Learning Curiosity from a Nonfiction Text
Grade
Grade 7
UNIT
4
•
Curiosity
In Unit 4, Lesson 2, “Learning Curiosity from a Nonfiction Text,” students will learn an example of curiosity from a book about a prominent mathematician and computer scientist, Grace Hopper. Students will develop their reading comprehension skills by reading a short nonfiction text about Hopper. Additionally, students will answer questions to develop their reading comprehension and develop their academic dialogue skills through class discussion.
SUGGESTED TIME:
- 1 class period to introduce the text; 1 class period to discuss the text; if desired, additional class periods can be devoted to in-class silent reading of the text
- The short book, Mathematician and Computer Scientist Grace Hopper by Andrea Pelleschi, is 34 pages divided into 5 chapters. Suggested reading assignments, either for in-class silent reading or for homework:
- Assignment 1: Chapters 1-3
- Assignment 2: Chapters 4-5
- Have students answer the worksheet questions as they read the book.
- Allow at least 50 min of class time to have a class discussion of the book.
RELATED SUBJECT:
English Language Arts
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
- Read a nonfiction text and demonstrate understanding of the central ideas
- Determine the author’s purpose in the text
- Compose sentences that demonstrate comprehension of the word curiosity
- Write answers to questions about the book, demonstrating an understanding of standard English sentence structure and grammar
- Engage effectively in collaborative discussions about the book
REQUIRED MATERIALS:
- Video: Voices Raised: Celebrating Women in STEM | Grace Hopper by Boston Consulting Group (~3 min)
- Book: Mathematician and Computer Scientist Grace Hopper by Andrea Pelleschi
- Prohuman Grade 7 Unit 4 Worksheet 2: Learning Curiosity from a Nonfiction Text
ELA COMMON CORE STANDARDS MET
CHARACTER AND SOCIAL EMOTIONAL (CSED) NATIONAL STANDARDS MET
LESSON PROCEDURE
Step 1:
- Explain that we will be learning about an important mathematician and computer scientist: Grace Hopper.
- Play the video: Voices Raised: Celebrating Women in STEM | Grace Hopper by Boston Consulting Group (~3 min)
Step 2:
- Have students read the short book, Mathematician and Computer Scientist Grace Hopper by Andrea Pelleschi, either for in-class reading or as homework.
- Have students answer the worksheet questions for homework while reading the book.
Step 3:
- Invite students to a whole-class discussion of the worksheet questions.
GRADE 7 UNIT 4 WORKSHEET 2: LEARNING CURIOSITY FROM A NONFICTION TEXT
QUESTIONS TO ANSWER WHILE READING THE BOOK
- In Chapter 1, what was Grace curious about at the age of 7 and what did she like to play with?
- What did Grace study in college and which degrees did she earn?
- Which math classes did Grace teach?
- What was WAVES?
- What was the Mark I and what did it do?
- What kind of work did Grace do on the Mark I?
- What type of book did Grace publish in 1946 that was the first of its kind?
- What did UNIVAC stand for and what did it do?
- Why did Grace develop the A-2 compiler? What did it do and how much time did it save?
- What did the B-O compiler-based programming language—later called FLOW-MATIC—do?
- What did the Department of Defense use FLOW-MATIC as the blueprint for?
- What were the benefits of COBOL?
- Why did the Navy bring Grace back to do?
- How does Grace’s legacy live on?
- What is a principle about curiosity you learned from the life of Grace Hopper, and what is something you are curious about?
Prohuman K-12 Curriculum © 2025 by Prohuman Foundation is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0.
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