took off during the testing phase. Each team dropped their lunar lander from above to see if it could safely “land” its astronauts. Lots of scientific thinking filled the room as students observed what worked, what didn’t, and how they could improve their designs. Final landers were dropped from the atrium balcony.
Through this hands-on challenge, students practiced collaboration, problem-solving, and perseverance, all while making meaningful connections to the module’s content. Their creativity and engineering skills were truly out of this world!