WEB SITES ON INVENTORS AND INVENTIONS
FOR TEACHERS AND STUDENTS
Access these sites through your computer’s Internet connection. Open the underlined address (URL). Information can be printed or downloaded to your computer. Be sure to follow links to other sites and find your way back with the "Back" button.
All of the sites listed were active as of February 1, 2009. The evaluation is by the AVA Center staff according to the amount of information given, the general appearance of the site and its potential use in the classroom.
WEBSITES LESSON PLANS & CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES WEBQUESTS
ANCIENT CHINESE TECHNOLOGY
– A THINKQUEST SITE
http://library.thinkquest.org/23062/index.html
A student-created site on the inventions and technology
developed by the ancient Chinese. Sections: Introduction,
Agriculture, Engineering, Domestic & Industrial Technology,
Mathematics, Physics, Warfare, Transportation, and Nature
Discovery. Includes inventions such as paper money, matches,
hot-air balloons, gunpowder and much more. Good photos.
Excellent
ASK THE INVENTORS
http://www.asktheinventors.com/
An advice and resource site for aspiring inventors. Sections:
Poster Contest, How to Invent, Don’t Be Scammed, Our
Invention, FAQ, Helpful Links, Patent Libraries and more.
Excellent
EDISON AFTER FORTY
http://americanhistory.si.edu/edison/
Edison’s two most famous inventions were developed before he
was 40. This site follows his later years as he developed
larger laboratories and worked on new inventions. Sections:
The Challenge of Success, Before Forty, Changes at 40, Home
Life, The New Technical World, Fame & Its Distractions, and
Edison in His Eighties. Includes lots of photos. Excellent
EDISON INVENTS!
NEW!
http://invention.smithsonian.org/centerpieces/edison/
"Thomas Alva Edison changed our world! His genius gave us
electric lights in our home and an entire system that
produced and delivered electrical power. He was the first to
record sound — and he also started the recording industry.
Edison developed the first movie camera and produced the
first movies. Learn more about this creative genius. You'll
be "shocked" at what you discover!"
Sections: Edison’s Story, Make a Light Bulb,
and Resources. Excellent
EXPLORAVISION – IMAGINE THE
FUTURE
http://www.toshiba.com/tai/exploravision/
A competition for students grades k-12 to encourage students
to use science and technology in new ways. Sections: How to
Enter, Request an Entry Kit, Past Winners K-12, For Teachers
Only, ExploraVision Extra!, and more. Excellent
EXPLORE INVENTION AT THE
LEMELSON CENTER
NEW URL!
http://invention.smithsonian.org/home/
An extensive site on invention and innovation. Sections:
Invention at Play, Centerpieces (virtual exhibits), Digging
Deeper (the history of invention), and much more. Don’t miss
the Centerpieces section. Excellent
EXPLORING LEONARDO
http://www.mos.org/sln/Leonardo/
A look at the life and work of the scientist, inventor, and
artist Leonardo da Vinci. Sections: Inventor’s Workshop,
Leonardo’s Perspective, Leonardo’s Right to Left,
What-Where-When?, Additional Resources and a Teacher’s Guide.
Includes classroom activities. Excellent
FARNOVISION – THE
FARNSWORTH CHRONICLES
http://www.farnovision.com/
Philo T. Farnsworth was a bored youth plowing the family farm
when he began the dream which led to television. Sections:
Introduction, The Farnsworth Chronicles Who Invented What…And
When?, Before Philo, Video Library ( with clips) and links.
Excellent
GREATEST ENGINEERING
ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE 20TH CENTURY
NEW!
http://www.greatachievements.org/
Spotlights the greatest engineering achievements in 20 fields
such as electrification, computers, spacecraft, household
appliances and high-performance materials. Each includes a
Timeline, a history and more. Excellent
GREATEST INVENTIONS: THE
EVOLUTION OF MAN THROUGH HISTORY
http://library.thinkquest.org/C002942/?tqskip1=1&tqtime=0225
A student-created site on inventions and inventors. Click on
the cogs for the sections. Sections: Site Guide, Interactive
(games, learning cab, interesting facts, etc.), Inventions,
Inventors, Timeline, Links, and Help. An extensive site.
Note: A little difficult to navigate. Excellent
INNOVATIVE LIVES
http://invention.smithsonian.org/centerpieces/ilives/
Profiles of 26 inventors/inventions
for such items as the pacemaker, solar shingles, and colored
cotton. Focuses primarily on recent inventions. Excellent
INTERNET SCAVENGER HUNT –
INVENTORS AND INVENTIONS
http://www.education-world.com/a_lesson/lesson120.shtml
Education World’s Internet Scavenger Hunt on Inventors and
Inventions. There are two, for younger and older students.
