Objective

By the end of this lesson, the student will learn about Katherine Johnson's life and her important contributions to space exploration, fostering an appreciation for mathematics and science.

Materials and Prep

• Paper
• Colored pencils or crayons
• Access to a computer or tablet (optional, for videos)
• Space-themed stickers (optional)

Before the lesson, it's helpful to know some basic facts about Katherine Johnson, such as her role in NASA and her work on calculating flight paths for space missions.

Activities

• Story Time:

  Read a short story or watch a video about Katherine Johnson's life. Discuss her journey, challenges, and achievements. This will help the student understand who Katherine Johnson was and why she is important.

• Math Magic:

  Introduce simple math problems that Katherine might have solved. Use fun examples like counting stars or planets. Encourage the student to solve these problems using colored pencils to draw their answers.

• Space Exploration Art:

  Have the student create a space-themed drawing inspired by Katherine Johnson. They can include rockets, stars, and planets. Use stickers to make it more fun!

• Katherine's Timeline:

  Help the student create a simple timeline of Katherine Johnson's life. Use drawings or pictures to represent important events, like when she was born, when she started working at NASA, and when she helped with the moon landing.

Talking Points

• "Katherine Johnson was a very smart lady who loved math!"
• "She worked for NASA, which is a place that sends rockets and astronauts into space!"
• "Katherine helped to figure out the paths that rockets should take to get to the moon!"
• "Even when it was hard for her, she never gave up. She worked really hard!"
• "Katherine showed us that girls can be great at math and science, just like boys!"
• "Because of her work, people could go to space safely and explore new places!"