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ronald reagan on the challenger disaster by ronald reagan is in the public domain.
and i want to say something to the schoolchildren of america who were watching the live coverage of
the shuttle's takeoff. i know it's hard to understand, but sometimes, painful things like this happen. it's
all part of the process of exploration and discovery. it's all part of taking a chance and expanding man's
horizons. the future doesn't belong to the fainthearted; it belongs to the brave. the challenger crew
was pulling us into the future, and we'll continue to follow them.
i've always had great faith in and respect for our space program. and what happened today does
nothing to diminish it. we don't hide our space program. we don't keep secrets and cover things up.
we do it all up front and in public. that's the way freedom is, and we wouldn't change it for a minute.
we'll continue our quest in space. there will be more shuttle flights and more shuttle crews and, yes,
more volunteers, more civilians, more teachers in space. nothing ends here; our hopes and our
journeys continue.
i want to add that i wish i could talk to every man and woman who works for nasa, or who worked on
this mission and tell them: "your dedication and professionalism have moved and impressed us for
decades. and we know of your anguish. we share it."
there's a coincidence today. on this day three hundred and ninety years ago, the great explorer sir
francis drake died aboard ship off the coast of panama. in his lifetime the great frontiers were the
oceans, and a historian later said, "he lived by the sea, died on it, and was buried in it." well, today, we
can say of the challenger crew: their dedication was, like drake's, complete.
the crew of the space shuttle challenger honored us by the manner in which they lived their lives. we
will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for their journey
and waved goodbye and "slipped the surly bonds of earth" to "touch the face of god."
you.
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text-dependent questions
directions: for the following questions, choose the best answer or respond in complete sentences.
1. what is one central idea from reagan’s speech?
2. part a: how does president reagan's language change in paragraph 9?
a. the language is darker.
b. the language is simpler.
c. the language is more cheerful.
d. the language is more inspiring.
3. part b: which detail from paragraph 9 best supports the answer to part a?
a. “i know it's hard to understand…” (paragraph 9)
b. “…sometimes, painful things like this happen.” (paragraph 9)
c. “the future doesn't belong to the fainthearted…” (paragraph 9)
d. “…we'll continue to follow them.” (paragraph 9)
4. how does the repetition of the word “more” reflect the message of paragraph 11?
a. it reinforces the message that america will continue its quest in space.
b. it reinforces the idea that america will face more tragedy in the coming years.
c. it illustrates the great number of resources that the space program will require.
d. it reflects the urgency americans feel about being the first people to reach
space.
5. how does president reagan’s story about sir francis drake contribute to the message
of president reagan's speech?
a. reagan compares the challenger’s mission of exploration to that of drake’s.
b. reagan compares the challenger crew’s deaths to that of drake’s.
c. reagan compares the coast of panama to the outer reaches of space.
d. reagan contrasts the unfinished work of drake’s with the completed work of the
challenger’s crew.
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discussion questions
directions: brainstorm your answers to the following questions in the space provided. be prepared to
share your original ideas in a class discussion.
1. what is the president’s role when there is a national tragedy?
2. how do you think the nation responded to this tragedy? explain your answer.
3. how does society prevail in the face of challenges? use evidence from this text, your own
experience, and other literature or art in your answer.
4. reagan's speech focuses on the courage of the astronauts. in the context of his speech,
what does it mean to be brave? cite evidence from this text, your own experience, and
other literature or art in your