Excellent
INVENTING MODERN AMERICA –
FROM THE MICROWAVE TO THE MOUSE
http://web.mit.edu/invent/www/ima/
Profiles the life and work of 35 innovators through qualities
such as vision, courage and perseverance. Includes fun games
and links. Excellent
INVENTION DIMENSION
http://web.mit.edu/invent/index.html
M.I.T.’s invention section including the Lemelson/MIT Awards
Program, Inventor of the Week Archives, The Inventor’s
Handbook, Invention-Related Links and Resources. Excellent
INVENTORS – ABOUT.COM
NEW!
http://inventors.about.com/
Look here for the top inventions of 2008, inventing basics,
what to do with your invention, lists of inventors, blogs and
more. A gateway to a wealth of information. Excellent
INVENTORS AND INVENTIONS
FOR K-12 EDUCATION
http://falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/inventors.htm
A gateway site to information on individual inventors plus
general sites and specific inventions. Outstanding. Excellent
INVENTORS AND INVENTIONS – 42EXPLORE
NEW!
http://www.42explore2.com/invent.htm
Basic information on inventors and inventions along with
webquests and activities. Excellent
INVENTORS/INVENTIONS
http://edtech.kennesaw.edu/web/inventor.html
A terrific list of links to information on inventors and
inventions. Sections: Information/Research Sites,
Online/Offline Lesson Plans, Online/Offline Activities.
Excellent
MEDIEVAL CHINESE INVENTIONS
AND INNOVATIONS
http://www.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/score/chinin/chinintg.htm
An online museum "designed to provide a collection of
electronic artifacts and information resources for a unit on
inventions and innovation of the Chinese during the medieval
times. It is designed to strengthen the background knowledge
of students as they study the discovery, use, adaptations,
and effects during the medieval time through the present."
Sections: Foyer (Introduction), Paper & Paper Money,
Printing, Compass, Explosives, Toys & Games, and Projects
(Map, Timeline, Chinese Game, more). Excellent
THE PARTNERSHIP FOR
AMERICA’S FUTURE: SPECIALIZING IN EDUCATIONAL INVENTIONS
http://www.pafinc.com/
A program established to complement the National Inventor’s
Hall of Fame, every year six young people in grades K-12 are
inducted into the National Gallery of America’s Young
Inventors. Includes lists of inductees and their inventions.
Excellent
SMITHSONIAN INVENTORS AND
INVENTIONS
NEW URL!
http://www.si.edu/Encyclopedia_SI/Science_and_Technology/EngineeringandIndustry_Technology.htm
Spotlights inventors and inventions including: African
American Inventors, Women Inventors of the 20th
Century, Edison after 40, and much more. Excellent
TESLA- MASTER OF LIGHTNING
NEW!
http://www.pbs.org/tesla/
A PBS site on Nikola Tesla. Includes: Life and Legacy, Inside
the Lab, Tesla for Teachers (including lesson plans),
Discussions (interviews) and Resources (including Timelines
of Electricity and Radio). Excellent
TRANSISTORIZED! THE HISTORY
OF THE INVENTION OF THE TRANSISTOR
http://www.pbs.org/transistor/index.html
A PBS site on the invention of the transistor, the precursor
to the microchip. Sections: History, Science, Timeline, TV
Show (incl. online clips), Glossary, Interactive (two
experiments). Includes an online Teacher’s Guide with four
lessons that can be downloaded and printed. Excellent
USPTO KIDS’ PAGE
http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/ac/ahrpa/opa/kids/index.html
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s kids' site with
terrific games and activities. Includes a teachers section
but no lesson plans. Games: Trademark Treasures, Goldmine,
Inventor IQ, Whodunit?, Chicken or Egg?, Matching Fun,
Mousetraps and We Dare You. Excellent
ZOOM INVENTORS AND
INVENTIONS
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/inventors/
A huge amount of information for elementary students on
inventors and inventions. Excellent
ALL ABOUT INVENTIONS, INVENTORS AND FAMOUS
SCIENTISTS
NEW!
http://www.suelebeau.com/inventions.htm
A page of links to websites on inventions and inventors for
upper elementary students and up. Very Good
BLACK AMERICAN INVENTORS –
LINKS
NEW!
http://www.victoriaspast.com/BlackLinks/blackinventors.htm
A collection of links to sites on Black American inventors.
Good
BLACK INVENTOR ONLINE
MUSEUM
NEW!
http://www.blackinventor.com/
"Welcome to the Black Inventor Online Museum ™, a look at the
great and often unrecognized leaders in the field of
invention and innovation. For more than 300 years, black
inventors have served as pioneers in the field of science and
have made enormous impacts on society. As African Americans
sought freedom and equality, many among them, scientists,
educators and even slaves, developed the tools and processes
that helped to shape the modern agricultural, industrial and
technological landscape. While some are famous, many remain
unknown, but their contributions have assured that their
stories are not only about black history, but about world
history." Click on the drop
down box for a long list of inventors. Each gives a brief
profile of them and their invention. Good
BLACK INVENTORS A-Z
NEW!
http://inventors.about.com/library/blblackinventors.htm
A list of Black inventors with a brief profile and an
illustration of their invention. Very Good
THE GREATEST INVENTORS AND
INVENTIONS
NEW!
http://library.thinkquest.org/5847/halloffame.htm
A site by students for students on inventors and inventions.
