HIDDEN FIGURES ETEC 531 ELIZABETH WEBBER AND SUSAN BEELEY
Syn opsis
Based on the docudrama Hidden Figures, this
media study guide explores the themes of
racism and gender bias. Hidden Figures is based
on a true story about three African-American
female mathematicians who worked for NASA in
the early 1960s, and the instrumental role they
played in helping launch the first American
astronaut into space. Set in Virginia during the
civil rights movement, the story depicts the
attitudes and struggles during this period.
Explicit racial and gender stereotypes are
perpetuated throughout the film. The movie also
draws on the themes of Russian-American
relations, national identity, space exploration and
technology.
Key Con cept s
Gender discrimination: Prejudice or stereotyping,
based on gender
Racism: Prejudice or discrimination based on race
Objectivity: Ability to suspend biases
Media Production: Creation of content to inform,
entertain or communicate with a wide range of people
Media Design: combining elements of a media
production to produce a desired effect
Lear n in g Ou t com es
By the end of this unit, students will be able to:
- Respond critically, creatively and reflectively
to the themes presented in Hidden Figures
and the role that people, place, issues and
events play in developing these themes;
- Use a variety of selected sources to
synthesize a deeper understanding of racism
and gender discrimination;
- Recognize and explain the importance of
perspective and language use to personal,
social and cultural contexts, values and
cultural identity;
- Work collaboratively to develop shared
understanding and extended thinking through
the sharing of ideas and viewpoints based on
questioning, interpretation, analysis and
communication;
- Create an original piece of work through
design thinking and processes, using
appropriate tools, technologies and materials
for production.
PRE-VIEWING ACTIVITIES:
Activity 1: Considering Racism and
gender discrimination
- Describe a situation where you
experienced or witnessed
racism/ gender discrimination.
Explain how this affected you.
- What are the causes and results
of racism/ gender
discrimination?
- What can you do to help combat
racism/ gender discrimination?
Activity 2: Key words
Define the following words:
- Gender bias
- Gender discrimination
- racism
- segregation
- documentary
- docudrama
- objectivity
- bias
Activity 3: Setting the scene
The movie, Hidden Figures, takes place
in 1961, at the beginning of the
?swinging sixties?. It earned this
nickname, as this was the decade that
saw the relaxation of social taboos
around race and gender with the
beginning of the civil rights and
women?s liberation movements. At the
time of the movie, however, racism and
gender discrimination were still
deemed socially acceptable points of
view. Search for a timeline for both the
civil rights movement and the women?s
liberation movement.
- Describe the view that was
taken of women during the early
60s.
- Describe the view that was
taken towards
African-Americans during the
early 60s.
- How do both differ from the way
that these two groups are seen
today? What rights have both
groups been given since?
?Darkness cannot drive
out darkness; only light
can do that. Hate
cannot drive out hate;
only love can do that."
-Martin Luther King Jr.
Ext en ded Act ivit ies
Activity 1
The students will collect magazine images, and create a
collage that depicts how women and men are portrayed in
the media. In small groups, students will discuss what they
have included in the collage, and the significance of the
imagery.
Follow-up
Students will work in pairs. They will select a print or online
advertisement that they deem sexist. The task is to
recreate the advertisement using different imagery, font
and messaging to create an ad that represents
empowerment. Students will use software such as
Photoshop or Illustrator to create the ad.
?There?s no bathroom
for me here. There are
no coloured bathrooms
in this building.?
~Katherine Johnson
Activity 2
The top two links below are for American sites, as the
movie takes place in America. The bottom two links are
Canadian. What similarities and differences do you see in
the rights of women and the struggles of minority groups in
the two countries?
- Women's liberation movement
- Civil Rights movement
- Women in Canada History Timeline
- Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada
ACTIVITY 1:
Students will watch a commercial that depicts
men talking like women about their bodies.
The teacher will facilitate a whole class
discussion about gender stereotypes using these
prompts:
- Explain how this commercial made you
feel.
- What is the message depicted in this
commercial?
Students will then watch some examples of public
service announcements (see top right corner of
this page for suggestions).
The teacher will facilitate a whole class ?Skirts must be worn past the knee. Sweaters are
discussion about public service announcements preferred to blouses. Or jewellery. A pearl necklace
using these prompts:
- What is a public service announcement?
- What is the message depicted in these
public service announcements?
- What are some gender stereotypes (eg.
roles and activities of men and women)?
For example, discuss perceived differences
and similarities between men and women
re: physical traits, character traits,
employment, raising children, interests,
physical spaces.
Working in groups of two or three, create a public
service announcement that depicts gender
stereotypes. Males will depict males participating
in a stereotypical female activity in a stereotypical
female space and females will depict females
participating in a stereotypical male activity in a
stereotypical male space.
In a whole class discussion, students will reflect
on the experience, and share what they have
learned about the experience.
Pu blic Ser vice An n ou n cem en t s
Always #Like a girl
Gender Equality PSA
#Hatchkids Discuss Male Gender Stereotypes
Breaking Gender Stereotypes
Always #Like a girl Girl Emojis
Always #Like a girl Keep Playing: Lady Riders
Always #Like a girl Olympian Alex Morgan
Active for Life PSA
is the exception.? ~Vivian Mitchell
Follow -Up
Students will participate in a typically ?female?
or ?male? space and record their observations
for thirty minutes. Students will observe how
people react to them being in the space and
owning it as though they are just as allowed to
be there as anyone else. It's not just about
observing what the opposite sex does there. It's
about pushing people's boundaries around the
limitations we place on one another based on
our sex. The class will discuss what spaces
might be deemed acceptable (eg. going into
the weightlifting area of the gym that is
typically used by only males, or going to a
school club meeting that typically only has
female participants, etc.) or unacceptable (eg.
washrooms, change rooms, etc.) prior to the
activity. The "space" should be approved by the
teacher ahead of time. Students will write
about their experiences on a class blog.
ACTIVITY 2:

