Summary
Mary used her love of math in order to help people. Her career consisted of being a math teacher, an adviser at a boarding school, a mathematician, and an engineer. She brought her Cherokee value of working together to every job she did. In a time when only men were engineers, she was able to work as a colleague on many projects, some of them even top secret, in order to further the U.S.’s knowledge of math and science. She also recruited women and Native Americans to study math and science.
Theme(s):
Cultural Values, STEM, Teamwork
Personal Response
I enjoyed it because it shows a diverse woman in a male dominated field. This book was written to inspire others, specifically women and Native Americans, to work together in areas of STEM. It was empowering because it showed that, through perseverance, people can do anything they put their mind to. After reading the book, I was surprised that I had never heard of Mary before due to all of the amazing things she was able to accomplish. I related to the story because I enjoyed math in school too.
Teaching Ideas
This book could be an introduction to an engineering unit. After reading the book, I would put the students into groups and have them work together to solve a basic engineering problem. This would teach them how to work as a team. This book could be used for social studies so students could discuss how Mary was able to have new opportunities when she moved to different places. This could lead into a discussion and writing about what students are and are not able to do based on where they live.
Recommended Reading Level
Grade 02, Grade 03, Grade 04, Grade 05