Includes: Inventors’ Hall of Fame, Games, a Timeline, Links
and a Quiz. Very Good
HISTORICAL INVENTIONS A-Z
http://inventors.about.com/library/bl/bl12.htm
Links to inventions from Adhesives to the Zipper from
About.com. A starting point for students. Very Good
A HISTORY OF INVENTIONS: A
TIMELINE FROM POTTERY TO COMPUTERS
NEW URL!
http://www.cbc.ca/kids/general/the-lab/history-of-invention/default.html
An illustrated timeline from around 8,000 B.C. to the DVD in
1995. Covers a large number of inventions such as the wheel,
toothpaste, the microscope, hot dogs, the flashlight, the
Frisbee and more. Very Good
INVENT AMERICA!
NEW!
http://www.inventamerica.org/index.html
A K-8 program for student inventors. Teachers can enroll
their school and students can submit their inventions. Note
that the latest information is for 2007 so it may not be
running this year. Very Good if it is.
INVENTING A NEW KIND OF
PENCIL
http://www.noogenesis.com/inventing/pencil/pencil_page.html
A fun site for kids on ways to redesign the common pencil.
What works? What doesn’t? What can be added or changed? Fun.
Very Good
INVENTING YOUR FUTURE
NEW!
http://library.thinkquest.org/12056/index.html
A site for students by students on inventions. "The
goal of this web site is to take you through the steps needed
in becoming an inventor and creating an invention, from
getting an idea to patenting and marketing an invention."
Sections: Need an Idea?, Developing Your Idea, Patenting
Your Idea, Marketing Your Idea, History and Links. Very Good
INVENTOR ED’S KIDS INVENTOR
RESOURCES
http://www.inventored.org/k-12/
Lots of links for kids on inventors, the history of selected
inventions, and much more. Very Good
MOUSESITE
http://sloan.stanford.edu/MouseSite/
Explores the history of human computer interaction beginning
in the 1960s. Sections: Persons, Devices, Culture, Context,
Forum, Archive, Links and more. The Archive is extensive and
includes interviews and photos of people, devices and much
more. Very Good
MUSEUM OF ANCIENT
INVENTIONS
http://www.smith.edu/hsc/museum/ancient_inventions/home.htm
We tend to think of inventions as a modern phenomenon but
people have been inventing things as long as they’ve been
around. This online museum shows some of the ancient
inventions with photos and descriptions. Very Good
ROBERT FULTON – ENGINEER
AND ARTIST
http://www.history.rochester.edu/steam/dickinson/
A lengthy online biography of Robert Fulton, from his
interest in developing submarines to the steam engine. Very
Good
RUBE GOLDBERG TODAY
NEW URL!
http://rubegoldberg.com/
Known for his cartoons of contraptions that used everyday
times to build elaborate machines to accomplish simple tasks,
Rube Goldberg’s ideas continue and have inspired numerous
contests around the country. Sections: Rube Goldberg Today,
Rube Goldberg Biography, Rube Goldberg Machine Contest, Rube
Goldberg Information, and more. Very Good
SPOTLIGHT: BIOGRAPHY:
INVENTORS
http://educate.si.edu/spotlight/inventors1.html
A Smithsonian site with brief biographies of inventors and
lots of links to further information about them and their
inventions. Very Good
SUPER SCIENTISTS – A
GALLERY OF ENERGY PIONEERS
http://www.energyquest.ca.gov/scientists/index.html
Profiles 15 energy engineers/inventors. Very Good
THE TOP TEN AFRICAN-AMERICAN INVENTORS
http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/bhistory/inventors/
Information for grades 3-4 on the top ten African-American
inventors. "Throughout history, African Americans have
invented some important and fun devices. Read about ten
examples of men and women and see what they invented. Think
about what kind of obstacles they may have faced, personally
and professionally." Very Good
WACKY PATENT OF THE MONTH
NEW URL!
http://www.colitz.com/site/wacky_new.html
Recognizes selected inventors and their remarkable and
unconventional patented inventions. Includes patent
information, description and the diagrams submitted for the
patent. Sections: Patent of the Month, Patenting, Prior Wacky
Patents, and Inventor Links. Very Good
ABC NEWS – PATENTLY WEIRD
ARCHIVE
NEW URL!
http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/WolfFiles/Story?id=92608&page=1
A humorous look at some of the most unusual inventions. Fun.
Good
AFRICAN-AMERICAN INVENTORS
NEW!
