Inventions 1: Edison and the Light Bulb
K-2 | Hands-OnThis lesson is the first of a two-part series on technology and inventions
Photo Credit: Alexander Graham Bell Family Papers, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress.
Once upon a time, none of those things existed. Someone invented each one of them. Someone saw a problem, and, through brainstorming and (usually lots of) trial and error, came up with a solution to it. Or they took someone else's invention and saw a way to improve on it or use it for something other than for what it had been designed. Or they created a process for completing an action more simply.
Some inventors remain on the tips of people's tongues. Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, Eli Whitney, and George Washington Carver are all well-remembered for their inventions. Others, such as Nikola Tesla, Richard Trevithick, Marion O'Brien Donovan, Buela Louise Henry, and Ramón López Irizarry, are less well known for their contributions to society.
Consider these resources merely a place to begin your journey into inventions and the women and men who came up with the ideas for them.
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Lessons
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This lesson is the first of a two-part series on technology and inventions -
Inventions 2: The Impact
K-2 | Hands-On
In this lesson students focus on the process of inventing, particularly on what short- and long-term issues inventors must consider before developing an invention. -
Build a Better Pencil
K-2 | Hands-On
This investigation uses a pencil to introduce the idea of planning and evaluating designs. -
Technology: Past, Present, and Future
3-5
In this lesson, students examine a number of technological innovations that have occurred since the beginning of humanity. -
Thomas Edison for Kids
6-8 | Audio
By studying Thomas Edison's life and inventions, students will develop a broader view of technology and how it is like and unlike science. -
Leonardo's Machines
6-8
This lesson will highlight some of Leonardo's futuristic inventions, introducing the elements of machines. -
Inventors and Innovators
6-8
In this lesson, students explore the scientific enterprise and the contributions of diverse people. -
Temple Grandin
6-8 | Video
This is a lesson about being different and thinking differently. It focuses on the work of Temple Grandin, an animal behavior scientist who has autism, a brain condition of unknown cause that people are born with, and that makes them behave differently than other people. -
Inventions of Necessity: Synthetic Rubber
9-12
In this lesson, students explore the relationship between societal needs and technological development by examining the history and making of synthetic rubber. -
The Little Transistor that Could
6-8
In this lesson, students explore the nature of technology through the history of the transistor.
Tools
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Invention at Play
K-5 | Interactive
This site challenges you to explore, question, invent, and collaborate to make your own discoveries. -
Lemelson-MIT Program
K-12 | Website
The Lemelson-MIT Program celebrates outstanding inventors and inspires young people to pursue creative lives and careers through invention. -
Tesla: Inside the Lab
6-12 | Interactive
This resource explores the brilliant inventions of Nikola Tesla which include the radio and the remote control. -
Technology at Home
3-12 | Interactive
This site lets you go back through the twentieth century to find out when everyday items such as computers, TVs, and CD players first appeared in homes. -
eGFI
6-12 | Teaching Aid
This dynamic site invites students to learn more about the various aspects of engineering. -
Inventioneers App
K-5 | Interactive
This engaging science app from Filimundus challenges kids to solve problems using the objects provided.
Science Updates
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Wheelchairs
6-12 | Audio
In this Science Update, hear how exchanging technology with some of the world's poorest countries is helping to build better wheelchairs. -
Rebuilt Language
6-12 | Audio
In this Science Update, learn about how a recent movie spent money reconstructing a dead language. -
Fab@home
6-12 | Audio
This Science Update explains how fabricators, devices like inkjet printers, can generate 3-D objects. -
3D Tissue
6-12 | Audio
3D scaffolding in cells helps scientists understand a patient’s cancer cells and personalize treatments. -
Cooling from Nature
6-12 | Audio
Engineers are designing more efficient cooling systems inspired by physical processes in nature. -
Videos
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The Woman Who Saved the U.S. Space Race (And Other Unsung Scientists)
K-12 | Video
This video takes a brief look three unsung women scientists, like the one who saved the U.S. space race.
Collections
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National Engineers Week
K-12
This collection of resources will encourage the budding engineers and interest those who aren't sure why engineering is relevant to their lives.
AAAS Resources
3-D Bioprinting (6-12)
Adam Feinberg at Carnegie Mellon University has come up with a technique that expands the use of 3-D printing technology and could one day allow researchers to print heart tissue.
