Rebus 1 | Rebus 2 | Rebus 3 | Rebus 4

Imagine that you had to write a story or a letter to someone who does not speak or read your language. What could you do? Draw pictures.

To communicate thousands of years ago, many people used pictures instead of written words. Cave dwellers drew pictures on walls of caves. Native Americans painted stories on animal skins, and even wove pictures into belts of shells called wampum.

Part I - A rebus is a form of picture writing. In a rebus, words and letters are used with a series of pictures or symbols whose names sound like syllables or words. We "read" the pictures. Test your skills at picture reading with the rebus below.

Ever what it's like living on the International Station or traveling on a shuttle What do do all day How and what do they eat How do they without to hold them in

While in work on and medical and an on all sorts of high-tech equipment. When not they might read a movies, talk to family or even ride an exercise They can also look at and the rise and set which every 45 minutes in

Meals are planned months ahead to make sure that get all the they need Some foods are ready to eat others need to be mixed with > eat everything from cereal to cocktail to macaroni and There's no but no foods can heated Most foods come in special containers or pouches and Velcro are used to the food from floating around

So how do you if there's no gravity and no or . need to be strapped in or held in They might sleep in in in a or even strapped to a wall There's no walking in maybe just floating

Did you notice something missing? There isn't any punctuation in the story. Early picture writing did not use any periods, commas, quotation marks, or other punctuation. Reread the rebus and add the appropriate punctuation. Did it make it easier to read?

Check out www.spaceflight.nasa.gov/living to find out more about life in space.

Part II - Now it's your turn! Write a rebus about one of these topics, or make up one of your own. Be sure to use punctuation marks to make your story easier to read.

• Your Favorite Movie
• The Last Book You Read
• Your Favorite Place
• A Diary Entry for an Astronaut