Professional Documents
Culture Documents
National Council of Teachers of English Elementary English
National Council of Teachers of English Elementary English
National Council of Teachers of English Elementary English
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Kathleen Ratto
Bay Elementary School
San Lorenzo, California
From the dawn of civilization, the moon of "What's in it for me?" "How can the
has been a source of mystery and wonder- space program benefit me?"
ment to both man and beast. Man has writ- My own inspiration for this project came
ten stories, created myths, folk tales andafter Mr. William Horvath from the Ames
fables, composed poetry and songs, calcu- Research Center at Moffett Field brought
lated time, photographed, studied, theo- the NASA Spacemobile to the school where
rized, and been challenged, aroused, and I teach. The children, fourth through sixth
inspired by the moon. Beasts have been graders, sat attentively for one hour and a
aroused by it, hunted by its light, and sung
half while Mr. Horvath explained some of
to it.
the aspects of the space program. They sat
Now, in the twentieth century, because patiently, but attentively, for the first part
of modern science and technology, theof the program during which Mr. Horvath
mystery of the moon has in part, beentalked about the scientific details of the
solved. Thanks mainly to Apollos 11 andprogram. However, when he began to talk
12, we know the moon to be a barren and about the wonderful advances that have
remote body, devoid of life, covered bybeen made in medicine, electronics, and
glass-like rocks and craters, a place thatconsumer products as outgrowths of the
could not support human life unless ourspace program, they really "tuned in." Here
own atmosphere could be re-created andwas something for them.
other earth-like conditions simulated. Our discussion in the classroom fol-
To the present-day child, the moon holdslowing Mr. Horvath's presentation sur-
prised me. The children were scornful of
only a scientific interest, for he is acquaint-
ed chiefly with mass-media and knows only NASA's push to get to the moon. "What
of our technological achievements. Current good will it do us?" "Why don't they give
poetry concerns itself with human rights,the money to the poor people?" (Poor
war, death, self-examination and retrospect, people being those possessing only one
and sex. Save for one or two songs fromtelevision set.) "What's so good about the
"Hair", celestial bodies offer little inspira-moon? Nothing's up there anyway."
tion for Rock Music. Today's child knows Thus began our study of one reason why
little or nothing of mythology and the folk man is going to the moon. He is going to
tale, preferring instead to watch "Lost in satisfy his curiosity about this heavenly
Space" and "Star Trek" which emphasize body that his forbears have written about,
again the technological rather than thesung about, and wondered about since his
creative.
earliest beginnings. We are attempting this
And today's child has become jaded and by studying the moon as the source of inspi-
cynical in his outlook. His attitude is one ration for many of the genre of literature.
932
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The Moon in Literature 933
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934 Elementary English
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The Moon in Literature 935
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936 Elementary English
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