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/inventors/black.shtml
Information for primary students on African-American
inventors. Good
AFRIGADGET FLICKR IMAGE
GALLERY
NEW!
http://www.flickr.com/groups/afrigadget/pool/
Photos of used materials re-purposed into toys and useful
objects in Africa. Good
BIOTECHNOLOGY CHRONICLES
http://www.accessexcellence.org/RC/AB/BC/#Anchor-33869
"Biotech Chronicles is a brief history of biotech discoveries
which continue to influence the field today. We have included
essays on genetics and DNA research, profiles of some of the
influential individuals who have helped build the
biotechnology industry, and an integrated series of time
lines which provide an overview of biotechnology from a
historical perspective." Good
BUILD IT YOURSELF TOY LABORATORY
http://northshore.shore.net/~biy/
"Ever dream that your toys could do more than they do? Use
the best parts from LEGO®, K'NEX®, Radio Shack®, the local
hardware store. Add junk from around the house, a cup full of
your imagination and stamp it: "Made In Another Universe"
"Build-It-Yourself publishes an on-going series of multimedia
files (animated plans and building tips) that inspire kids
between 8 - 16 years to build whimsical toys. Projects
incorporate commonly found materials, LEGO Dacta parts and
programmable microcomputers." Sections: Join the Crew,
Missions, and Hot Shots. Good
CHINESE INVENTIONS – A
THINKQUEST SITE
http://library.thinkquest.org/15618/index.htm
We tend to think of inventions as having origins in Europe,
but the Chinese were avid inventors, too. This site explores
several Chinese inventions. Sections: History, Inventions and
Inventors, Implications, and China’s Future. Good
CYBERSLEUTH KIDS –
INVENTORS
http://cybersleuth-kids.com/sleuth/Science/Inventors/
Information for kids on inventors such as Samuel Morse,
George Eastman, Charles Babbage and more. Plus links to other
sites. Good
DELPHION GALLERY OF OBSCURE
PATENTS
http://www.delphion.com/gallery
Not all inventions are useful or successful. For instance,
the bird diaper. Click on the Gallery and the Historical
Patents links to view some strange and interesting patent
sketches. Good
DISCOVER GAMES
http://www.discovergames.com/
A resource for game inventors to promote and showcase their
games. Includes help for inventors getting started. Good
THE ELI WHITNEY MUSEUM
http://www.eliwhitney.org/
Information on the Eli Whitney Museum, a biography, exhibits
and an online MOOseum. Good
ENGINEERS, SCIENTISTS AND
INVENTORS
NEW!
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/engineers.htm
Brief profiles of a large number of scientists, engineers and
inventors. Good
FORGOTTEN INVENTORS
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/telephone/sfeature/index.html
Features brief paragraphs about little known inventors of
such items as the gas mask, can opener, blue jeans, and oil
burner. Good
FREE PATENTS ONLINE
NEW!
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/
A patent search engine. Good
HISTORY OF THE UNITED
STATES PATENT OFFICE
NEW!
http://www.myoutbox.net/popstart.htm
An online book giving the history of the U.S. Patent Office.
It covers the beginning to the 1940s. Good
HOW STUFF WORKS
http://www.howstuffworks.com/
How everything works. Not really inventions but helpful.
Sections: Computer Stuff, Auto Stuff, Electronic Stuff,
Science Stuff, Home Stuff, Entertainment Stuff, Money Stuff,
Travel Stuff, and People Stuff. Good
HUNGARIAN INVENTORS AND
INVENTIONS
http://www.hpo.hu/English/inventor/eindex.html
While we are most familiar with American, British or French
inventors, there were inventors working in all countries.
This site lists the work of Hungarian inventors. Good
INVENTING ENTERTAINMENT
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/edhtml/edhome.html
An American Memory collection from the Library of Congress.
Recordings of Thomas Edison’s early inventions in sound.
"This site features 341 motion pictures, 81 disc sound
recordings, and other related materials, such as
photographs and original magazine articles." Gives
students a chance to actually hear Edison’s inventions.
Includes a biography. Good
INVENTIONS
NEW!
http://www.tjlibrary.org/inventions.htm
A site by middle school students with links to sites about
inventors and inventions. Sections: Inventors, Mrs. Press
Websites, Inventions and 20th Century Inventions.
Good
INVENTIVE KIDS
NEW!
http://www.inventivekids.com/indexFlash.html
A collection of fun activities for primary/elementary
students. Good
INVENTORS AND INVENTIONS
NEW!
http://www.picadome.fcps.net/lab/currl/inventors/default.htm
Links to sites about inventors and inventions. Sections:
Informational Sites, Individual Sites, Interactive Sites.
Good
INVENTORS DIGEST – FUN
FACTS
NEW!
http://www.inventorsdigest.com/funFacts.aspx
Some fun facts about inventions. Good
INVENTORS DIGEST – ONLINE
MAGAZINE
NEW!
http://www.inventorsdigest.com/default.aspx
An online magazine for inventors. Includes Classified,
Resources, Submit an Article and more. You can view past
issues online. You need to subscribe to get the full
magazine. Good
INVENTORS, INVENTIONS,
INVENT-NET – THE INVENTORS NETWORK
http://www.inventnet.com/
Provides help for inventors in doing patent searches, finding
patent attorneys, chat room, forms, scams, and much more. A
site for aspiring inventors. Good
JAMES WATT BY ANDREW
CARNEGIE
http://www.history.rochester.edu/steam/carnegie/
A short online book by Andrew Carnegie on the work of James
Watt with steam. A personal account. Good
MECHANICAL MARVELS OF THE
NINETEENTH CENTURY
NEW!
http://www.bigredhair.com/robots/
Information and illustrations on four mechanical robots of
the Victorian era. Click on the smaller photo on the right
for more complete information. Good
MEET AMAZING SCIENTISTS AND INVENTORS
NEW!
http://www.americaslibrary.gov/cgi-bin/page.cgi/aa/scientists
Brief profiles of George Washington Carver and Thomas Edison.
