Random Facts
What does STEM stand for?
Science
Technology
Engineering
Math
What filled Charles Henry Turner’s mind as a child?
Questions about plants, animals, and bugs
What did Katherine love to do as a child?
How old was Katherine when she graduated 8th grade? Why did her
family have to move for her to go to high school?
10 years old/Her town did not have a HS for black students
Which bug did he study so much he became the world’s first expert?
Doodlebugs (ant-lions)
Name three characteristics about spiders.
8 eyes, 8 legs, 2 fangs
How did his teacher encourage him?
To “go and find out”
How old was she when she started school?
How big was her school?
What grades did she skip?
She was a grade in front of who?
5 years old
2 schoolhouse building
1st and 5th grade
Her brother
What was her favorite (most exciting) high school class? What is “geometry”?
Geometry
The study of shapes
How many scientific papers did he publish?
List some of the topics.
Over 50
bird brains, bathroom habits of cockroaches, blind crayfish, growth of grape leaves
Describe Charles’ first spider experiment.
Swept the same spider’s web away over and over to see how rebuilt
After he finished high school, what did Charles do that many people thought was impossible?
Why did they think that?
Go to college
Most college students were white and wealthy. He was a janitor’s son (not wealthy) and an African American
What does “devoured” mean? (“Katherine devoured thick books.”) What is “the speed of light”? Who is a “mathematician”?
She loved to read! Devour has to do with eating greedily or quickly. Never getting
enough! Light travels very fast (ex. Sunlight to Earth!), just like Katherine adding. A
mathematician is a person who works in mathematics. Their job is to do math.
How old was Katherine when she went to college?
Which college did she attend? What did a professor do just for her?
15 years old
West Virginia State University
taught her harder classes
How did Charles help his community?
Raised money for poor families
led a center to give lunches to children for only a penny
Where did Charles teach biology (name, city/state)?
What was special about this school?
Sumner HS/St. Louis, MO
first African American HS west of Mississippi
What is “biology”?
What is a “microscope”?
What is a “laboratory”?
The study of living things
an instrument that makes small objects look larger
place used for scientific experiments
Why did Katherine love math?
Because it was easy to see if the answer was right or wrong
What is a “parabola”?
U-shaped curve - the path of a projectile (like a rocket) follows this curve with gravity
How long did the rocket take to reach the moon?
Which astronaut took the first steps on the moon?
Four days
Neil Armstrong
Describe his bee experiment.
What did he prove scientifically about bees?
Trained bees to find honey on red circles.
They kept going to red even when he’d change the honey to other colors. Bees see color!
Describe Charles’ personality and character traits.
What does“indefatigable” mean?
Shy, quiet, hard worker/tireless
What did Katherine believe about equal rights?
She believed everyone should be treated the same
On what date was America’s first spaceflight?
Who was the astronaut?
How long was the flight? Where did it land?
May 5, 1961
Alan Shephard
15 minutes
Atlantic Ocean
Why did Katherine know the mission to the moon was dangerous?
One math mistake and the rocket would zoom right past the moon