by Mary Roach
copyright 2010
W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., New York
Lexile level: 1070
Interest level: 9-12 +
Description
Although this book was published in 2010, it is still quite timely as astronaut Scott Kelly has just come back to Earth after nearly a year on the International Space Station, part of NASA's study of what it will take to send a mission to Mars. Mary Roach's writing style is funny and irreverent, making the science and travails of space travel very understandable to the non-scientific reader. She treats topics, like bodily functions in weightlessness, with the right balance of seriousness and humor. While being entertained, the reader will still learn a lot about the history of space travel and NASA's modern day challenges.
Qualitative Analysis
Structure
- Packed with information and descriptions about space travel, this book has a complex narrative structure. For example, Chapter 11, "The Horizontal Stuff", recounts NASA's research with paid subjects who lie around in bed most of the day to simulate long stretches of inactivity in space. The first couple of paragraphs describing one subject are followed by a description of how the muscles and skeleton of the human body work. Next up is a paragraph about a piece of 1800's era research on baby's bones then back to NASA's bed-rest experiments. This structure adds to both the interest and complexity of the text. Numerous and lengthy footnotes place an additional demand on the reader.
Language Demands
- The narrative and research are both told in conversational style.
Knowledge Demands
- This book, like the other nonfiction titles from Mary Roach, do not require prior or background knowledge, as it is the author's intent to teach about the topic.
Levels of Meaning
- Packing for Mars can be read simply as an informational text about space travel.
Text Complexity
Curriculum Connections (Science)
One of the high school Next Generation Science Standards calls for solving real-world problems by breaking them down into smaller problems (Engineering Design). It would be engaging for students to choose a real-world problem from a selection of narrative science literature, like Packing for Mars. (Other high school choices could include The World Without Us by Alan Weisman, Collapse by Jared Diamond, and The Immortal Life of Henrietta Sacks by Rebecca Skloot). Students would read the text with an eye towards identifying one problem they deem most significant in the narrative. After analyzing the problem and solutions in the text, students could create bubble maps or Prezis breaking down the problems into smaller steps to solve.
Related Resources
NASA's International Space Station blog
https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/
How Curiosity Got Us to Mars
http://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-curiosity-got-us-to-mars-bobak-ferdowsi
Could We Actually Live on Mars?
http://ed.ted.com/lessons/could-we-actually-live-on-mars-mari-foroutan
Gravity and the Human Body - Jay Buckey
http://ed.ted.com/lessons/gravity-and-the-human-body-jay-buckey
Standards (examples for Grades 11-12)
Common Core English Language Arts Standards for Science and Technical Subjects
Determine two or more central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to provide a complex analysis; provide an objective summary of the text.
Determine the central ideas or conclusions of a text; summarize complex concepts, processes, or information presented in a text by paraphrasing them in simpler but still accurate terms.
Next Generation Science Standards
HS-ETS1-2. Engineering Design
Design a solution to a complex real-world problem by breaking it down into smaller, more manageable problems that can be solved through engineering.
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Final Thoughts
Packing for Mars is a good choice for an independent reader looking for a nonfiction narrative, meticulously researched and humorously written by a well-known science writer. It is proof that science can be fun.
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