Good
THE NATIONAL INVENTORS HALL
OF FAME
http://www.invent.org/hall_of_fame/1_0_0_hall_of_fame.asp
The official site of the National Inventors Hall of Fame.
Note: Site has been redesigned. Sections include: Search (by
inventor, date, decade, invention), Invention Channels (by
topic i.e. computer, agriculture, etc.), Competitions,
Invention Camp, Induction, Patents, and more. Note: This site
no longer includes videos. Good
THE ONLINE ANTIQUE
PHONOGRAPH GALLERY
http://www.inkyfingers.com/Record.html
A photo gallery of personal collections of antique
phonographs. Good
REINVENTING THE PAST – A
THINKQUEST SITE
http://library.thinkquest.org/J002039F/
A student site focusing on inventors Alexander Graham Bell,
George Eastman, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Edison, Henry Ford,
and The Wright Brothers. The lives and inventions of each are
discovered. For elementary students. Includes a Crossword
Puzzle. Good
ROTHSCHILD PETERSON PATENT
MUSEUM
NEW!
http://www.patentmodel.org/default.aspx
"The Rothschild Petersen Patent Model Museum is the largest
privately-owned collection of United States patent models in
the world. Containing nearly 4,000 patent models and related
documents, the collection spans America's Industrial
Revolution." Click on the
illustrations of the models for information about its use,
date and inventor. Includes a History of Patent Models from
1790 to 2004. Good
TECHNOLOGY TIMELINE –
1752-1990
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/telephone/timeline/timeline_text.html
A timeline of technological advances from 1752’s Lightning
Rod to 1990s Hubble Telescope. Good
A TIMELINE OF INVENTIONS
NEW!
http://www.cbc.ca/kids/general/the-lab/history-of-invention/default.html
A timeline of inventions from ???BC to 1995. For primary and
up. Good
TOTALLY ABSURD INVENTIONS
http://totallyabsurd.com/
A fun site for useless inventions. Features an absurd
invention of the week and archives of past choices. Fun. Good
WEIRD AND WONDERFUL PATENTS
NEW!
http://www.lightlink.com/bbm/weird.html
A collection of strange patents for everything from
cheese-flavored cigarettes to a "levitationarium". Good
WOMEN INVENTORS A-Z
NEW!
http://inventors.about.com/library/blwomeninventors.htm
An alphabetical list of women inventors. Each link gives a
brief profile and description of the invention. Good
LESSON PLANS & CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL’S
PATENT FOR THE TELEPHONE AND THOMAS EDISON’S PATENT FOR THE
ELECTRIC LAMP – TEACHING WITH DOCUMENTS – LESSON PLAN
NEW!
http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/telephone-light-patents/
A lesson plan which uses Bell’s and Edison’s patents as a
basis for the lesson. Sections: The Documents, Standards
Correlations, Teaching Activities, and Documents Analysis
Worksheet. For junior high and up. Excellent
APPLIANCES WITH MINDS OF
THEIR OWN: EXPLORING AND INVENTING APPLIANCES THAT THINK –
LESSON PLAN
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20000413thursday.html
A lesson plan for grades 6-12. "In this lesson,
students examine how everyday appliances might soon possess
the capacity 'to think' as a result of recent technological
advances. Students then display their knowledge of this new
technology by creating a poster design of a 'smart' machine."
Excellent
THE BUSINESS OF GOOD IDEAS: UNDERSTANDING
ECONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH PATENTS – LESSON PLAN
NEW!
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20050407thursday.html?searchpv=learning_lessons
A lesson plan on patents for grades 6-12. "In this
lesson, students consider economic factors in patenting a new
invention. They then research an already-patented health
product and assess its profitability, followed by inventing
their own similar but imaginary products and persuading
others that it is "worth" patenting." Excellent
CLEVER CONTRAPTIONS:
DESIGNING AND "PATENTING" ORIGINAL INVENTIONS – LESSON PLAN
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/19990909thursday.html?searchpv=learning_lessons
A lesson plan for grades 6-12. "In this lesson,
students appraise the qualities of successful inventors and
inventions, as well as examine the ways in which the Internet
supports inventors, as a springboard for designing and
'patenting' inventions that would be helpful to them in their
daily lives." Excellent
CHIP SHOT: DEVELOPING SOCIALLY-RESPONSIBLE
USES FOR ADVANCED MICROPROCESSOR TECHNOLOGY – LESSON PLAN
NEW!
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20080410thursday.html?searchpv=learning_lessons
A lesson plan for grades 6-12 on technology. "In this
lesson, students investigate current developments in the use
of advanced microprocessors and develop their own proposals
for socially-responsible uses of the technology."
