How do Astronauts Stay Healthy? | Reading Comprehension 2 Passage & Questions

“How do Astronauts stay Healthy?” is a powerful real world question that helps middle and high school students connect space exploration with biology, physics and health science. This resource uses two carefully designed science reading passages with questions, one higher level and slightly more complex and one lower level and more accessible, so you can differentiate instruction while keeping the whole class engaged with the same core ideas. Students learn how microgravity affects bones, muscles, circulation and the immune system, and how exercise, nutrition and clever engineering protect astronaut health on the International Space Station and beyond.

The paired texts provides a frame on which you can build, comprehension questions, vocabulary tasks and critical thinking prompts build scientific literacy, support curriculum goals in human body systems and space science, and turn a fascinating topic into a ready to use lesson that fits seamlessly into your existing plans.

The accessible version is geared towards approximately 5th / 6th / 7th grade science students, while the more advanced version is geared towards approximately 8th / 9th / 10th grade science students. This range for both could be extended with prep work or additional materials.

THIS HOW DO ASTRONAUTS STAY HEALTHY? ARTICLE CAN BE USED SO MANY WAYS:

• Useful for substitute (sub) teaching
• To extend students
• To increase scientific literacy in your class
• A weekly reading task
• Great as a lesson filler when class goes too fast
• To inspire students on a particular topic
• Give a selection of these articles for students to choose from

WHAT’S INCLUDED IN THIS HOW DO ASTRONAUTS STAY HEALTHY? READING PASSAGE WITH QUESTIONS:

• 2 - 3 page Word doc image - textboxes teacher version with answers
• 2 - 2 page Word doc image - textboxes student version with room to fill in answers (text boxes)
• 2 - 3 page PDF teacher version with answers
• 2 - 2 page PDF student version without answers (but space left to do so)
• 2 - 3 page Google doc image - textboxes teacher version with answers
• 2 - 2 page Google doc image - textboxes student version with room to fill answers (text boxes)

Please note: That the Doc versions are images with editable text boxes overlayed on top and this is the most effective way to keep the article sleek and well-designed and also that students cannot change things significantly.