Description
Have your students create a collaborative poster and learn about Katherine Johnson in a fun, fresh, and engaging way! Through this activity, students will explore Johnson’s extraordinary achievements as a mathematician whose calculations were critical to early NASA missions, including the first American orbital flight. As they work together, they’ll also strengthen their teamwork and communication skills while contributing to one unified final product.
This biography research activity is an excellent addition to STEM lessons, space exploration units, or Black History Month. Students will connect Johnson’s brilliance, perseverance, and problem-solving skills to broader themes of innovation, equity, and scientific progress.
Students will begin by researching Katherine Johnson and gathering information about her background, accomplishments, and impact on the space program. They’ll then record their findings in the designated sections on the poster before working together to color or paint and assemble the final display. Once completed, the six-piece poster can be printed on regular paper or cardstock and will measure approximately 28" x 15" when taped together. For long-lasting classroom use, you can laminate the finished product!
This resource includes student directions, a project rubric, and a brainstorm graphic organizer. It also includes six blank coloring pages that come together to form one cohesive poster, a Katherine Johnson answer key, an example of the final project colored, and a digitally colored example to guide and inspire your students.