Podcast
Questions and Answers
Who is the author?
Who is the author?
Margot Lee Shetterly
Who were the women who worked at NASA?
Who were the women who worked at NASA?
Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson, and Christine Darden
What were the women who worked at NASA called?
What were the women who worked at NASA called?
Computers
What day did Apollo 11 take flight?
What day did Apollo 11 take flight?
What year did Dorothy join NACA?
What year did Dorothy join NACA?
Where did the girls work?
Where did the girls work?
What did Dorothy Vaughan do before she became a computer at Langley?
What did Dorothy Vaughan do before she became a computer at Langley?
What does NACA stand for?
What does NACA stand for?
Where was Dorothy Vaughan born?
Where was Dorothy Vaughan born?
On what significant day did Dorothy Vaughan begin her job at Langley?
On what significant day did Dorothy Vaughan begin her job at Langley?
What kind of work did Dorothy Vaughan do while at Langley during WWII?
What kind of work did Dorothy Vaughan do while at Langley during WWII?
How much money did Dorothy Vaughan earn when she first started working at Langley?
How much money did Dorothy Vaughan earn when she first started working at Langley?
In what year did Dorothy Vaughan get a permanent job at Langley?
In what year did Dorothy Vaughan get a permanent job at Langley?
What year did Dorothy Vaughan become head of the computing pool?
What year did Dorothy Vaughan become head of the computing pool?
What kind of classes did Dorothy Vaughan take in order to stay up to date in her job?
What kind of classes did Dorothy Vaughan take in order to stay up to date in her job?
What was the African-American part of Langley called?
What was the African-American part of Langley called?
Where did Mary Jackson grow up?
Where did Mary Jackson grow up?
What did Mary Jackson do at Langley?
What did Mary Jackson do at Langley?
Where did Mary Jackson teach before getting her job at Langley?
Where did Mary Jackson teach before getting her job at Langley?
Who was Mary Jackson's first boss at Langley?
Who was Mary Jackson's first boss at Langley?
What color was Mary Jackson's wedding dress?
What color was Mary Jackson's wedding dress?
What happened to Mary Jackson after she faced racism working on the East Side of Langley?
What happened to Mary Jackson after she faced racism working on the East Side of Langley?
What did Mary Jackson do when her superiors were questioning her work?
What did Mary Jackson do when her superiors were questioning her work?
What was significant about Mary Jackson taking math classes at Hampton High?
What was significant about Mary Jackson taking math classes at Hampton High?
What was Mary Jackson's son's name?
What was Mary Jackson's son's name?
What did Mary Jackson help her son with?
What did Mary Jackson help her son with?
What significant achievement did Katherine Goble Johnson take part in at Langley?
What significant achievement did Katherine Goble Johnson take part in at Langley?
What did Katherine Goble Johnson do before working at Langley?
What did Katherine Goble Johnson do before working at Langley?
How did Katherine Goble Johnson learn about NACA?
How did Katherine Goble Johnson learn about NACA?
What graduate school was Katherine Goble Johnson accepted to?
What graduate school was Katherine Goble Johnson accepted to?
What did Katherine Goble Johnson study in graduate school?
What did Katherine Goble Johnson study in graduate school?
Why didn't Katherine Goble Johnson complete graduate school?
Why didn't Katherine Goble Johnson complete graduate school?
What year did Katherine Goble Johnson start working at Langley?
What year did Katherine Goble Johnson start working at Langley?
Who was Katherine Goble Johnson's first boss at Langley?
Who was Katherine Goble Johnson's first boss at Langley?
Where did Katherine Goble Johnson transfer to after 2 weeks being a computer?
Where did Katherine Goble Johnson transfer to after 2 weeks being a computer?
What happened to Katherine Goble Johnson in December?
What happened to Katherine Goble Johnson in December?
What was Katherine Goble Johnson's goal in the Space Race?
What was Katherine Goble Johnson's goal in the Space Race?
Why did Katherine Goble Johnson want to be present at editorial meetings?
Why did Katherine Goble Johnson want to be present at editorial meetings?
What was the name of the plan that Katherine Goble Johnson worked on to send a man up to space?
What was the name of the plan that Katherine Goble Johnson worked on to send a man up to space?
What did Christine Mann Darden do at Langley?
What did Christine Mann Darden do at Langley?
How is Christine Mann Darden's research still used today?
How is Christine Mann Darden's research still used today?
Why was Christine Mann Darden nervous when schools became desegregated?
