One Small Step – Teaching with Animated Shorts

The animated short film One Small Step follows  a young Chinese American girl from age six when she first witnesses a rocket launching to her success in finally walking on the moon.

One Small Step

The Fascination with Space

From the moment she sees the launching of a rocket, Luna dreams of becoming an astronaut. Shortly after she watches the event, on Luna’s 6th birthday, her father gives Luna a special pair of space boots.

Luna’s Birthday

When Luna opens her birthday gift, her eyes are wide with delight. She puts them on and goes on an imaginary mission to the moon. Although the film has no words, Luna’s giggles are dubbed over the playful music. During Luna’s imaginary trip to the moon, the background changes from realistic to decorative. For example, the stars hang from strings and look like the ones in Luna’s bedroom. Luna flies through a cardboard Saturn-looking planet.

A Life Changing Event

Luna grows up and goes to college. Everything seems to go wrong for Luna. She breaks her flip-flops. Luna makes an F on her test. During track practice, Luna falls and the others race past her. Luna applies to the Astronaut Candidate Program and is turned down. The weather is dark and rainy when Luna finds her father not sitting in his usual spot in the kitchen. The viewer learns he has passed away when Luna places incense on his grave. Heart broken, Luna cries herself to sleep.

The Determination

Luna finds the astronaut boots her father gave her when she when she was six. This changes Luna’s attitude. Luna hangs up the astronaut poster in her room. She cuts her hair. Luna studies late into the night. Things change as she begins to do well in school and track. Luna graduates from school and is finally accepted into the Astronaut Candidate Program.

Success

As Luna steps onto the moon, she has a flashback of her father. This is a sweet yet sad moment for Luna in that she has reached the goal she worked so hard to achieve, but her father is not with her to see it.

Two Activities 

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Click here to get the printable version that includes two printable activity pages, links to the animated short One Small Step. Click here to go to Google Drive.   ***** YOU MUST MAKE A COPY OF This FILE TO YOUR GOOGLE DRIVE BEFORE IT IS EDITABLE. *****

Check back to get additional animated short film activities. I plan to add them regularly. Can’t wait. You can purchase more at my Teachers Pay Teachers store here.

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