Film makers use a variety of techniques to help us

make meaning of what we are watching. Often
they can manipulate aspects of cinematography
to manipulate our emotional response. Examples
include lighting, camera shots, camera angles,
and camera movement.
Have students explore the link below, and use the
variables presented to analyze the bathroom
scene:
- MediaKnowAll
EXTENSION ACTIVITY:
A docudrama is a dramatization based on real
events. In creating a docudrama, film makers
may exercise varying degrees of artistic
freedom in interpreting the event portrayed.
Certain aspects of the actual event may be
highlighted while others are ignored. Even in
documentaries, bias often plays a role in how
situations are portrayed.
Discuss with the students how we can detect
film maker bias and avoid being fooled by
clever media production into believing
something that isn?t entirely true.

The clip lasts 1:55. During this time, students

should document significant changes to lighting,
camera shots, camera angles and camera
movement.
The students should recognize both significant
changes and the possible audience response the ?Computers don?t author reports.?
filmmaker was intending to achieve. ~ Paul Stafford
Have the students respond to the following:
- How does this scene relate to the theme of RECORDING OBSERVATIONS EXAMPLE:
gender discrimination?
- How does this scene relate to the theme of TIME CHANGE INTENT/ RESPONSE
racism?
- Are there signs of the filmmakers'
objectivity and/ or bias in this scene? 0:03 Medium shot We focus on
- Based on this scene, what is the purpose of shifts from dialogue and
this media (inform, entertain or KJ to AH character
communicate)?
- What was the overall effect of this scene
0:04 High Angle Makes KJ seem
on you? How did it make you feel?
less significant
Explain.

