Lesson 9: Hidden Figures, Research Writing, Part 2

Turn and Talk

Say these directions: Turn and talk with a partner to discuss your response to the question.

• Ask: How does Dorothy Vaughan challenge societal expectations for Black women during this time period?

  • Dorothy Vaughan challenges expectations by doing important math work at Langley, a role most Black women were not allowed to undertake at the time. She doesn’t stay in the expected role—she learns more, takes on responsibility, and shows she is a strong leader even with the challenges of segregation.

Connection to Today's Learning

• Say: We will now learn about how writers keep their explanations clear by using precise pronouns.

Language Study

Explain that effective writing keeps the reader moving smoothly from one sentence to the next. One way writers do this is by clearly naming an individual, such as Dorothy, and then using pronouns that refer back to her in a way that is easy to follow. Students will also look at intensive pronouns, which add emphasis without changing who the sentence is about.

Display and review how pronouns are used in the following sentence:

Target Sentence

At Langley, Dorothy Vaughan took on more and more responsibility, and at home, she managed the care of her children herself.

How Pronouns Work

Say these directions: Review the Target Sentence and How Pronouns Work chart with a partner. Discuss and respond to the following questions.

• Ask: Where does the writer first name the person the sentence is about? (in the beginning of the sentence; Dorothy Vaughn)

  • Ask: What word does the writer use to refer back to Dorothy Vaughan? (pronoun she)

• Ask: Why might a writer use herself instead of repeating Dorothy Vaughan again? (The writer uses herself to add emphasis. It highlights that Dorothy, not just anyone, was carrying these responsibilities.)

  • Ask: What do you notice about how all of these words are connected? (They all refer to the same person, Dorothy Vaughan.)

Connection to Today’s Learning

• Say: In the rest of the lesson, you will read and discuss how writers keep ideas clear across sentences. As you speak and write, pay attention to how pronouns refer back to a specific person and how writers use words like herself to add emphasis without changing the meaning.

Part A: Collect the Right Evidence (W.6.2.b) (12 minutes)

Explain that an effective explanatory paragraph doesn’t just list details—it uses them to explain a focused idea.

• Say: The explanation is the most important part of the paragraph. It states your main idea and connects the details that support it. An effective explanatory paragraph shows how Dorothy Vaughan balanced work and family while challenging what people believed a Black woman could do. Every detail you choose should support this idea.

Say these directions: Review the following prompt with a partner. Then discuss and respond to the question.

Write an explanatory paragraph showing how Dorothy Vaughan’s work and home life demonstrate that she successfully balanced scientific work and family responsibilities while challenging assumptions about what was possible for a Black woman. Use evidence from the text to support your ideas.

• Ask: What is the prompt asking you to explain? What types of evidence from the text will you need to respond to the prompt?

  • The prompt asks me to explain how details about Dorothy’s work and home life show that she successfully balanced her responsibilities and did things most people did not think were possible.

• Say: Use the 3-Column Chart graphic organizer to collect evidence from Chapter 9. In the first row, record a work detail from the part of the chapter describing Dorothy at Langley. In the second row, record a home detail from the part of the chapter describing her responsibilities with her children and household. In the third row, explain what the detail shows in relation to the prompt..

Completed Sample 3-Column Chart

• Ask: How does the detail about work help prove that Dorothy challenged expectations?

  • The work detail shows that Dorothy is taking on greater responsibility at Langley. That detail matters because it shows she was doing advanced work that society did not expect Black women to do.

• Ask: How does the detail about home life help prove that Dorothy challenged expectations?

  • The home detail shows that Dorothy still managed her children and household. It strengthens the paragraph because it shows her responsibilities did not stop when the workday ended.

• Ask: How do these details work together to respond to the prompt?

  • Together, the details show that Dorothy Vaughan was successful in more than one demanding role. Because she handled both scientific work and family responsibility, she expanded what many people believed a Black woman could do.

Part B: Draft a Clear Paragraph (W.6.2.e) (18 minutes)

• Say these Directions: Use the details and notes in your 3-Column Chart to draft an explanatory paragraph in your journal. Write five to six sentences using evidence from the text to support your response to the following prompt:

Write an explanatory paragraph showing how Dorothy Vaughan’s work and home life demonstrate that she successfully balanced scientific work and family responsibilities while challenging assumptions about what was possible for a Black woman. Use evidence from the text to support your ideas.

• Dorothy Vaughan expanded what people believed a Black woman could do by taking on major responsibilities at Langley and at home. In the part of Chapter 9 describing her work at Langley, the author shows that Dorothy handled greater responsibility in advanced mathematical work. At home, she also cared for her children and managed the demands of family life. Because she succeeded in both places, Dorothy herself challenged the unfair idea that Black women belonged only in narrow roles. Together, these details show that her life pushed past social limits and made new possibilities visible.

Remind students to use pronouns to make their writing clear. Suggest that they name Dorothy Vaughan clearly at the beginning of the paragraph, and use pronouns that clearly refer back to her.

Lesson 9 Writing Rubric: Explanatory Paragraph — Dorothy Vaughan: Evidence & Elaboration

Writing prompt: Write an explanatory paragraph explaining how Dorothy Vaughan’s programming work and collaboration led to breakthroughs in NASA’s computing division. Use at least one piece of evidence and explain what it shows about her contribution.

Quick Write

Say these directions: Respond in writing to the following question.

• Ask: How did you decide which details best support the focus of your explanatory paragraph?

  • As I looked through my details, I noticed that some of them only described how busy Dorothy was and didn’t help to explain how she balanced work and family life. I chose details that clearly showed how she managed responsibilities at home, and excelled at work, and then explained why these details connect to the idea of challenging assumptions about what was possible for a Black woman during those times.

Have students access their copy of Hidden Figures. Instruct students to:

• Read the Chapter 10 summary. Then, read and annotate Chapter 11. As you annotate, mark one place where the text shows a person taking on a new role or responsibility.