- Three African-American female mathematicians work in NASA’s early space program as human computers. Their exceptional mathematical abilities are harnessed to help bring the American space program to success at a time when blacks and women were not generally welcome in technology-related work-places. It touches on the racial tension in the US at that time but focuses on the extraordinary contribution of these four women.
Author: Margot Lee Shetterly
Genre: Historical non-fiction
Keywords: Biography, empowered women, black women, racial tension, space race, science, STEM, mathematics
Appropriateness for the junior learner: This book was modified from the original to make it appropropriate for young readers. The topic is engaging and makes roll-models of some exceptional black women in a STEM-related field.
Classroom Suggestions
What could be taught using this text in terms of content, themes, and/or literacy?
- Content: Gaining an understanding of the structural and social, race and sexual discrimination in North American Society.
- Themes: the effect of racism and sexism on American society, perseverance in the face of adversity, the effect of race on people’s behaviour
- Literacy: Character Analysis, Theme analysis
How could students respond to this text?
Activity 1
As a class, create a list of as many themes as students found in the book. Have each student select one theme and write a short essay that describes how that theme is revealed throughout the book with examples that support their position.
- Link to Curriculum Grade 6 Reading 1.4. Writing 1.2, 1.3, 1.5, 1.6.
Activity 2
Given the availability of an excellent movie based on this story, consider watching the movie after the book as been read and also use activities tied to the movie. Have the students watch the movie after reading the book. Think. Pair. Share. Consider the following questions: Why was this movie made? What message are the producers sending. Who was the messages intended for? How might different types of people react or respond to this movie and why? Whose point of view is presented in the movie? When the women are stopped by the police on their way to work, how does the film play with our understanding of stereotypes: How is the police officer dressed? How does he speak? What does he say? How are we expecting him to react?
- Link to Grade 6 Media Literacy 1.1, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 2.2. Oral Communication 2.2.
Activity 3
It's hard not to go cross curricular into Mathematics for this book although the math for space flight might be a little beyond Grade 6. The good news is that NASA has produced a collection of space related math questions for your students to investigate. Because there's no way of knowing where you are in the math curriculum, I would recommend looking for a problem in https://www.nasa.gov/pdf/377727main_Lunar_Math.pdf that matches up with something you've already covered in math. Try page 38 and 39 in the NASA Lunar Math guide for questions related to Data Management or page 32 or 33 for Measurement questions or page 26 for a Probability question.
- Link to Grade 6 Math Curriculm (Measurement. Data Mangement and Probability).