Name ___________________________ Per ___________Date _______________ OCTOBER SKY Study Questions 1. From where does the movie’s title come? 2. What is the name of the man-made satellite that inspired Homer? Who launched it? 3. What is Homer’s motivation for building these rockets? 4. What is different about the goals of Homer and his big brother? 5. What materials was Homer's first rocket made with? What happened the first time the boys launched their rocket? 6. What were three scientific problems that the boys had to solve? 7. Why is the nozzle so important? 8. What did Homer and his friends use to make the second rocket? 9. How did Homer’s science teacher help him succeed in his dream of rocket flight? 10. What did Homer have to do since he didn’t understand the math that he needed for the rocket? 11. What are two safety rules that you saw the boys break in the movie? 12. Could Homer have succeeded by himself? Why or why not? Name ___________________________ Per ___________Date _______________ 13. What was Homer’s most important characteristic that helped him succeed? 14. What happened to Quinten, Roy Lee, O’Dell and Homer in the future? After Watching the Movie: 15. Which of the characters did you relate to the most? Which characters did you like? Which characters did you not like? Why? 16. Homer's friends, the "rocket boys," were at first skeptical of Homer's interest in rockets. However, they quickly came to encourage his dream. Do we tend to encourage or discourage the dreams of our friends and peers? Why? 17. In the 1950s, Homer's dream was considered far-fetched. Space exploration was only a thing of comic books and a few movies. Do you know anyone who has a "far fetched" dream today? Maybe it is you! What is your dream, your vision for your future? 18. At one point, his father says to Homer, "I was born for this (working in the mines)." Do you believe that? People sometimes have gifts and talents that they are "born with" and which lead to certain careers? Do you have friends who have certain talents and gifts, which make you say that they would be good teachers, mathematicians, social workers, lawyers, doctors, or whatever? What gifts have people identified in you? 19. At the end of the movie, Homer and the rocket boys launch one final rocket in honor of the mentors in their lives. If you were firing a rocket in honor of the mentors in your life, who would those mentors be? Why? How could you be a mentor to your siblings or your friends?
