Running head: TEXT ANALYSIS

Text Analysis
Laurie Martin
University of New England

TEXT ANALYSIS

The Flight of Apollo 11, by Brian Floca (2009), has potential to be integrated into many
different content areas including math, science, social studies and literacy. While running this
text through a lexile reader, https://lexile.com/book/details/9781416950462/, I found that this
text is an AD990L, which is equivalent to a DRA 30 and guided reading level N. The interest
level is for grades 2-5, but it also states that it is for ages 7-9 which would be more like grades 14. When plugging in the lexile levels 350-850, which is beginning of second grade to end of
fifth grade, the expectant comprehension is 14-61% which means it would benefit the students to
have adult support while reading this text.
In order for students to understand this text, they will need to understand words such as
spaceship, launch, valves, pipes, engines, massive, mission control, rocket, astronauts, fasten,
helmet, Apollo 11, Columbia and Eagle. They will also need to understand the meaning of
positional words such as left, right and middle. They will also need to know what a story is.
Floca describes the spaceship as being thirty stories high and weighing six million pounds.
Students may have difficulty comprehending how tall and heavy that is. Students will also need
to be aware of where and when to use punctuation and quotation marks.
For students who are interested in space, astronauts, and space shuttles, or who have
already been exposed to the language, this text will be easier for them to comprehend. However,
students who have not been exposed to this language may find this text hard to comprehend. In
Integrating curriculum through the learning cycle: Content-based reading and vocabulary
instruction by Spencer & Guillaume (2006), they state that children need multiple exposures to
words in different contexts in order to fully understand them. They say that children who know
the meaning of the words they are hearing, or reading, are more likely to comprehend the

TEXT ANALYSIS

material than the children who do not know the meaning of the words they are hearing, or
reading.
I would focus on vocabulary, visualization and making connections while supporting
students with reading this text. I would focus on playing games that include things such as
countdowns, working with charts, listening to beat of our hearts, finding Houston on a map, and
using vocabulary as we pretend to be astronauts getting ready for a launch that will take us to the
moon. We would talk about what it would be like to walk around in a space suit and walk with
stiff legs. We would pretend to put on our helmets and buckle ourselves into our seats. We could
pretend to be Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Buzz Aldrin. The students could take turns
three at a time. Theres a song by Greg and Steve from their On The Move album, titled An
Adventure in Space, that would be a fun way for children to follow along with Greg and Steve as
they sing about going to space. Students can pretend to get ready for their adventure and then
they go through different parts of the trip. The vocabulary is great and it helps students with selfregulation while they listen and follow directions. Words such as space shuttle, countdown,
fasten, helmet and Houston Control are used in the 7-8 minute song.
This text is a great resource for students learning about space, astronauts, etc. However,
in order for students to comprehend it, at the elementary level, some scaffolding will be
necessary.

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4
References

Floca, B. Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11. New York: Antheneum, 2009.
Lexile.com,. (2016). Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11 - Lexile Find a Book | The Lexile
Framework for Reading. Retrieved 20 February 2016, from
https://lexile.com/book/details/9781416950462/
Spencer, B. & Guillaume, A. (2006). Integrating curriculum through the learning cycle:
Content based reading and vocabulary instruction. Reading Teacher, 60(3),
206-219.
YouTube,. (2016). An Adventure In Space With Greg And Steve. Retrieved 20 February 2016,
from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebwvsfNFOvg