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This When Computers Wore Skirts: Katherine Johnson, Christine Darden, and the “West Computers” lesson plan also includes:
- When Computers Wore Skirts: Katherine Johnson, Christine Darden, and the "West Computers" (.html)
- Discussion Questions (.pdf)
- Discussion Questions Answer Key (.pdf)
- Handout (.pdf)
- Think Like a Computer Activity (.pdf)
- Think Like a Computer Activity Answer Key (.pdf)
- Original Documents (.zip)
- The History Makers: Katherine G. Johnson
- The History Makers: Christine Darden
- Activity
- Join to access all included materials
Did you know that people, known as computers, performed the complex calculations that are now done by electronic computers? Three of these human computers, Katherine Johnson, Christine Darden, and Melba Roy Mouton are featured in a lesson about the "West Area Computers," a segregated facility that employed African American women who worked at NASA's Langley Research Center. Young scholars learn about the achievements of these amazing women in a richly detailed lesson.
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CCSS:
Designed
Concepts
Instructional Ideas
- Assign class members to watch the PG-rated, two-hour film Hidden Figures based on the book by Margot Lee Shetterly
Classroom Considerations
- Requires copies of several worksheets
Pros
- Includes background articles and videos on both Christine Darden and Katherine Johnson
Cons
- Links to several of the resources for Katherine Johnson and Christine Darden are broken