The Women of NASA
History & NASA
Vocabulary & Figurative Language
Reading Skills
Big Ideas
100

Which mathematician played a key role in calculating the trajectory for John Glenn's orbital flight?

Who is Katherine Johnson?

100

What was the primary workplace featured in Hidden Figures?

What is Langley Research Center?

100

What does the word segregated mean?

What is separated or isolated?

100

What is the purpose of the headings at the beginning of chapters?

What is to guide readers about the chapter's content?

100

What does the phrase "the sky's the limit" mean?

What is that a person's potential and opportunities are unlimited?

200

Which woman became the first African American female manager at NASA?

Who is Dorothy Vaughan?

200

Which two countries competed in the Space Race?

What are the United States and the Soviet Union?

200

What does the word monotonous mean when describing Katherine's computer work?

What is tedious and repetitive?

200

What does the title Hidden Figures most likely refer to?

Who are the women whose contributions were overlooked?

200

What important value does the book emphasize through the experiences of the women?

What is the importance of education?

300

Which woman fought to gain access to classes at a whites-only school so she could become an engineer?

Who is Mary Jackson?

300

What major historical event created opportunities for women to work as mathematicians?

What is World War II?

300

What type of figurative language is used in the phrase "break the glass ceiling"?

What is an idiom?

300

What can readers infer about the challenges faced by the women working as human computers?

What is that they faced discrimination because of their race and gender?

300

How did Dorothy Vaughan prepare herself and her team for the arrival of electronic computers?

What is she learned computer programming and taught her team?

400

Which woman's leadership style involved encouraging the women she supervised to develop new skills and prepare for future opportunities?

Who is Dorothy Vaughan?

400

What was the name of the workplace specifically designated for African American computers at NASA?

What was the West Area Computing Unit?

400

When someone is described as "a rising star," what does that suggest about the person?

What is that the person is becoming increasingly successful?

400

Why were the contributions of the women initially overlooked?

What is because they were African American women working during a time of segregation?

400

How did Katherine Johnson demonstrate the importance of her work during John Glenn's orbital flight?

What is she independently checked the computer's calculations before Glenn trusted them for his flight?

500

Which mathematician stood by her calculations when a division chief believed her answers were incorrect, eventually proving that she was right?

Who is Mary Jackson?

500

What major technological advancement eventually changed the work of human computers at NASA?

What were electronic/digital computers?

500

What does the expression "ahead of her time" suggest about someone's ideas or abilities?

What is that the person is innovative and forward-thinking?

500

What is the author's primary purpose in writing Hidden Figures?

What is to inform readers about the history of NACA and NASA?

500

How did the accomplishments of the women change perceptions about women and African Americans in science and engineering?

What is they demonstrated that women and African Americans could excel in technical fields and helped challenge stereotypes?

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