The Space Race

Grade 11 Social Studies Worksheet

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   Use this

   Cards A to H. Card A, exact: "The Congress hereby declares that it is the policy of the United States that activities in space should be devoted to peaceful purposes for the benefit of all mankind." (National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958, section 102(a), Public Law 85-568, signed July 29, 1958). Card B, exact: "The Congress hereby finds and declares that the security of the Nation requires the fullest development of the mental resources and technical skills of its young men and women. The present emergency demands that additional and more adequate educational opportunities be made available." (National Defense Education Act of 1958, section 101, Public Law 85-864, signed September 2, 1958). Card C, exact: "In the area of education and research, I recommend a balanced program to improve our resources, involving an investment of about a billion dollars over a 4-year period." (President Eisenhower, State of the Union address, January 9, 1958). Card D, exact: "First, I believe that this Nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to earth." (President Kennedy, special message to a joint session of Congress, May 25, 1961). Card E, exact: "As to the Soviet satellite, we congratulate Soviet scientists upon putting a satellite into orbit. The United States satellite program has been designed from its inception [beginning] for maximum results in scientific research." (President Eisenhower, White House statement, October 9, 1957, to the press and the public). Card F, exact: "EAGLE: Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed! HOUSTON: Roger, Tranquility. We copy you on the ground." (Apollo 11 air-to-ground exchange of July 20, 1969, as printed in a NASA history). Card G, a summary in our words: the Soviet Union launched Yuri Gagarin into orbit on April 12, 1961. The NASA historian John Logsdon writes that within days President Kennedy decided the United States must enter the space race with the intent to win. On April 20, Kennedy asked Vice President Johnson for a survey. Card H, a summary in our words: the Space Act became law on July 29, 1958. Section 202 created NASA, to be led by an Administrator appointed from civilian life. NASA opened for business on October 1, 1958. The National Defense Education Act became law on September 2, 1958; Title II set up student loans, Title III gave money to states for science, mathematics and modern foreign language teaching, and Title IV created national defense fellowships.

2. 1.

   Card E says the US program was scientific, but card G says Kennedy decided in 1961 to enter a race to win. Ari asks if the cards conflict.

   • No; Kennedy's decision shows Eisenhower's "scientific" description was cover throughout
   • Yes; the two presidents described one policy in opposite ways, so one of them concealed the aim
   • No; they come from different presidents and years: a 1957 statement and a 1961 decision
   • Yes; Logsdon writes later, so he must be reading 1961 back into 1957
3. 2.

   Card B ties education to security, and card H lists loans, state grants and fellowships. What does that show Bo?

   • Congress named the Soviet Union as the danger, since security meant the Cold War
   • Congress aimed to supply astronauts, since science training suited the space program
   • Congress meant to replace local schooling with national programs, since it called education a security matter
   • Congress treated schooling as part of national security and funded science, math and languages
4. 3.

   Card C is a January 1958 recommendation; card H dates the Education Act to September 2, 1958. What does Esme conclude about the billion dollars?

   • It shows what was spent, since the law followed in September
   • The law came first and the figure was written to explain it
   • A recommendation; Congress acted by September, and the law's titles show what it funded
   • It became the law's budget, since the law followed the President's recommendation
5. 4.

   Card A declares a policy of "peaceful purposes for the benefit of all mankind," and card H says NASA's leader came from civilian life. What do the two cards support, Jun asks?

   • The policy bans military activity in space, and the civilian leader enforces the ban
   • The policy sets NASA's budget, which the civilian Administrator controls
   • The civilian leader fits the policy, but the sentence of card A assigns no work
   • NASA is cut off from defense work, since peaceful purposes exclude defense
6. 5.

   Kennedy's goal on card D has two parts. Which part does card F show, Luz asks?

   • The landing; the exchange shows it but not the return
   • The return, since "on the ground" means the crew was already back on Earth
   • Neither, since a radio exchange cannot count as evidence of an event
   • Both parts, since a crew on the Moon with the ground station listening makes the return certain
7. 6.

   Card G says Logsdon writes that Kennedy decided within days to enter the race to win. Milo asks how to treat that claim.

   • As a fact, since a NASA historian had access to the records
   • As a fact, since the April 20 request shows Kennedy's decision directly
   • As a later interpretation, supported by the April 20 request but not proven
   • As an interpretation that conflicts with card E, which calls the program scientific
8. 7.

   In card E Eisenhower congratulates Soviet scientists and stresses science. What might Pia reasonably say the wording did?

   • It sought Soviet cooperation, since praise is a step toward joint work
   • It admitted the Soviets had won, since congratulating a rival accepts a lost race
   • It announced a response, since stressing science meant a new program was coming
   • It presented the program as scientific and measured, not driven by alarm
9. 8.

   A student says the US response to Sputnik was only about space. Ren looks for the pair of cards that best corrects that.

   • Cards A and D: a space policy of 1958 and a Moon goal of 1961
   • Cards F and G: the Eagle's landing and a historian's reading of Kennedy
   • Cards B and H: a security finding on education and an Education Act
   • Cards E and F: a statement about the satellite and the Moon landing
10. 9.

    Card H says NASA's Administrator was to be "appointed from civilian life." What does that show Tala about the agency?

    • Its leader would be a scientist, since civilian life means the research community
    • Its leader would be chosen by Congress, since Congress passed the Act that created NASA
    • Its leader would not be a military officer, in line with civilian direction
    • Its leader would report to the Department of Defense, since defense work stayed there
11. 10.

    Zee's note says: "The Space Act of 1958 put the military in charge of space." Which fix fits cards A and H best?

    • Keep the note, since the Act was passed to answer a Soviet satellite
    • Change it to "put NASA in charge of space and left defense out of it altogether"
    • Change it to "put Defense and NASA in joint charge of space"
    • Change it to "created a civilian agency, NASA, and stated a policy of peaceful purposes"