Why was Christine Mann Darden nervous when schools became desegregated?
How did Christine Mann Darden become involved in the Civil Rights Movement?
How did Christine Mann Darden become involved in the Civil Rights Movement?
Who was Dorothy Vaughan's friend and coworker that would take down the 'colored' sign in the lunchroom at Langley?
Who was Dorothy Vaughan's friend and coworker that would take down the 'colored' sign in the lunchroom at Langley?
Who was arrested for refusing to move to the back of the bus when traveling between a Baltimore-based aircraft manufacturer and her hometown of Gloucester County, Virginia and then went to Supreme Court where it was ruled that segregation on buses was illegal?
Who was arrested for refusing to move to the back of the bus when traveling between a Baltimore-based aircraft manufacturer and her hometown of Gloucester County, Virginia and then went to Supreme Court where it was ruled that segregation on buses was illegal?
What was the Double V?
What was the Double V?
Who was the president of the Hampton Institute school and opened the classrooms to men and women at Langley to learn about engineering and science during the war?
Who was the president of the Hampton Institute school and opened the classrooms to men and women at Langley to learn about engineering and science during the war?
Who was Virginia's governor and senator, and was a White separatist who favored racial segregation and was against opening hiring policies to different races?
Who was Virginia's governor and senator, and was a White separatist who favored racial segregation and was against opening hiring policies to different races?
Who was the first person to break the sound barrier in history in 1947?
Who was the first person to break the sound barrier in history in 1947?
Who was the first woman working as a West Side computer that left the job in order to get a research job and work directly for an engineer?
Who was the first woman working as a West Side computer that left the job in order to get a research job and work directly for an engineer?
Who were the two American citizens, accused of spying for the Soviet Union, and had a connection at Langley who was accused of stealing information and giving it to the Soviets?
Who were the two American citizens, accused of spying for the Soviet Union, and had a connection at Langley who was accused of stealing information and giving it to the Soviets?
Who was Mary Jackson's boss at the Wind Tunnel Research Station?
Who was Mary Jackson's boss at the Wind Tunnel Research Station?
What did Kazimierz Czaenecki encourage Mary Jackson to do?
What did Kazimierz Czaenecki encourage Mary Jackson to do?
Who sued UVA because she was a girl, and therefore could not join the undergraduate engineering program?
Who sued UVA because she was a girl, and therefore could not join the undergraduate engineering program?
Who was Mary Jackson's engineering friend, who had his work sabotaged because he was black?
Who was Mary Jackson's engineering friend, who had his work sabotaged because he was black?
Who was Dorothy Vaughan's former student who became a part of Brown vs. Board of Education?
Who was Dorothy Vaughan's former student who became a part of Brown vs. Board of Education?
Why was Barbara Johns protesting?
Why was Barbara Johns protesting?
Which US presidents encouraged advancement in air and space flight?
Which US presidents encouraged advancement in air and space flight?
Who was a part of the Mercury 7?
Who was a part of the Mercury 7?
Who was the first American in space?
Who was the first American in space?
Who did Katherine Goble Johnson work for in Project Mercury?
Who did Katherine Goble Johnson work for in Project Mercury?
Who was Mary Jackson's white coworker who presented a joint lecture with Mary called 'The Aspects of Engineering for Women' at an all-black junior high school?
Who was Mary Jackson's white coworker who presented a joint lecture with Mary called 'The Aspects of Engineering for Women' at an all-black junior high school?
Who were a part of the Greensboro Four?
Who were a part of the Greensboro Four?
What was the Greensboro Sit-In?
What was the Greensboro Sit-In?
Who was the first human in space?
Who was the first human in space?
Who planned the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom and encouraged Roosevelt to open jobs to African Americans during WWII?
Who planned the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom and encouraged Roosevelt to open jobs to African Americans during WWII?
Who gave the 'I Have a Dream' speech?
Who gave the 'I Have a Dream' speech?
Who died in the Apollo 1 launch pad accident?
Who died in the Apollo 1 launch pad accident?
When did the story take place?
When did the story take place?
What was the name of the black community where many Langley computers lived?
What was the name of the black community where many Langley computers lived?
What special book features are in the back of the book?
What special book features are in the back of the book?
What is the chapter title and headings for chapter 1?
What is the chapter title and headings for chapter 1?
What is the chapter title and headings for chapter 2?
What is the chapter title and headings for chapter 2?
What is the chapter title and headings for chapter 3?
