WH Questions
What was the name given to the women who worked at NASA? What was another name for them?
The women who worked at NASA were named the West Computers or the Number Crunchers.
Trailblazer (think of the forest example) - The women were trailblazers for mathematicians and engineers of all races and genders.
a person who opens/creates a path for opportunities
Which is the synonym for trailblazer – Hero or ordinary
Hero
Which laws required African American computers to be separated from their white counterparts?
The Jim Crow Laws required African American computers to be separated from their white counterparts
Floundering (think of the fish out of water) – The war machines were floundering because their technology was not new.
Failing/not surviving
Which is the synonym for floundering (think of the fish out of water)? Failure or success
Failure
What was the name of the laboratory the women worked in?
The women worked at Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory
Gadgets – The gadgets needed to be created into something bigger and more powerful
technology (usually small size)
Which is the synonym for temporary? Short-lived or permanent
Short-lived
What was the job of all 3 women in the Hidden Figures book prior (before) to joining NASA?
The three women were all teachers prior to joining NASA
Aerodynamic – The West Computers helped make the machines faster, safer, and more aerodynamic
being able to fly/move through the air
Which is the synonym for rare? Unusual or common
Unusual
Prior to NASA, the organization was called NACA. What does NACA stand for?
The National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics.
Civil rights activist (think of what an animal rights activist does then relate it to civilians)
Philip Randolph was a civil rights activist who started a big march to protest racial discrimination.
A person who fights for the rights of people
Which is the synonym for pressing? Urgent/serious or unimportant
Urgent/serious
African American women at Langley were not provided with the same opportunities as white women. List 3 of the difficulties they were presented with:
The difficulties they faced were using separate bathrooms, working in the Colored Computer section, and having to find their own space to live.
Temporary
They thought the jobs were temporary and that they would soon be moved to a different area to work.
–Not forever, not permanent
What is the antonym for fascination ? Amazed or bored
Bored
How was the author, Shetterly, connected to the West Computers?
Was it easy/difficult and why? Shetterly’s father worked at Langley, in 1964, as an engineering intern.
Rare
The gems are rare.
Not common, not happening frequently
What is the antonym for dedication ? A lot of effort or lazy
Lazy
What was NASA working on during World War II?
NASA was creating wartime flying machines that were faster, safer, and more aerodynamic
Pressing (this word has more than one meaning, this is the adjective not the verb that means to push)
Someone got hurt at the school. This is a pressing matter and needs to be dealt with immediately.
Urgent, serious
What is the antonym for excelled? Accomplish or fail
Executive Order 8802 was issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to do what?
The Executive Order 8802 was issued to prevent racial discrimination in hiring for work in the war.
Injustice
It’s an injustice the women were not given credit for all of their hard work.
Not fair/not moral
What is an antonym for expert – Professional or rookie/amateur
Rookie/amateur
Katherine Johnson was considered to be very intelligent/smart. How did that show when she went through her school years?
She started high school at 10 years old and finished college at 18 years old
Magnitude
The first moon landing was an event of great magnitude.
Very serious/very important
What is the synonym for advancement? – Progress or Regress
Progress
Why were the women called the “Hidden Figures?”
The women were not given credit for their contributions to NASA and were kept “hidden” because of their gender and color
Scoured
The boy scoured YouTube for Minecraft gaming strategies
Searching very intensely
What is the synonym for eliminate? – Keep or Delete
Delete
This woman lived until 101 and died in February, 2020
Katherine Johnson
Fascination
The teachers were fascinated by the student’s 3D model of the solar system
To be amazed by something
What is the synonym for persuade? Convince or inform
Convince
Dorothy Vaughan was paving the way for women of color and she became NASA’s _first__________ _____________ _____________?
She became NASA’s first African American manager.
Dedication
Kevin showed dedication when he stayed up all night completing his work on Google Classroom
Hard work, showing effort and commitment
What is the synonym for conflict? Issue or solution
Issue
Mary Jackson also paved the way for women of color and she became NASA’s _______ _________ __Female_________ ___________?
She became NASA’s first black female engineer.
Excelled
Shehryaar excelled in Mr. Murray’s class by answering the science Do Now as soon as he sat down in the morning
To be extremely good at an activity
What is the antonym for momentary? Brief or long-lasting
What does it mean when the article says “They blazed a trail for mathematicians and engineers of all races and genders?”
This means the West Computers opened up a path for people of all races and genders to have work opportunities they did not have before.
Expert
Kenny is an expert when it comes to answering questions during Quizziz activities.
Someone who is very knowledgeable about a topic
What is the antonym for vanishing? Appear or disappear
Appear