NASA Mathematician Katherine Johnson

By: Heather E. Schwartz

Narrated by: Book Buddy Digital Media

What do you want to be when you grow up? When Katherine Johnson was young, women weren't expected to go into the math and science fields. Johnson loved math, but she never thought she could be a mathematician. After studying math in school and teaching for a few years, she learned that the organization that would later become NASA was hiring women to complete mathematical equations. As an African-American woman, Johnson had to work hard to earn the respect of her coworkers, but they soon came to rely on her brilliant calculations. Her contributions to the US space program helped send astronauts to the moon. Learn how Johnson broke barriers as a female African-American mathematician.

Please note: The original source audio for this production includes noise/volume issues. This is the best available audio from the publisher.

©2017 Heather E. Schwartz (P)2020 Lerner Digital ™

Critic reviews

"A celebration of innovators and the various STEM fields they pioneered and loved. Throughout the series, the authors routinely but gently emphasize how interconnected the acts of studying, inventing, and playing are (especially in Lonnie Johnson) - a quality that makes these titles natural companion texts for maker spaces. Also, the initial focus on the childhood of each subject allows students to draw their own personal connections (a young Nikola Tesla unsuccessfully tried to fly, Ellen Ochoa's parents divorced when she was a teen). Bright, well-designed layouts make for an effortless reading experience, though the text can be vague at points; for instance, in Katherine Johnson, students may wonder why her town 'did not have a high school she could attend.' Upbeat profiles of admirable STEM figures and fine additions to biography collections." (School Library Journal)