Excellent
DOING THINGS THE "WRIGHT"
WAY: INVESTIGATING INFLUENTIAL INVENTIONS OF THE 20TH
CENTURY – LESSON PLAN
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/19990316tuesday.html?searchpv=learning_lessons
A lesson plan for grades 6-12. "In this lesson,
students investigate 20th century inventions in order to
examine how inventions reflect the historical events during
which they were developed and improved. Students research
what they feel are significant 20th century inventions and
create illustrated timelines of the evolution of those
inventions." Excellent
ELI WHITNEY’S PATENT FOR
THE COTTON GIN – TEACHING WITH DOCUMENTS – LESSON PLAN
NEW!
http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/cotton-gin-patent/
A lesson plan which uses Eli Whitney’s patent document as a
basis for the lesson. Sections: The Documents, Standards
Correlations, Teaching Activities, and Document Analysis
Worksheet. For junior high and up. Excellent
AN ERA OF INNOVATION –
LESSON PLAN
NEW!
http://school.discoveryeducation.com/lessonplans/programs/eraofinnovation/
A lesson plan for grades 5-9 on inventions. "Students
will research significant transportation milestones during
the past century; determine the impact of these milestones on
society, the economy, communication, travel, and their lives;
and design and present "decade in transportation" exhibits."
Excellent
EUREKA! – LESSON PLAN
NEW!
http://www.econedlink.org/lessons/index.php?lesson=EM167&page=teacher
A lesson plan for grades K-2 on inventions. "Take a
look at how inventions, such as plastic, have changed our
lives and how they are changing the future of living in
space. Students explore the concept of invention and
innovation by studying the use of plastics. Various uses of
plastics are discussed and students are asked to list new
innovations and then create a new use for plastic."
Excellent
EXPERIENCE INNOVATION: INVESTIGATING
NOTEWORTHY INNOVATIONS PUBLISHED IN THE TIMES – LESSON PLAN
NEW!
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20070201thursday.html?searchpv=learning_lessons
A lesson plan for grades 6-12 on inventions. "In this
lesson, students share opinions about innovations that affect
their lives. They then identify and summarize articles about
innovative ideas, products or activities that appear in The
Times. Learning is synthesized by writing proposals for
innovations designed to resolve questions or problems that
students face in their own lives." Excellent
GLIDDEN’S PATENT
APPLICATION FOR BARBED WIRE – TEACHING WITH DOCUMENTS –
LESSON PLAN
NEW!
http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/barbed-wire/index.html
A lesson plan which uses Glidden’s patent application for
barbed wire as a basis for the lesson. Sections: The
Documents, Standards Correlations, Teaching Activities, and
Documents Analysis Worksheet. For junior high and up.
Excellent
GREAT AMERICAN INVENTORS: USING NONFICTION
TO LEARN ABOUT TECHNOLOGY INVENTIONS – LESSON PLAN
NEW!
http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=957
A lesson plan for grades 3-5 on inventors. "Reading
biographies about famous inventors can help bring enthusiasm
and a sense of exploration to your classroom. As students
read, gather, and present information about Alexander Graham
Bell, George Washington Carver, and Stephanie Kwolek, they
learn how their inventions changed and shaped America's past
and influenced the future of technology. Further, students
examine how the inventions directly impact their own lives."
Excellent
INVENTING AND PRESENTING UNIT 1: ANALYZING
NONFICTION AND INVENTING SOLUTIONS – CURRICULUM UNIT
NEW!
http://readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=161
"In this culminating interdisciplinary unit, students use
what they have learned about experimentation and the
scientific method, critical thinking, clear writing, and
effective speaking. Students read about inventors, propose
inventions to solve problems they have identified, and build
and test their inventions. They record and graph data and
create visuals to share that data. In addition, students
study famous speeches to identify the elements of effective
speaking, and they propose in writing an appropriate scenario
for sharing the results of their experimentation. Each
student delivers a speech in a large-group setting."
Excellent
INVENTING AND PRESENTING UNIT 2: EFFECTIVE
SPEECHES AND BUILDING THE INVENTION – CURRICULUM UNIT
NEW!
http://readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=162
"In this culminating interdisciplinary unit, students use
what they have learned about experimentation and the
scientific method, critical thinking, clear writing, and
effective speaking. Students read about inventors, propose
inventions to solve problems they have identified, and build
and test their inventions. They record and graph data and
create visuals to share that data. In addition, students
study famous speeches to identify the elements of effective
speaking, and they propose in writing an appropriate scenario
for sharing the results of their experimentation. Each
student delivers a speech in a large-group setting."
Excellent
INVENTING AND PRESENTING UNIT 3: PERSUASIVE
SPEAKING AND INVENTION PROMOTION – CURRICULUM UNIT
NEW!
http://readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=163
"In this culminating interdisciplinary unit, students use
what they have learned about experimentation and the
scientific method, critical thinking, clear writing, and
effective speaking. Students read about inventors, propose
inventions to solve problems they have identified, and build
and test their inventions. They record and graph data and
create visuals to share that data. In addition, students
study famous speeches to identify the elements of effective
speaking, and they propose in writing an appropriate scenario
for sharing the results of their experimentation. Each
student delivers a speech in a large-group setting."
