A1 Reading • 8 Minutes Paper Crafts & Space Science

🚀 Origami in Space 📄

Discover how an ancient Japanese art of folding paper helps scientists build giant telescopes for space!

💡 How to use this lesson

For Teacher

• Give students 3 minutes to read the passage and check vocabulary words.

• Ask them to complete the 8 questions and verify evidence directly from the text.

For Learner

• First, read the short story about origami and space telescopes carefully.

• Next, answer the 8 questions below and check your answers when you finish.

Origami in Space

Short Story

A giant silver origami sunshield unfolding near a space telescope in deep space, colorful nebula background, clean moder

Origami is the art of folding paper from old Japan. In Japanese, kami means paper. Today, engineers use origami ideas to fold big things for space. They made a big sunshield for the James Webb Space Telescope. It has five layers. Each layer is thinner than a human hair, but it is as big as a tennis court! Engineers folded it to fit inside a rocket. In its first week in space, the sunshield unfolded.

📖 Useful Words (Hard Words Explained)

Origami

The art of folding paper.

Kami

The Japanese word for paper.

Engineer

A person who designs and builds big things.

Sunshield

A big cover that blocks light and heat from the sun.

Unfold

To open something that was folded.

✏️ How to answer: Pattern Example

Example question check:

"First, fold the paper in half."

👉 Why this works: Look at the passage to find matching words, then write the answer clearly with evidence!

Question 1 True / False

1. Origami started in old Japan.

____ True ____ False

Question 2 True / False

2. The word "kami" means space in Japanese.

____ True ____ False

Question 3 True / False

3. The sunshield has ten layers.

____ True ____ False

Question 4 Multiple Choice

4. What do engineers fold for space?

____ a. The sunshield of a space telescope ____ b. A paper plane ____ c. A rocket body

Question 5 Multiple Choice

5. How big is the sunshield?

____ a. As big as a house ____ b. As big as a desk ____ c. As big as a tennis court

Question 6 Fill in the blank

6. Each layer of the sunshield is thinner than a human ____.

Question 7 Fill in the blank

7. Engineers folded the sunshield so it could fit inside a ____.

Question 8 Fill in the blank

8. The sunshield opened up during its first ____ in space.

Reading: Origami and the Space Telescope

🚀 Origami in Space 📄

💡 How to use this lesson

Origami in Space

📖 Useful Words (Hard Words Explained)

✏️ How to answer: Pattern Example

Related lessons

Sequence Words in Instructions

Speaking: Origami and Paper Crafts

Vocabulary: Origami and Paper Crafts

Writing Workshop: Origami and Paper Crafts

Reading: A Cafe Menu and Chat

Reading: The Weather This Week