Mae Jemison Reaches for the Stars
Mae Jemison was born in Alabama in 1956. When she was three years old, her family moved to Chicago, Illinois. As a young girl, Mae loved science and nature. She read many books about stars and planets at the library. She also loved dancing.
Mae worked very hard in school. She went to college to study chemical engineering and African American studies. After college, Mae decided to study medicine. She went to medical school and became a medical doctor, which is also called a physician. Dr. Jemison wanted to help people stay healthy. She even traveled to other countries in Africa to give medical care to people in need.
Mae still had another big dream. She wanted to travel into space. In 1987, she applied to NASA to become an astronaut. NASA chose Mae along with a small group of other trainees. She spent years learning how to fly in space and how to handle emergencies.
In September 1992, Dr. Mae Jemison made history. She launched into space on the space shuttle Endeavour. This made her the first African American woman in space. During the flight, Mae floated inside the space shuttle because she and the shuttle were falling around Earth together. She used her skills as a doctor and a scientist to do experiments on cells and bone loss.
- physician:
- A doctor who is trained to care for sick people and help them stay healthy.
- astronaut:
- A person trained to travel and work in a spacecraft.
- trainees:
- People who are learning and practicing skills for a new job.
- emergencies:
- Dangerous or unexpected situations that require quick action.
- experiments:
- Scientific tests done to learn new facts or discover how things work.
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- 1Where was Mae Jemison born?
- 2What subjects did Mae study when she went to college?
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About this biography passage for 2nd Grade
“Mae Jemison Reaches for the Stars” is a biography reading passage about Mae Jemison, written for 2nd Grade. It takes about 2 minutes to read (250 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.