Humans Should Stay Home and Let Robots Take to the Stars Day 1

Multiple Choice

Why is identifying an author’s claim important when reading an argument?

• It helps readers memorize facts

• It tells readers what the author is trying to prove

• It explains every detail in the text

• It shows which side is more popular

Multiple Choice

Why do authors include reasons in an argument?

• To entertain the reader

• To explain the setting

• To convince readers that the claim makes sense

• To describe a problem without a solution

​Humans Should Stay Home and Let Robots Take to the Stars

By Jacob White

​by E. Caffall
Argumentative nonfiction

​Essential Question
Why is the idea of space exploration both inspiring and unnerving?

What to Think About as You Read
As you read, pay attention to why the author believes robots are better suited for space exploration than humans and how she responds to the idea that humans naturally want to explore space themselves. Notice the reasons, examples, and risks she uses to support her argument.

Human space travel sounds exciting and almost unavoidable. Movies, TV shows, and books often show astronauts exploring distant planets and living in the future. Many people have spent years making space travel seem cool, heroic, and inevitable.

However, the author argues that this excitement can distract us from reality. She says we need to stop and think carefully about whether human space travel actually makes sense. According to the author, the strongest reasons to limit human space travel involve money, danger to humans, and available technology.

The Appeal of Human Space Travel

Multiple Choice

What idea is the author mainly introducing in this section?

• Space travel has always been popular in movies and television

• Human space travel seems exciting, but that excitement can hide serious problems

• Astronauts are brave heroes who represent the future

• Technology has already made human space travel safe and affordable

The author explains that sending humans to Mars would cost about $1 trillion over 25 years. No single country would want to pay for something that expensive. Because of this, a Mars mission would require many countries to work together and share the cost.

While international cooperation sounds positive, the author points out that this money would have to come from somewhere. Funding a Mars mission could take money away from other important needs on Earth.

Space Travel Is Expensive

Multiple Choice

How does the cost of a human Mars mission strengthen the author’s argument?

• It shows that international cooperation is unrealistic for scientific projects

• It suggests that money spent on space travel could limit solutions to problems on Earth

• It proves that private companies should fully control space exploration

• It explains why space travel should only be funded by wealthy nations