1. Set Focus
Frame the inquiry with these essential questions: What can we learn by living on the moon? Are settlements there worth the expense?
2. Read and Discuss
Have students read the debate and then answer the following questions:
- What is the issue being debated? How does it relate to current events? (The issue is whether it’s worth it for the U.S. to build permanent colonies to live, work, and conduct research on the moon. The issue is timely because NASA’s Artemis program is working toward that goal.)
- Evaluate why these two authors might be interested in and qualified to comment on this issue. (Brian Patrick Green is the head of an organization that looks at the ethics of space exploration. Linda Billings is a consultant for NASA and is interested in the social issues surrounding science and space exploration.)