How to Write a Report on the History of Space Exploration
History curriculums often include a segment on the space program. Teachers might assign students to write a report on the history of space exploration. Given the storied history of the U.S. space program, which began with space flights in the 1960s, the scope of the assignment might overwhelm students. However, with adequate research and a well-defined writing process, students can tackle this subject and illustrate their knowledge of the history of space exploration.
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Instructions
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Evaluate the assignment. The Purdue Online Writing Lab recommends considering your audience when evaluating the assignment. Your history teacher and classmates will serve as your audience. Then, consider what you want this audience to gain from the report. Your report should give the audience a better understanding of the history of space exploration. Your answers to these questions will determine the type of information you need to collect as you research the history of the space program.
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Brainstorm about the history of space exploration. Think about the space exploration topics you've learned about in class. On a sheet of paper, write down everything you can think of about the history of the space program. Think of notable missions, significant astronauts and any challenges that the program faced. For example, you could write about the first space flight in May 1961 aboard the Freedom 7 and explain how this journey set the stage for future space exploration. You could also write about how the establishment of NASA in 1958 paved the way for U.S. space exploration and focus on the time line of space explorations after NASA took control.
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Develop a thesis. The thesis explains the purpose of the paper. Since your report is an informative article about the history of space exploration, you should write an expository---or explanatory---thesis statement. For example, if you choose to write about how NASA shaped the U.S. space program, your thesis could be: "The establishment of NASA in 1958 accelerated U.S. space exploration, making the United States the leader in space missions." Each item in your paper should support this thesis.
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Create an outline. Refer to your brainstorming notes and your thesis as you develop an outline for the paper. Since your report will examine the history of the space program, consider taking a chronological approach with your outline. Identify the defining moments in space exploration history, and use those events as first-level headings in your outline. Then, identify the supporting information that you'll include for those events, such as key figures, significant obstacles and the impact of the event.
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Conduct your research. Your outline serves as a guide to your research. Refer to your history textbook for information, and visit the library for additional references. Check out reputable websites like NASA or the Universities Space Research Association for information about the space program as well.
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Write your first draft. Follow your outline and use your references to write the first draft of your report. Begin with an introduction that includes your thesis statement, and make sure that each of your major headings refers back to the thesis. Follow the chronological order of the history of space exploration as your guide.
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Proofread and develop your final draft. Re-read your report, looking for any content errors, misspellings or gaps in information. Also during this stage, make sure that you meet any specific guidelines for the assignment, such as word count or number of pages. Make any necessary corrections, and read your report one final time before turning it in.
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- Photo Credit space launch rockets image by Wimbledon from Fotolia.com
