Lesson 7: Hidden Figures, Chapter 6

Place students in assigned discussion pairs. Invite them to keep Chapter 6 open.

Turn and Talk

Say these directions: Turn and talk to discuss the following question.

• Ask: When people work together to solve a difficult problem, what factors can strengthen their teamwork, and what factors can make it more challenging?

  • Teamwork gets stronger when people share ideas and help each other check mistakes. It gets harder when unfair rules or stereotypes stop some people from being treated with respect.

Connection to Today's Learning

• Say: Now, let’s explore how the author develops these ideas in Chapter 6 through the use of anecdotes.

Using Contrast Sentences to Hold Two Ideas at Once

Display and read aloud the following anecdote from Chapter 6 that describes the signs that were put up at Langley.

“In the office, the women felt equal, but in the cafeteria and the bathrooms, the “Colored” signs were a reminder that some were more equal than others.”

Say these directions: The author includes this anecdote to describe the impact of the “Colored” signs at Langley and also to compare contrasting experiences of the Black women at Langley. Turn and talk to a partner about the following question:

• Ask: What are the two contrasting ideas described in this anecdote?

  • The contrasting ideas are that the women felt equal in the office, but the “Colored” signs in the cafeteria and bathrooms made them feel unequal.

Point out to students that the word “but” is used to connect and contrast both ideas within the anecdote.

• Say: Sometimes readers notice one true idea and stop there, but Chapter 6 pushes us to think more deeply. We can see that the women are highly skilled and collaborate effectively, while also recognizing that segregation continues to shape their workplace. In the sentence from Chapter 6, the word “but” allows both truths to exist together in one sentence.

• Say: Work with a partner to write a sentence that tells about two contrasting ideas or events in Chapter 6. Use a contrast word such as but, although, while, or whereas to show a connection between the ideas.

Have a few partners share their sentences with the class.

Connection to Today's Learning

• Say: We will now use this sentence pattern to track how Chapter 6 anecdotes reveal both teamwork and resistance.

Part A: Key Moments (RI.6.3) (15 minutes)

Have students work in pairs with Chapter 6 open. Direct them to read Chapter 6 and record two moments showing the women working together on calculations or problem-solving.

Say these directions: Reread the key moments in Chapter 6 with your partner. As you read, record at least two moments in the 3-Column Chart graphic organizer. Label your columns as indicated:

• Column 1: Anecdote or moment

• Column 2: How it shows collaboration

• Column 3: How it shows segregation or resistance.

Present students with this completed sample row if needed for support and guidance:

Part B: Author’s Purpose and Point of View (RI.6.6) (15 minutes)

Students have already identified key moments of collaboration and segregation in Chapter 6. Now, they will use those details to think about why the author included them. This shift helps students move from identifying a central idea to explaining the author’s purpose and point of view.

Think-Pair-Share

Say these directions: Respond to the questions using evidence from Chapter 6. Then discuss your responses with your partner.

• Ask: What point of view about teamwork is the author conveying through these moments, and how do the examples support it?

  • The author’s point of view is that teamwork was essential to the women’s success. She supports this by including examples like how they “double-checked one another’s work,” which shows collaboration as a key strength.

• Ask: Why does the author include examples of collaboration alongside segregation, and how does this choice support her purpose?

  • The author includes both collaboration and segregation to highlight a contrast. By placing these ideas side by side, she emphasizes how unfair the system was while also showing the women’s resilience. This helps advance her purpose of showing both injustice and strength.

• Ask: What does the author want readers to understand about how these women succeeded, and how do specific details help convey that message?

  • The author wants readers to understand that the women succeeded through both skill and perseverance. She uses details about their teamwork and the discrimination they faced to show that their success was not easy, which strengthens her message about their determination.

• Ask: How do the author’s choices of details shape the reader’s understanding of NASA at the time?

  • The author shapes the reader’s view by including details about segregation, like separate spaces, along with examples of important scientific work. This combination helps the reader see NASA as both a place of innovation and a place with serious inequality, supporting the author’s critical perspective.

Quick Write

Say these directions: For your Check for Understanding, use at least two specific details from Chapter 6 to explain the author’s point of view about the women of West Computing. Then briefly analyze how Shetterly uses an anecdote or pattern of events to advance that point of view. Be sure to use at least one contrast connector (such as but, although, or however) in your response.

• Shetterly’s point of view is that the women of West Computing were highly skilled collaborators, even as segregation shaped their daily lives. For example, she describes how the women worked together to solve complex math problems and “double-checked one another’s work,” which highlights their teamwork. However, the cafeteria sign “COLORED COMPUTERS” shows that segregation still limited where they could go. By placing these details in contrast, Shetterly emphasizes both their professional excellence and the injustice they faced, helping the reader understand her perspective.

Read the background information about the poem, Tuskegee.

The poem “Tuskegee” is about Tuskegee Institute, a school founded in 1881 in Alabama to educate Black students during a time when opportunities were very limited because of racism and segregation. Students at Tuskegee learned both academic subjects and practical skills, like building and engineering, to help improve their lives and communities.

Read and annotate Chapter 7 of Hidden Figures and the poem,“Tuskegee”. Note any shared idea or similarities in how the authors approach the topic.