Students will develop a deeper understanding of  the life of Katherine Johnson and the historical period that she lived through. They will also develop fluency and comprehension by reading and responding to an engaging non fictional autobiography.  They will use graphic organizers to think and respond critically to the materials we are studying.  Wherever possible, the teacher will provide support to make the course accessible for dysgraphic and dyslexic learners.

Bridget Smith is a teacher with ADHD who specializes in supporting neurodiverse learners including students with ADHD, autism, dyslexia, and dysgraphia on the Outschool learning platform.  To date she has taught over 5,000 neurodiverse learners! Bridget holds a BA in World Literature and Cultural Studies. She is a credentialed teacher with a Master's Degree in Education.  She is credentialed in the State of California to teach multiple subjects for elementary Schoolers and middle Schoolers as well as English Language Arts to middle school and high schoolers.  Bridget holds a B-CLAD credential which gives her additional credentials and experience supporting diverse learners.  She is a former dual emersion bilingual teacher and high school ESL teacher. She is passionate about history, and enjoys offering a series of Real People, Real History book studies on Outschool.

Homework Offered
As this is a flex class students will be assigned work to do through our online classroom.  Learners will be encouraged to read around 2 chapters each week in order to be prepared for class discussions.
1 - 2 hours per week outside of class
Assessments Offered
No formal assessment is offered.  If students need proof of completion for homeschool credit they are welcome to compile a portfolio of their work and request a narrative evaluation from the instructor.
Grades Offered

YouTube videos including interviews with Katherine Johnson and others about historical events and their own experiences.  Other short historical documentaries on the history of HBCU's and women in NASA are viewed as part of the class.

"Reaching for the Moon: The Autobiography of NASA Mathematician Katherine Johnson" is the primary text for this class.