TOPIC�

“An Indian–American Woman in Space: Kalpana Chawla”

Class 6: Chapter 4 (Honeysuckle)

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OBJECTIVES

• Understand the main ideas of the chapter.
• Acquaintance with skill of dialogue writing.
• Answer the textual and teachers’ made questions.
• Understand the newly introduced words.
• Understanding the chapter through different activities.

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CONTENTS

1. Introduction
2. Comics based story telling
3. Check your understanding
4. Classroom Activities
5. Summary

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INTRODUCTION�

Let's learn about the first woman born in India to go into space.

COMICS

Get ready for some amazing form of storytelling! Start by reading the comics and understand the dialogues in the story.

Check Your Understanding�

Where was Kalpana Chawla born? Why is she called an Indian–American?

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1. Kalpana Chawla was born in Jammu, and she is called an Indian–American because although she was born in India , she had American looks.
2. Kalpana Chawla was born in Karnal, Haryana, India, but she is called an Indian–American because she was also a naturalised U.S. citizen.
3. Kalpana Chawla was born in Jaipur, Rajasthan, India, but she is called an Indian – American because she had a lot of American friends.
4. Kalpana Chawla was born in Madhya Pradesh, India, but she is called an Indian–American because she along with her parents wanted stay in America.

When and why did kalpana chawla go to the U.S.? Whom did she marry?

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1. She went to the U.S. for a college tour, and was married to Tom Andrews.
2. She went to the U.S. for her sister's wedding, and was married to Ram Sharma.
3. She went to the U.S. to attend a conference, and was married to a doctor there.
4. After getting her bachelor's degree in India, she went to the U.S. to get a master's degree. She was married to a flight instructor Jean-Pierre Harrison.

How did she became an astronaut? What gave her the idea that she could be an astronaut?

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1. Kalpana became an astronaut by bribing astronauts at NASA. One of her friends was an astronaut so she thought of trying her luck.
2. After qualifying as a pilot, Kalpana Chawla began to consider another challenge: applying to NASA’s space shuttle program. She was first hired as a research scientist at NASA, and then, in 1994, she was selected by NASA for training as an astronaut.
3. After qualifying as a pilot, Kalpana thought of trying something new and with her father's help became an astronaut.
4. After Kalpana got married, her husband suggested that she should become an astronaut, so that they can work

According to a journalist, what abilities must an astronaut possess?

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1. According to a journalist, an astronaut needs to know how to fly in space.
2. According to a journalist, an astronaut needs to know a lot about everything from biology to astrophysics to aeronautical engineering.
3. According to a journalist, an astronaut should have the ability to manipulate people from other planets.
4. According to a journalist, an astronaut should know how to make coffee and use computer at the same time.

Describe Kalpana Chawla’s first mission in space.

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1. Kalpana’s first space mission in the space shuttle Columbia was 15 days, 16 hours, and 34 minutes long. The crew included a Japanese and an Ukrainian astronaut. It performed experiments such as pollinating plants to observe food growth in space and tests for making stronger metals and faster computer chips.
2. Kalpana Chawla's first mission in space was not a success because she lacked experience, and also because the other two astronauts who accompanied her were Japanese and Ukranian.
3. Her first space mission was a success and they performed different experiments on how fish and bacteria live in space.
4. Kalpana's first space mission in the space shuttle, Unicorn, was 45days, 12 hours and 5 minutes long.

What does Kalpana Chawla say about pursuing a dream?

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1. Kalpana Chawla says money is the only source to fulfill one's dreams.
2. She says, “The path from dreams to success does exist. May you have the vision to find it, the courage to get onto it.“
3. She says that one should follow their dreams only if the path to achieve them is ready.
4. Kalpana Chawla says that one should not pursue their dreams because they lead to a lot of jealousy and quarrels.

Classroom Activities

Discuss and Debate:

• Which had a greater impact: Galileo’s telescope or the Hubble Space Telescope?
• Should Pluto be called a planet? Why, or why not?
• Will Earth clash with a giant comet, meteor, or asteroid in the near future? Why, or why not?
• What would life on other planets be like?
• What are black holes?
• Differences Between an Astronaut, an Astronomer, and an Astrologer.

Agree or Disagree:

• Kalpana Chawla's achievement is awe-inspiring.
• Kalpana Chawla was selected by NASA for training as an astronaut in 2003.
• Kalpana Chawla was not the first woman to go into space.
• A space shuttle is a spacecraft.
• Kalpana Chawla died on 1 February, 2004.
• Kalpana Chawla was an astrologer.
• As a child, Kalpana Chawla never dreamed that she would cross the frontiers of space.
• Luck favors the prepared.

Classroom Activities

Food for Thought:

• If I'm going on a space mission in a spaceship, I would take with me...
• The town of Karnal spent a sleepless night after they heard...
• It's not easy to become an astronaut, because...
• Inspiration plays an important role in helping us to achieve our dreams, because...
• One should always dream of more success, because...

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SUMMARY

Kalpana Chawla was born in a Karnal, Haryana, India. She did her schooling from Tagore School and joined an engineering college. From engineering college, she took a graduate degree in aeronautical engineering. After that, she went to America to get a Master’s degree (PhD) in Aerospace Engineering. After the PhD, she learned to fly aeroplanes and became a flight instructor. Now she looked for NASA and became a Research Scientist there. In 1994 she was selected as a candidate to go into space. She was born in India but married to an American named “Jean-Pierre Harrison. So, she became a naturalized American. Her first mission started in 1996 by Columbia space shuttle. There she lived in space for 16 days. During these days she did multiple experiments in space and made 252 rounds of earth, a total of 10.45 million kilometers.

Her second mission was ill-fated. While returning to earth, her space shuttle burned into streaks in 2003 killing all seven astronauts.

Her life inspires us to work on the goal.

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Thank You