Excellent
INVENTION CONVENTION: INVENTING AND
MARKETING PRODUCTS TO MAKE LIFE EASIER – LESSON PLAN
NEW!
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20061116thursday.html?searchpv=learning_lessons
A lesson plan for grades 6-12 on inventions. "In this
lesson, students work in groups to create products that can
help address everyday annoyances. They then design business
plans for the manufacturing and marketing of their
inventions." Excellent
THE INVENTION FACTORY:
THOMAS EDISON’S LABORATORIES – TEACHING WITH HISTORIC PLACES
- LESSON PLAN
http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/twhp/curriculumkit/lessons/edison/4edison.htm
A lesson plan based on the laboratories of Thomas Edison for
middle school and up. "This lesson plan is based on the
National Register of Historic Places registration file,
"Edison National Historic Site," the archives maintained at
the site, and other materials about Thomas Edison and the
West Orange." Sections: About This Lesson, Setting
the Stage: Historical Context, Locating the Site: Maps,
Determining the Facts: Readings, Visual Evidence: Images, and
Putting It All Together: Activities. Excellent
INVENTIONS 1: EDISON AND THE LIGHT BULB –
LESSON PLAN
NEW!
http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/lessons.cfm?Grade=k-2&BenchmarkID=3&DocID=356
Part one of a two-part unit on inventions. "This lesson
is the first of a two-part series on technology and
inventions. Students are introduced to the world of
technology and inventions and how its ongoing development
continues to affect all aspects of living—in both good and
potentially bad ways.
In Inventions 1: Edison and the Light Bulb, students learn
how inventions are created to solve problems or improve the
way things are done. The improvement of the incandescent
light bulb by Thomas Edison is used as an example."
Excellent
INVENTIONS 2: THE IMPACT –
LESSON PLAN
NEW!
http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/lessons.cfm?Grade=k-2&BenchmarkID=3&DocID=357
Part two of a two-part unit on inventions.
"This lesson is the second of a two-part
series on technology and inventions. Students are introduced
to the world of inventions and how their ongoing development
continues to affect all aspects of living—in both good and
potentially bad ways.
In Inventions 1: Edison and the Light Bulb, students learn
how inventions are created to solve problems or improve the
way things are done. The revolutionary invention of the light
bulb by Thomas Edison is used as an example.
In Inventions 2: The Impact, students focus on the process of
inventing, particularly on what short- and long-term issues
inventors have to consider before developing an invention.
They examine a number of other revolutionary American
inventions and are encouraged to evaluate the effects of
their own invention ideas in terms of their usefulness and
public impact." Excellent
INVENTIONS: COMPUTER
TECHNOLOGY – LESSON PLAN
NEW!
http://school.discoveryeducation.com/lessonplans/programs/inventioncomputertechnology/
A lesson plan for grades 6-8 on inventions. "Students
will understand the following: 1. Inventions can change the
way we live. 2. Many inventions start out with design flaws
and are refined later by subsequent inventors and designers.
3. The computer, invented in 1834 by Charles Babbage and
still being refined, is an example of such an invention."
Excellent
INVENTIONS – TEACHER
RESOURCES
NEW!
http://www.teachervision.fen.com/inventions/teacher-resources/6636.html
Lesson plans, printables, links and more for teaching about
inventions and inventors. Excellent
INVENTIVE LIVES: CREATING POSTERS ABOUT
INVENTIONS AND INVENTORS – LESSON PLAN
NEW!
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20051114monday.html?searchpv=learning_lessons
A lesson plan for grades 6-12 on inventions and inventors.
"In this lesson, students conduct research and create
posters illustrating famous inventors and their inventions.
For homework, they write essays reflecting on the history and
future of American innovation." Excellent
THE INVENTIVE THINKING
CURRICULUM PROJECT
NEW URL!
http://www.pravel.com/docs/inventive%20thinking.pdf
A curriculum project in which students are shown how to
develop inventive thinking step-by-step. Sections:
Introducing Inventive Thinking, Practicing the Creative Part
of Inventive Thinking, Practicing Inventive Thinking with the
Class, Developing an Invention Idea, Brainstorming for
Creative Solutions, Practicing the Critical Part of Inventive
Thinking, Completing the Invention, Naming the Invention,
Optional Marketing Activities, Parent Involvement, Young
Inventor’s Day, and Enrichment: Stories About Great Thinkers
and Inventors. An outstanding site. Excellent
INVENTOR’S WORKSHOP – LESSON PLAN
NEW!
http://school.discoveryeducation.com/lessonplans/programs/invention-leonardoslegacy/
A lesson plan for grades 6-8 on inventors. "Students
will understand the following: 1/ The six simple machines are
the basis for all mechanical devices. 2/ The six simple
machines are as follows: the inclined plane, the lever and
fulcrum, the wedge, the screw, and the wheel and axle, and
the pulley 3/ Leonardo da Vinci was one of the greatest
inventors of all time. 4/ Each of his designs implemented one
or more of the six simple machines." Excellent
INVENTORS AND INVENTIONS 1
– LESSON PLAN
NEW!
http://school.discoveryeducation.com/lessonplans/programs/inventorsandinventions1/
A lesson plan for grades K-5 on inventors and inventions.
