Pistes d'exploration

Talk about the different things that Chris Hadfield did while in space.

Describe Chris Hadfield’s character and explain your thinking. Use examples from the book.

Would you call Chris Hadfield a hero? Why or why not?

Talk about the different things that Chris Hadfield did while in space. Sort them in terms of work and leisure.

Would you consider Chris Hadfield to be a hero? Why or why not? Generate a class list of the reasons. 

Choose a person, well-known or not, and justify why this person should be considered a hero. Use the class list of reasons to help with your justification. 

What is a biography? What are the text components? Create a checklist of your expectations prior to reading.

Select your favourite postcard. Create a fact card about that particular location. Why is it your favourite? Share your thoughts and facts in small teams.

Using Col. Chris Hadfield’s photos from space as inspiration, take photos of something from directly overhead. Make it tricky to identify by zooming in or out. Present it to the class using a projector. Encourage questions.

Research why many people believe Col. Chris Hadfield to be the coolest astronaut ever. Write a short opinion text about what you believe.

Mots-clés

Biography , astronauts , Canadians , Chris Hadfield , determination , heroes , illustrations (photographs) , outer space

Commentaire descriptif

Canadian astronaut Colonel Chris Hadfield makes a fine role model for young readers who dream of becoming astronauts—or cherish any other kind of dream. Simple language, written in a conversational style, touches on Hadfield’s upbringing, early training and the milestones of his career in space. Along the way, children will learn about the Canadarm, the effects of gravity on the human body and how many sunsets astronauts see during a single day in orbit. Spectacular photographs of our world as seen from space, as well as photos of Hadfield himself in space, will surely spark imaginations. The fact that those photos originally arrived via social media only serves to make Hadfield a “cool” and popular astronaut! Children may be inspired to research further the many fascinating topics that are introduced in this book. And although an important aspect of Chris Hadfield’s job was to communicate back down to Earth through social media, one thing he did not do, the book makes clear, is write postcards from space: “because that’s just crazy! Have you ever seen a post office on the International Space Station?”