Hidden Figures - American History Part IV

HIDDEN FIGURES - CHAPTERS 14 - 18 - SUPPLEMENTAL HISTORICAL

 

                                                   

 

PLEASE NOTE: You will be writing a paragraph on American Culture and History at the end of this Module directly related to this supplemental historical material covering Chapters 14-18. (Low stakes writing #6) 

Have a notebook handy to make notes on the videos you may be interested in writing about.

Pick two videos from this page or next page that you want to write on for low stakes #6.

 

It may help to watch these short Videos on full screen mode to better understand the language.

You may also click on "CLOSED CAPTIONS" if you want to read text of the audio.

Videos 1-5 are only 2-5 minutes; the last video is 12 minutes.

 

(1) IBM (International Business Machines) ELECTRONIC CALCULATORS 

The electronic calculators and computers in this video are close to what Langley used n the 1950s (page 111). You may get a sense of the large capacity of computing these machines accomplished and then think about the characters in our story who were the "human" computers.

1950s ele. calculators Links to an external site.

 

(2) The following is a short video of the IBM 604 Electronic Calculating Punch Machine (1948) that was mentioned on page 112 of Hidden Figures. In Chapter 14, we are told that Dorothy decided this was the future and she better learn how to use them in order to keep her job (113). 

Link Links to an external site.

 

(3) NASA WIND TUNNELS - LANGLEY - WHAT ARE THEY?

Mary Jackson's new job is in the Wind Tunnel Research Division (page 115). Here's a short video on Wind Tunnels.

Link Links to an external site.

 

(4) SPUTNIK satellite was LAUNCHED BY RUSSIANS - 1957 (pages 124-25). This was the start of the space race which strained relations between the U.S. and Soviet Union. 

The term "Cold War" meant that there were not actual military battles between two countries, but a kind of political battle in development of war weapons, like nuclear bombs. The Cold War existed between the former Soviet Union (USSR) and the United States from 1947 to 1991 when Russia turned from communism to a more Independent democracy.

Unfortunately, Laika, the dog used for a later space flight, died soon after the launch of the capsule. 

Link Links to an external site.

 

(5) HOSTILITY BETWEEN SOVIET UNION AND UNITED STATES - NUCLEAR WAR THREAT - FALLOUT SHELTERS BEING BUILT IN THE U.S. FOR PROTECTION FROM RADIATION FALLOUT (page 127).

In late 1950s, the U.S. discovered Russia could launch a nuclear missile that could land in America. This video covers the Civil Defense Department that was created in response to this threat and to help protect Americans. Believe it or not, many Americans began building Fallout Shelters. 

Link Links to an external site.

 

(6) At the beginning of Chapter 14, page 110, "hypersonic flight" was mentioned in relation to what the future could hold for Langley and NASA. Mary Jackson's team was working on "supersonic" flight of missiles, speed of Mach 1 up to Mach 4.

Engineers at Langley knew that one day there would be hypersonic flights. They were thinking about the high speed of Mach 5. The video below gives you a preview of what future hypersonic flights might look like.

Link Links to an external site.

 

Continue on Next page for more American history during this period.