Sixth Grade
Worksheets
Christa McAuliffe
Christa McAuliffe
Reading Comprehension for September 2
On January 28, 1986, cold morning air gripped the Kennedy Space Center. The space shuttle Challenger was scheduled to lift off. After the liftoff was canceled on January 23, no one was sure if it would be launched. Finally, a decision was made. The Challenger would take off. On board, a schoolteacher named Christa McAuliffe was about to be one of two private citizens to go into space. Friends, family, and television viewers across America watched as the countdown continued.
Christa McAuliffe was born Sharon Christa Corrigan on September 2, 1948, in Boston, Massachusetts. She was the oldest of five children, with two brothers and two sisters. Her sister described their childhood as "normal." Christa was a Girl Scout and a good student. She played the piano and took dance lessons. She attended a private high school in Framingham, Massachusetts. She met her future husband, Steven McAuliffe, during her high school years. After high school, Christa attended Framingham State College and studied history, while Steve went off to Virginia Military Institute. They continued to be sweethearts for the next four years.
As she grew up, Christa became fascinated with the space program. When Neil Armstrong landed on the moon, she collected pictures and clippings of the event. During her college years, one of her teachers asked if anyone would want to go to the moon. Christa was one who answered yes.
