Hidden Figures Chap. 8-15
VJ Day
"Victory over Japan day" is the celebration of the Surrender of Japan, which was initially announced on August 15, 1945
Space Race
A race between Russia and the United States to be the first country to get into space
Define the job of a theoretical engineer.
A theoretical engineer is someone that works with numbers and papers, designing aircraft based on ideas or theories, rather than using experiments and testing.
Katherine Goble
At a wedding, Katherine's husband's brother-in-law informed her of the NASA position , so she decided to follow her dreams. She was attached to the Flight Research division.
Who is Christine Mann? How are events of the civil rights movement impacting her?
Christine Mann was part of the first generation in the history of the world to grow up with the possibility of the human race becoming extinct due to nuclear war. The events of the civil rights movement were affecting her because they were making her feel fear and mixed emotions.
How did Christine Mann's father develop and encourage her curiosity and lifelong learning?
Christine Mann's father developed and encouraged her curiously and lifelong learning. This is because he believed in hard work and character. He did anything to help Christine succeed.
Who were Ethel and Julius Rosenberg? How did the mounting communist tensions affect life at Langley?
Ethel and Julius Rosenberg were a couple that was spying for the Russians and got convicted and executed by the U.S. government as punishment. The mounting communist tensions affected life at Langley because the Americans were afraid that there were spies all around them. There were also terrified of the many investigators that sometimes came to their home unannounced.
Dorothy Vaughan
First African American woman to hold a management position at Langley.
Who was Harry Byrd? Explain his influence over segregation in Virginia.
Harry Byrd was Virginia's Democratic senator. He opposed to opening hiring policies to African- Americans. He treated segregation like a religion. He ran a political machine that kept the poor of all races divided against one another.
Summarize President Truman's ideas to deal with the negative attitudes toward Communism. How did his beliefs affect the women working at Langley?
He wanted show that the United States' version of democracy was the best system in the world. To prove that America was trying to be fair to people with dark skin, he desegregated the military. He also made the head of each federal department free of discrimination. His beliefs affected the women who worked at Langley because women started the work in other offices, and got to work side by side with white engineers and computers.
Setting and atmosphere - Describe the atmosphere at Log Cabin Beach.
It is a more enjoying place for the African- Americans because it is a beach especially for African- Americans, so they don't need to worry about any "Colored" signs.
What is Glamorous Glennis?
It was an aircraft created by Chuck Yeager that was named after his wife. This aircraft broke the sound barrier.
How did Katherine Goble get her job at Langley?
Katherine Goble got a job at Langley. This is because at a wedding, her husband's brother-in-law told her that the government was hiring black women for the role of a mathematician at Langley. So, she was really interested and wanted the job.
Why did Katherine Goble get attached to the Flight Research division? Why is this change of department significant for her?
Katherine Goble got attached to the Flight Research division. This is because she felt very fortunate that she could work closely with the engineers.
Katherine Goble's first assignment was to investigate the crash of a small Piper propeller plane. What is learned as a result of her contribution?
Katherine finds out that the air disturbance that is caused by the jet that flies past could trouble the air for as long as a half hour after it passes through.
What tragedy reshapes Katherine's family? Explain how the Katherine and her daughters handle the changes to the family.
Katherine's husband began to feel sick. The doctors discovered that there was a tumor at the base of his skull, and it could not be treated. After one year, he died five days before Christmas. Katherine decided to let herself and her daughters mourn until the end of the year. Then, they would get back to business. She also developed household rules and became the "mother" and "father" of the house that showed love and discipline.
Mary Jackson
Mary Jackson was independent, defiant, determined, honest, and loyal. She was the first female engineer at Langley.
How did Mary Jackson's actions demonstrate the integrity in her character?
Mary Jackson's actions demonstrate the integrity in her character. This is because she wasn't afraid to be honest and tell how she feels.
Describe the significance of Mary Johnson's transition to being an engineer? How did her new boss (Kaz) help her?
Mary Johnson's transition to being an engineer was very significant. This is because she would later become the first female African-American engineer that was at Langley. Her new boss Kaz helped her. He recognized Mary's talents and suggested that she enroll in Langley's engineer training program.
What make Newsome Park an attractive place for Dorothy and her family to live?
Newsome Park was an attractive place for Dorothy and her family to live because it was near where she had been living for the past 9 months. It also included many black families from all income levels. It also had a community center and was designed to keep the morale high.
Why is October 4, 1957 an important date?
October 4, 1957 is an important date. It was the day that marked the end of the postwar era (when the world was rebuilding after the destruction of World War 2). The soviet union launched Sputnik (the first satellite)
Using your character trait list, identify 2-3 character traits for Dorothy Vaughan. Support at least one of these traits with text evidence to support the answer.
