“Hidden Figures” is a biographical book about four African American women who worked as mathematicians at NASA during the Space Race and played pivotal roles in the Apollo program. Their contributions were essential in advancing America’s space exploration efforts, particularly during the historic Apollo missions to the Moon
Spark your thinking!
1. Set up your social studies mini spark recording page: #60: Hidden Figures
2. Record the names of the mathematicians you will learn about in this mini spark on your recording page: Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson, and Christine Darden.
3. Listen to Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race. For each of these dates you hear in the story, pause the story and write a phrase about that date.
1943, 1945, 1951, 1953, (1950s), 1957, 1961, 1962, 1967, 1969
4. In 3-5 explain how Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson, and Christine Darden participated in some of NASA’s greatest successes. Use details from the story. Add your response to your recording page.
5. Read more about Katherine Johnson at this Wonderopolis page.
- Read the page
- Take the wonderword challenge. Add your score your recording page.
- Do the Did you Get It quiz. Add your score your recording page.
6. Share your social studies mini spark recording page with your teacher/EY coordinator.
Check out the Mission to Mars badge and Space traveler badge at the EY Website.
