Lesson 5: Hidden Figures, Chapter 2

Turn and Talk

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

• Ask: Looking back at your Chapter 2 annotations, what is a detail that conveys the importance of teamwork at Langley? Support your response with evidence from the text.

  • One detail I annotated is when Chapter 2 describes how workers at Langley tested flight data together. It wasn't one scientist solving a problem alone, but a team comparing and checking results. That is important because it shows that scientific progress at Langley depended on collaboration, not just individual talent. It made me think that even if one person had the right answer, they needed others to verify it before it could be trusted.

Connection to Today's Learning

• Say: We will now explore some additional academic vocabulary to help us understand STEM concepts from the text.

Introduce New Words Using Morphology

Target Words: aerodynamic, calculate

Introduce the Word: Present the word aerodynamic to students and pronounce it.

• Ask: Have you seen the word aerodynamic before? Where?

Identify the Root: Underline the root aero in aerodynamic. Remind students that aero means “air.”

• Ask: Do you know or remember any other words with the root aero? (aeronautics: from Lesson 4, airplane, aerospace, aerosol)

• Language Connection: Connect to aerial and aerobic (both relate to air).

Identify Affixes: Circle dynam and -ic in aerodynamic. Explain that dynam comes from Greek and means “power” or “force,” and -ic means “relating to.”

• Ask: What do you think dynam might mean based on words you know, like dynamic or dynamite? (power, energy, force)

• Language Connection: Connect to Spanish aerodinámico, which has a similar meaning.

Determine Meaning: Using what we know about aero, dynam, and -ic, what do you think aerodynamic means? (relating to how air moves around something, especially how it helps something move smoothly through the air)

Build Word Relationships: Write aeronautics next to aerodynamic.

• Ask: What is similar about aeronautics and aerodynamic? (both relate to air and flight)

  • Ask: What is different? (aeronautics is the study of flight; aerodynamic describes how something moves through air)

Repeat the routine with the word calculate:

Introduce the Word: Present the word calculate to students and pronounce it.

• Ask: Have you seen the word calculate before? Where?

Identify the Root: Underline the root calcul in calculate. Explain that calcul comes from Latin calculus, meaning “small stone,” because stones were once used for counting.

• Ask: Do you know any other words with the root calcul? (calculator, calculation, calculus)

• Language Connection: Connect to calculus (a branch of math) and calculator (a tool used for computing).

Identify Affixes: Circle -ate in calculate. Explain that -ate means “to act on” or “to make happen.”

• Ask: What do you think -ate might mean based on words you know? (to make or to do)

• Language Connection: Connect to Spanish calcular, which has the same meaning.

Determine Meaning: Using what we know about calcul and -ate, what do you think calculate means? (to find an answer by using numbers; to figure something out mathematically)

Connection to Today's Learning

• Say: We will now use these domain specific words to explain why Langley needed exact data and coordinated teamwork.

Part A: Hidden Figures: Chapter 2 (RI.6.3) (15 minutes)

Direct students to reread the sections in Chapter 2 that introduce the NACA advertisement and describe Langley’s daily research work.

Say these Directions: Use a 3-column chart to record key details about the NACA ad and the daily research work done at Langley and then describe the connection between the two.

• Column 1: Key details about the NACA ad

• Column 2: Key details about the daily research work done at Langley.

• Column 3: Connections

Say these Directions: Reread the sections of Chapter 2 that include the NACA ad and description of Langley’s research. Fill in the first two rows of your chart with details about each. Then, in the third column, explain how they are connected.

Part B: Synthesize Information (RI.6.3) (15 minutes)

Quick Write

Say these Directions: Use the information in your 3-column chart to write a 4- to 5-sentence explanation of how the NACA ad and the work done at Langley’s are connected. Choose the best details from your chart to support your explanation.

• Ask: How do the ad and the lab description work together to show that discovery depends on more than just one person’s talent?

  • The ad and the lab description show that discovery at Langley started with a need and then moved into action. In the section with the NACA ad, Langley looks for people with strong math skills in order to solve flight problems. Then, in the section describing the lab, workers calculate, check, and compare data so that engineers can improve aircraft. As a result, the chapter shows that scientific work depends on questions, evidence, and teamwork, not just one person working alone.

Check for Understanding

Provide students with a confidence continuum (i.e., 1–5). As needed, model how to demonstrate a level of confidence using the continuum.

Reflection

Say these Directions: Write your response to the question in 2-3 sentences.

• Ask: Which key details best show that scientific progress comes from a collaborative process, not from one person working alone?

  • One important detail is that the NACA ad shows Langley needed workers with strong math skills, which means the lab was looking for people who could solve technical problems. Another key detail is the section describing Langley’s workers as they calculate, check, and share data, enabling engineers to make more accurate and informed decisions.. These details work together to show a process: first the lab needed expertise, then teams used evidence to solve problems. That shows scientific progress came from organized teamwork, not one person acting alone.

Have students read the Chapter 3 Summary and Chapters 4-5 of Hidden Figures. Instruct students to take notes in their Journal on the following prompt:

As you read, annotate the text for the following:

• Locate where the text shows questions, data, or teamwork helping to solve a problem.