One character trait for Dorothy would be that she is very hard-working. On page 66, the text states, "Dorothy had worked the 3:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. shift, taking care of her family by day and crunching numbers at night." This evidence shows that despite having so many kids, she is still being able to spend time with her family, and go to work for 8 hours as well. Another character trait for Dorothy is that she is selfless. According to the text, "She sacrificed for her children. Many evenings, Dorothy came home from work and made dinner for the family. After putting the meal on the table, she walked around the block until the children were done eating. She then ate only the leftovers. She didn't want to eat before she knew that her little ones had eaten all that they needed." (Shetterly 66) This evidence shows that she is selfless because she puts her kids priorities before hers.
Using the character trait list, identify three character traits for Mary Jackson.
One character trait that Mary possesses is that she is loyal. This is because she is very loyal to the religion and helps out a lot at her church. Another character trait is that she is very demanding. This is because she made her wedding the way the way she wanted and did things her own way. Finally, Mary is intelligent. This is because she had graduated high honors in her high school. She also went to a good college.
Between 1947-1951, what important event happened for Dorothy Vaughan?
One of her bosses fell ill and started acting strange when she was at work. They made Dorothy the new boss as a replacement.
What events took place in 1957 that caused tension tension across the United States?
Russia had launched Sputnik into orbit before America did.
What is the SPT?
SPT means the Supersonic Pressure Tunnel. It is a powerful wind tunnel located on the West Side.
How does Dorothy Vaughan help Katherine Goble obtain a permanent position in the Flight Research Division?
She talked to her boss and convincing him to allow Katherine to work full time at the Flight Research Division.
How does specializing in a particular subfield in aeronautics help the women computers?
Specializing in a particular subfield in aeronautics helps the women computers. This is because a women who can not only process data but could also understand how to interpret it was more valuable to the team than a woman with just general knowledge.
In what ways did advances in aeronautical research change the methods by which Langley worked?
The advances became more important to the work at Langley and new technology was being made.
Explain how the end of World War II and VJ Day prompted celebration and disappointment in the Newport News area.
The end of World War II and VJ Day prompted celebration and disappointment in the Newport News area. It was a celebration for the men and the soldiers fighting in World War II. However, it was a disappoint because now that the men are back, they will get the jobs and the demand for women workers will decrease. Also, after VJ Day was announced, some companies went back to their policy of not hiring African-Americans.
What event prompted Mary Jackson to accept an offer to work with Kaz Czarnecki?
The event that prompted Mary Jackson to accept an offer to work with Kaz Czarnecki was when she asked one of her coworkers where the bathroom was and they started giggling because "how would they know where the separate bathroom was".
How was the fight for social equality affecting education? How would these practices affect Langley recruitment?
The fight for social equality was affecting education. This is because America believed that they shouldn't waste all the intelligence that African-Americans have that could benefit the country. They wanted more African-Americans to work in the technical fields. These practices could affect Langley recruitment because more females and African-Americans would be hired.
Why was the aeronautics program continued?
The space race
How did the electronic computers and data-processing machines affect the female mathematicians?
They could solve complex equations in just a few hours that mathematicians would take months to solve. So, they were replacing the mathematicians.
"Best of all, as far as Katherine was concerned, they were smart as whips" (Shetterly 106). How is this quotation a simile and an idiom?
This quotation can be a simile, because it is comparing their intelligence to whips. Whips are smart because they are quick, so there intelligence is as fast. It is an idiom because it is not meant seriously and they are not whips.
What happened when Katherine sits down to wait to meet her new boss? What impact does this moment have on her?
When Katherine sits down to wait to meet her new boss, the white engineer who she sat next to got up and walked away. It makes Katherine very confused because she didn't know what she had done wrong.
Explain why working conditions at Langley and a segregated society caused confusion.
Working conditions at Langley and a segregated society caused confusion. This is because the boundaries were a little fuzzy. In addition, some of the people had never met a black person before worked at Langley and some were southerners and very strong on the issue.
Brown vs. Board of Education (1954)
court decision that declared state laws segregating schools to be unconstitutional and illegal.
charismatic
exercising a compelling charm that inspires devotion in others
supersonic
faster than the speed of sound
Christine Mann
intelligent women who was living during many changes (sputnik and civil rights movement) the events of the civil rights movement impacted her education because she was living while the schools were being integrated.
blatant
obvious; too conspicuous; done openly
implications
possible results or effects of an action or a decision
hypersonic
relating to speeds of more than five times the speed of sound (Mach 5)
fruition
the point at which a plan or project is realized
supremacy
the state or condition of being superior to all others in authority, power, or status.
Mach
the term for something moving at the speed of sound.
