Counting on the Stars: The Story of Katherine Johnson
Katherine Coleman was born on August 26, 1918, in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. From early childhood, she loved numbers. She counted everything around her, from the steps she took walking down the road to the dishes she washed after dinner. Her mind naturally searched for patterns, and she was eager to learn all she could about mathematics.
During that era, racial segregation was the law in many parts of the United States. Segregation meant that Black Americans and white Americans were forced to use separate schools, neighborhoods, and public spaces, with Black communities receiving far fewer resources. Katherine's hometown did not provide a public school for Black students beyond the eighth grade. Determined to help their children keep learning, Katherine's parents moved the family more than one hundred miles to Institute, West Virginia, each school year so the children could attend high school. Katherine moved ahead rapidly. She began high school at just ten years old and graduated at fourteen. She then attended West Virginia State College, graduating with highest honors in 1937 with degrees in mathematics and French. One of her professors, Dr. William W. Schieffelin Claytor, recognized her talent and created advanced geometry classes specifically for her.
- segregation:
- The practice of keeping people of different races separated by law or social policy.
- integrate:
- To end the separation of people by race in schools, workplaces, or public spaces.
- aeronautical:
- Related to the science, design, and building of aircraft and flight.
- briefings:
- Short meetings held to give information, instructions, or project updates.
- trajectory:
- The curved path that an object follows as it moves through the air or space.
- equations:
- Mathematical statements showing that two expressions have equal value.
- precision:
- The quality of being exact, accurate, and careful.
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- 1How does the author illustrate Katherine's early passion for mathematics?
- 2Why was Katherine's family forced to move over one hundred miles each school year?
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About this biography passage for 6th Grade
“Counting on the Stars: The Story of Katherine Johnson” is a biography reading passage about Katherine Johnson, written for 6th Grade. It takes about 4 minutes to read (627 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.