What is the chapter title and headings for chapter 3?
What is the chapter title and headings for chapter 4?
What is the chapter title and headings for chapter 4?
What is the chapter title and headings for chapter 5?
What is the chapter title and headings for chapter 5?
What is the chapter title and headings for chapter 6?
What is the chapter title and headings for chapter 6?
What is the chapter title and headings for chapter 7?
What is the chapter title and headings for chapter 7?
What is the chapter title and headings for chapter 8?
What is the chapter title and headings for chapter 8?
What is the chapter title and headings for chapter 9?
What is the chapter title and headings for chapter 9?
What is the chapter title and headings for chapter 10?
What is the chapter title and headings for chapter 10?
What is the chapter title and headings for chapter 11?
What is the chapter title and headings for chapter 11?
What is the chapter title and headings for chapter 12?
What is the chapter title and headings for chapter 12?
What is the chapter title and headings for chapter 13?
What is the chapter title and headings for chapter 13?
What is the chapter title and headings for chapter 14?
What is the chapter title and headings for chapter 14?
What is the chapter title and headings for chapter 15?
What is the chapter title and headings for chapter 15?
What is the chapter title and headings for chapter 16?
What is the chapter title and headings for chapter 16?
What is the chapter title and headings for chapter 17?
What is the chapter title and headings for chapter 17?
What is the chapter title and headings for chapter 18?
What is the chapter title and headings for chapter 18?
What is the chapter title and headings for chapter 19?
What is the chapter title and headings for chapter 19?
What is the chapter title and headings for chapter 20?
What is the chapter title and headings for chapter 20?
What is the chapter title and headings for chapter 21?
What is the chapter title and headings for chapter 21?
What is the chapter title and headings for chapter 22?
What is the chapter title and headings for chapter 22?
What is the chapter title and headings for chapter 23?
What is the chapter title and headings for chapter 23?
Study Notes
Authors and Publishers
- Author of "Hidden Figures": Margot Lee Shetterly
- Publisher: Scholastic
Key Figures at NASA
- The women who worked at NASA: Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson, Christine Darden
- These women were referred to as "computers" due to their role in calculations and data analysis
Historical Milestones
- Apollo 11 takeoff date: July 20, 1969
- Dorothy Vaughan joined NACA in 1943
- Significant events include D-Day marking the start of Dorothy Vaughan's job at Langley
Dorothy Vaughan's Career
- Former occupation: High School Math Teacher
- Year Dorothy Vaughan became head of the computing pool: 1951
- Initial salary at Langley: $2,400 per year
- Worked on Mustang airplanes and took extra classes in math and physics during WWII
Mary Jackson's Achievements
- Grew up in Hampton, VA; worked as an engineer at Langley
- Faced racism at work, leading her to join a research team focused on supersonic flight
- Defended her work when questioned by superiors, proving her accuracy
Katherine Johnson's Contributions
- Key achievement: Helped put the first American in orbit around Earth
- Formerly taught French and math before joining Langley in 1953
- Attended West Virginia University, one of only three black students accepted; studied mathematics
Christine Darden's Expertise
- Expertise in supersonic flight and predicting sonic booms
- Involved in the Civil Rights Movement, participating in sit-ins and voter registration efforts
Social Context and Civil Rights
- "Double V" campaign: Represents victory in war and the fight for equal rights for African Americans
- Major figures in the Civil Rights Movement included A Philip Randolph and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Educational Initiatives and Community
- Malcolm MacLean opened classrooms at Hampton Institute to educate men and women in engineering during the war
- Newsome Park was the black community where many Langley computers lived
Significant Events and Organizations
- The Greensboro sit-in inspired protests against segregation nationwide
- Mercury 7 astronauts included Alan Shepard, Gus Grissom, and John Glenn, the first American in space
Professional Challenges and Recognition
- Dorothy Vaughan's former student Barbara Johns protested for better conditions in black schools
- Kitty O'Brien sued UVA for admission into the undergraduate engineering program because of gender discrimination
Timeline and Structure
- Story spans from the 1930s (Great Depression) to July 20, 1969 (moon landing)
- Includes chapter titles and headings, showcasing the historical and personal narratives of those involved in NASA's early history and the civil rights movement
Studying That Suits You
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Description
Test your knowledge about 'Hidden Figures' and the incredible women who contributed to NASA's successes. This quiz covers key information such as the author, publication details, and important historical facts regarding the female mathematicians. Perfect for fans of the book and movie alike!
