Mae Jemison: First African American Woman in Space

Mae Jemison: First African American Woman in Space

Read about Mae Jemison and answer the questions below. Good luck!

Mae C. Jemison was born in Alabama in 1956. When she was a young girl, her family moved to Chicago, Illinois. Mae loved science and learning about space. She spent many hours in her school library reading books about stars and planets. She also loved to dance and dreamed of being a professional dancer!

Mae went to Stanford University when she was only 16 years old! She studied Chemical Engineering and African and African American Studies. After college, she went to medical school and became a doctor. She even worked as a doctor in Africa for a few years, helping people who needed it most.

But Mae never forgot her dream of space. In 1987, she was chosen by NASA to be an astronaut. On September 12, 1992, Mae Jemison made history when she became the first African American woman to travel to space aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour. She spent eight days in space, orbiting Earth and doing science experiments. Mae Jemison showed everyone that with hard work and determination, you can achieve your dreams!

1. Where was Mae Jemison born?

2. What did Mae Jemison study at Stanford University?

3. What was the name of the Space Shuttle Mae Jemison traveled on?

1. Mae Jemison was the first   woman to travel to space.

2. Before becoming an astronaut, Mae Jemison worked as a  .

3. Mae Jemison spent eight   in space.

1. Mae Jemison loved to read about history when she was a young girl.

2. Mae Jemison was chosen by NASA to be an astronaut in 1987.

1. What did Mae Jemison love to do when she was a young girl, besides reading about space?

2. What important lesson can we learn from Mae Jemison's life?