And so on...
?Even a documentary is a kind of fiction."
-Philip Seymour Hoffman
POST-VIEWING ACTIVITIES:
Small groups are randomly assigned three
questions from the list below to discuss.
Students later rotate to form new groups.
Each person then provides a summary of
their discussion to their new group.
1. Select one of the characters in the
movie (eg. Katherine Johnson, Dorothy
Vaughan and Mary Jackson, Paul
Stafford, Al Harrison and Vivian
Mitchell, Colonel Jim Johnson, Levi
Jackson, John Glenn, Ruth, Karl
Zielinski). Describe this person?s
character traits. How would you
explain this person?s motivation? Do
you think this character ?s actions are
justified? Why?
2. How would you explain the
relationship between Katherine
Johnson and Al Harrison? Katherine
Johnson and Paul Stafford? Katherine
Johnson and Colonel Jim Johnson?
Katherine Johnson and John Glenn?
Katherine Johnson and Ruth? Dorothy
Vaughan and Vivian Mitchell? Dorothy
Vaughan and the ?human computers??
Mary Jackson and Dorothy Vaughan?
Mary Jackson and Karl Zielinski? Mary
Jackson and Vivian Mitchell?
3. How are two of the characters in the
movie different from one another and
how are they similar to one another?
4. How do the characters in the movie
evolve? What events trigger these
changes?
5. How did your opinion about the
characters in the movie change?
6. How would you react if you were in the
same situation as Katherine Johnson,
Dorothy Vaughan or Mary Jackson?
7. Which character in the movie do you
identify with the most? Why?
8. Do any scenes in the movie make you feel
uncomfortable? If so, please explain why?
9. Explain how the setting is important to
the themes in the movie?
10.Identify the themes in the movie.
11.What are the causes/results of
racism/gender bias in the movie?
12.What is the attitude towards technology?
13.What is the attitude towards space
exploration?
14.What is the attitude towards
Russian-American relations?
15.What insight did you gain as a result of
watching the movie?
Ext en sion Act ivit y
Students will watch some examples of movie
trailers that have been recut:
Horror:
https:// www.youtube.com/ watch?v=M6dia3mUch8
https:// www.youtube.com/ watch?v=o9Cby33ZR98
https:// www.youtube.com/ watch?v=U71P5FKFqfg
https:// www.youtube.com/ watch?v=2T5_0AGdFic
Romance:
https:// www.youtube.com/ watch?v=0xdjWbhOooE
Thriller:
https:// www.youtube.com/ watch?v=KQGf88T5UJQ
Follow up with whole class discussion about
movie trailers.
1. Compare and contrast the movie trailers.
What are some similarities and differences?
2. What is the importance of music, imagery
and text in a movie trailer?
3. What are some examples of movie genres?
Students will work in pairs. Each group will
randomly select a movie genre from a hat (eg.
thriller, horror, adventure, western, action, film noir,
documentary, war, musical, documentary, romantic
comedy, science fiction, mystery, silent film, indie
film, comedy, historical drama, fantasy, family film,
romance, action, black comedy, horror comedy,
etc.). Students will re-cut the movie trailer for
Hidden Figures using software such as iMovie or
Final Cut.
 SOURCES FOR FURTHER STUDY:
Closer to home: Canadian issues
- Our Canada: Are We Racist?
- How well do Canada?s immigration laws and policies respond to immigration issues?
- Racial profiling by stores, landlords and companies: Are we racist? (CBC Marketplace)
- CBC News: Being Black in Canada
Gender differences in STEM subjects
- Statistics Canada
- 5 ways to get girls into STEM ?Any upward movement is
Racial differences in STEM subjects movement for us all.?
- Indigenous Initiatives ~Dorothy Vaughan
- Integratives Science

Gender Issues
- Women?s Rights
- Exposing Gender Stereotypes
- The Trap of Masculinity: How Sexism Impacts Boys and Men
- End the Sexualization of Girls and Young Women in Mainstream Media
- Sexist restaurant dress codes: Should women have to wear this to work? (CBC
Marketplace)
- Women?s Rights in the United States: Obstacles and Opportunities
- You?re more beautiful than you think
- Women all over the world make a choice
- Beauty standards of hair are a form of bias
- How our girls see themselves
- Own It 1
- Own it 2

Racial Issues
- Race Talk: Engaging Young People in Conversations about Race and Racism
- Teaching Tolerance
- Educate to Liberate: Build an Anti-Racist Classroom

?I?m a negro woman. I?m

not going to entertain
the impossible.?
~Mary Jackson

?No more coloured restrooms. No more

white restrooms. Just plain old toilets. Go
wherever you damn well please. Here at
NASA we all pee the same colour.?
~Al Harrison
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