Hidden Figures Article

NASA's first African-American manager:

• Dorothy Vaughan

• Mary Jackson

• Katherine Johnson

Replaced NACA when the space race began

• NAAC

• NCAS

• NASA

Author of the book Hidden Figures

• Margot Shetterly

• Mary Jackson

• Dorothy Vaughan

• Katherine Johnson

Mathematician whom John Glenn turned to for calculation checks

• Shetterly

• Vaughan

• Johnson

• Jackson

What is the central idea of this article?

• To persuade the reader to go see the movie, Hidden Figures

• To inform the reader of the background of the movie, Hidden Figures

• To explain how Shetterly researched the women featured in her book

• To entertain the reader with an interesting story about NASA

Which of the following is NOT a reason Shetterly had difficulty researching the West Computers?

• There was not a lot of documentation of their existence on projects

• Many of them did not stay in their position long

• There were no records kept of African Americans during this time

• They were not acknowledged in academic publication

How did Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Executive Order 8802 impact African Americans?

• It eliminated the Jim Crow Laws, making it possible for African Americans to freely use public facilities.

• It required the federal government to only hire African Americans for positions

• It prevented racial discrimination in hiring for federal and war-related work

• It allowed African Americans to be paid as much as their white counterparts.

What was Shetterly’s connection to the West Computers?

• Her mother was one of the West Computers she wrote about

• Her father was one of the West Computers she wrote about

• Her grandmother was a West Computer and inspired Shetterly

• Her father worked at Langley and she knew many of his colleagues.

Why did Katherine Johnson’s father move her family when she was ten?

• Her father went to work at Langley

• Her father was fired and got a new job

• Her mother passed away and the family needed a fresh start

• He wanted his daughter to meet her full educational potential.

Which of the following best explains why Shetterly titled her book, Hidden Figures?

• The West Computers were seen as a disgrace to NASA

• The West Computers played an important role in NASA, but have not been given much credit in the past

• The West Computers did not deserve to have publicity for their roles in the Space Race

• The West Computers did not want their story told until now