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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. How did Katherine Goble Johnson return to teaching in 1944?

2. What was the name of the senator from Virginia who vehemently opposed the Fair Employment Practices Committee?

3. Who was the singer that Dorothy Vaughan took her children to see at Ogden Hall?

4. At what age did Dorothy Vaughan graduate from high school?

5. What state was Katherine Goble Johnson from?

Short Essay Questions

1. What was the attitude of the male engineers when a human computer made an error?

2. Why was it necessary for Melvin Butler to begin hiring black women as computers?

3. How did designating women as "subprofessionals" help the laboratory?

4. How did the Jim Crow laws make public transportation difficult for both blacks and whites in Newport News?

5. What does Shetterly want for the women she writes about in Hidden Figures?

6. Why did Howard Vaughan refuse to move from Farmville to live with his family in Newport News?

7. Why was Dorothy Vaughan taking a risk when she decided to sign a lease on a house in Newport News?

8. Why was it so difficult for Dorothy Vaughan to leave Farmville for her new job at Langley?

9. How did Shetterly's childhood affect the way she thought of blacks working in science, math, and engineering?

10. Why did Miriam Mann object to the "colored computers" sign in the cafeteria?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay describing the impact of the Rosenberg trial on employees at Langley. Why was Langley drawn into the trial? How did the trial affect interactions between employees? What was the impact on racial relations within Langley?

Essay Topic 2

Shetterly writes about how the area surrounding Langley Research Center affected those working at Langley. Write an essay describing the area and the way it impacted lives of African Americans living and working in the area. What was the area like? What housing was available to African Americans? How did being located in a segregated area affect Langley Research Center?

Essay Topic 3

Shetterly dedicates an entire chapter to Mary Jackson’s son entering a soap box derby. Write an essay explaining the purpose of this chapter. How does the chapter relate to the themes of the book? What information about the individuals focused on does Shetterly communicate through this chapter? What information does the chapter communicate about racial relations during the time period?

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