Lesson 13: Hidden Figures, Chapter 14

Have students turn to an elbow partner with Chapter 14 open.

Turn and Talk

Say these Directions: Turn and Talk with a partner to discuss your response to the question.

• Ask: When a new technology changes the way people work, what can make that change feel risky, and what can help people adapt?

  • A change can feel risky because people might worry that their job or skills will not matter anymore. People can adapt when they learn new skills, work together, and look ahead or envision a new future instead of giving up.

Connection to Today's Learning

• Say: We will now track a similar scenario in Chapter 14 to explore how Dorothy Vaughan responded.

Use Context Clues and Morphology to Define Words

Target Word: reliable

Say these Directions: We’re learning about the word reliable today. It shows up in Hidden Figures to describe electronic computers. Let’s explore this word more closely as it appears in an excerpt from Chapter 14. .

Display and read aloud the following excerpt from the text.

Mentor Sentence:

“At first, these data-processing machines weren’t very reliable. They made mistakes, and engineers—or the human computers who worked for the engineers—had to keep an eye on the output.”

• Say: Talk with a partner about what you think the word reliable means as it appears in this excerpt.

Prompt students to review the excerpt again to look for context clues.

Use Context Clues

• Ask: What clues in the sentence help us understand the word reliable? (“made mistakes,” “had to keep an eye on the output”)

  • Ask: What do “made mistakes” and “had to keep an eye on the output” suggest about the machines? (The machines could not be trusted to work correctly/they were not dependable yet.)

Morphology

• Say: It’s also important to look at word parts to help figure out the meaning. The root rely means to depend on or trust. The suffix -able means able to be.

Determine Meaning

• Ask: Based on the context clues and word parts, what do you think reliable means? (something that can be trusted to work correctly or consistently)

Comparison Structure

• Say: Now we’ll use the word reliable within a comparison structure to practice connecting ideas from Chapter 14.

Share the sentence frames and read them aloud. Guide students to use context from Chapter 13 to fill in the blanks and complete the sentence.

Sentence Frame:

• At first, ___ was less reliable because ___. (the machines were less reliable because they made mistakes)

• Later, ___ became more reliable because ___. (the machines became more reliable because engineers improved them and checked their output)

Confirm Meaning

• Say: Use a dictionary or an online vocabulary resource to confirm the meaning of reliable. Once you have found the definition, you can use the context of the sentence or passage to confirm that the definition fits the way the word is being used.

Prompt students to turn and talk with a partner to discuss their responses to the following question. Remind them to consider their new understanding of the word reliable.

• Ask: How did roles at Langley change as machines became more reliable?

  • At first, human computers had to check everything, but later machines did more of the work independently. Eventually, the machines and humans worked together very efficiently.

Connection to Today's Learning

• Say: We will now use these strategies to figure out the meaning of unfamiliar words and use them to explain how roles begin to change at Langley.

Part A: Analyze How an Idea Develops Across a Text (RI.6.3) (30 minutes)

In this section, students use the jigsaw routine to analyze how the author builds an idea across sections of a text by introducing it, illustrating it with examples, and developing it through people’s actions.

Say: In Chapter 14, the author builds an important idea about how technology changes work and how people respond to that change.

When readers track an idea, they do more than name what happens. They notice how an idea starts, how the author shows it with examples, and how it develops across different parts of the text. We are not just asking, “What happened?” We are asking, “How is this idea growing or changing?”

Let’s track how the idea is introduced, how it is shown with examples, and how it develops across the text.

Jigsaw Reading

Say these Directions: You will work in a group to read one section of the chapter. Each group will become experts on the ideas discussed in that section and then will share what they learned with other readers.

Review the Jigsaw worksheet.

Say: In one box, write the name of your section of text. Cross out the word “Article” and replace it with “Section.” In “the key takeaways” space, record the important ideas in the section using the following sentence stems.

For “key takeaways,” record:

• The idea in this section is ___.

• The author shows this idea when ___.

Display the Assigned Sections:

• Group 1: Chapter 14 opening section

• Group 2: “The New Machines” section

• Group 3: “A New Era” Part A section (paragraph starting with “Only the most shortsighted . . .” and ending with “. . . to do the same.”)

• Group 4: “A New Era” Part B section (paragraph starting with “Dorothy knew . . .” and ending with “. . . as anyone else.”)

• Say: You will meet with classmates who read different sections and add their ideas to the remaining boxes. Then, be ready to discuss your response to this question:

• Ask: How does the author develop the idea from Chapter 13 about how technology changes work and how people respond to that change?

  • The author develops the idea that technology changes work and people must respond to it by first introducing new machines that may replace human computers and then showing how the machines work but still have limits, then showing how Dorothy prepares by learning new skills, and finally showing how she continues to prepare for new opportunities despite barriers like segregation.

SAMPLE RESPONSES FOR CHART

Section 1:

The idea in this section is that new technology is beginning to change the workplace.

The author shows this idea when electronic computers are introduced and Dorothy realizes machines may replace human computers.

Section 2:

The idea in this section is that electronic computers are powerful but not perfect.

The author shows this idea when the machines solve complex problems quickly but still make mistakes and need human checking.

Section 3:

The idea in this section is that people must adapt to new technology to stay relevant.

The author shows this idea when Dorothy learns FORTRAN and encourages other women to learn it too.

Section 4:

The idea in this section is that preparing for the future requires taking advantage of opportunities despite barriers.

The author shows this idea when Dorothy takes programming classes and encourages others while facing segregation and limited access to education.

Quick Write

Say these Directions: For your Quick Write, choose a central idea from Chapter 14 that could also connect to your research topic. Use specific details from the text to explain the idea. Select a universal idea that could apply to other hidden innovators you may choose to write about in your Performance Task.

• Chapter 14 shows that technology had a major impact on research, as electronic computers began performing calculations faster and more reliably than the old system. At the same time, collaboration remained essential. When Dorothy Vaughan learned FORTRAN, she taught it to other women to help them prepare for the transition. These two central ideas—that technology shapes research and discovery, and that collaboration is necessary for success—apply to many situations beyond the text and remain very relevant in today’s world.

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

• Read the Chapter 15 summary. Then read and annotate Chapter 16, looking for details that show how people respond when new demands or opportunities appear.