"Students will understand the following: 1. Some
inventions come about accidentally. 2. The story of an
invention can be told in an interesting fashion."
Excellent
INVENTORS AND INVENTIONS 2:
AIR AND SPACE – LESSON PLAN
NEW!
http://school.discoveryeducation.com/lessonplans/programs/inventorsandinventions2airandspace/
A lesson plan for grades K-5 on inventors and inventions.
"Students will understand the following: 1. They can
conduct an experiment in which they change the size, weight,
and wing structure of paper airplanes to see how each plane
flies." Excellent
INVENTORS/INVENTIONS
TEACHING THEME
NEW!
http://www.teach-nology.com/themes/science/inventors/
Resources for teaching about inventors and inventions
including: Bulletin Board Set, Downloads, Hands-On
Activities, Interactive Sites for Students, Lesson Plans,
Resource Materials, Sites for Background Information,
Webquests, Worksheets, and Worksheets You Can Customize.
Excellent
INVENTORS AND INVENTIONS
THEME PAGE – LESSON PLANS, UNITS
http://www.cln.org/themes/inventors.html
"links to two types of resources related to the study of
inventors and inventions. Students and teachers will find
curricular resources (information, content...) to help them
learn about this topic. In addition, there are also links to
instructional materials (lesson plans) which will help
teachers provide instruction in this theme."
Excellent
INVENTORS/INVENTIONS
TEACHING THEME
http://www.bestteachersites.com/themes/science/inventors/
An extensive site for teaching inventors and inventions.
Sections: Bulletin Board Set, Resource Materials (not free),
Downloads, Sites for Background Information, Hands-on
Activities, Webquests, Interactive Sites for Students,
Worksheets, Lesson Plans, and Worksheets You Can Customize.
(Note: We found a couple of broken links on this site).
Outstanding. Excellent
IT’S ABOUT TIME: EXPLORING THE DEVELOPMENT
OF TIME-SAVING INVENTIONS – LESSON PLAN
NEW!
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20040408thursday.html?searchpv=learning_lessons
A lesson plan on inventions for grades 6-12. "In this
lesson, students investigate everyday activities and the
devices that make these activities easier and more efficient.
They then design timeline exhibits that illustrate the
evolution of technological inventions leading to one of these
modern devices." Excellent
KIDS DESIGN NETWORK –
CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
http://www.dupagechildrensmuseum.org/kdn/index.html
From the DuPage Children’s Museum. Students investigate a
challenge, dream up a design, plan it on the computer and
submit it to a real engineer. "Pick a challenge that
interests you. Think about a gadget you could make to meet
the challenge. There are many different solutions to each
challenge. If your first idea doesn't work, try something
different. That's the way real engineers work, too!"
Challenges: Chemical Engineering Challenge, Civil Engineering
Challenge, Door Alarm Challenge, Mix-n-Match Challenges,
Nuclear Engineering Challenge, Puppet Challenge, and Slowly
Moving Marble Challenge. Excellent
LEONARDO’S MACHINES –
LESSON PLAN
NEW!
http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/lessons.cfm?BenchmarkID=6-8&DocID=345
A lesson plan for grades 6-8 on Leonardo da Vinci.
"As a painter, sculptor, architect,
engineer, and scientist, Leonardo da Vinci is a fascinating
historical figure. This lesson will highlight some of
Leonardo's futuristic inventions, introducing the elements of
machines. Leonardo provides an interesting context in which
students can begin to develop their ideas about the
uniqueness of humans in the natural world. Our ability to use
language and thought sets us apart as the only species that
can think, imagine, create, and learn from experience. Humans
have used this ability to create technologies and literary
and artistic works on a vast scale and to develop a
scientific understanding of ourselves and the world.
(Benchmarks for Science Literacy,p.127.) No historical figure
embodies this idea better than Leonardo da Vinci. The main site used in this
lesson is an Internet resource that lends itself to
individual or small group explorations. Before you do the
activities with the class, read the "Letter to Teachers."
Excellent
MAD SCIENCE: UNDERSTANDING HOW MODERN
MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY EVOLVES OVER TIME – LESSON PLAN
NEW!
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20060725tuesday.html?searchpv=learning_lessons
A lesson plan on medical technology for
grades 6-12. "In this lesson, students will assess what
they know about historical medical practices, learn about
President Garfield’s preventable death, and conduct research
on current trends in medical technology. Students will then
create artistic, informative pieces to be displayed in a
museum exhibition debuting in 2050." Excellent
MISSION POSSIBLE: EXPLORING
PLAUSIBLE INVENTIONS FOR MAKE-BELIEVE MOVIES – LESSON PLAN
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20020926thursday.html?searchpv=learning_lessons
A lesson plan for grades
6-12. "In this lesson, students create blueprints for
imaginary inventions based on real-world technological
principles. They then write explanations of how their
inventions work in the form of movie dialogues."
Excellent
NECESSITY IS THE MOTHER OF WHAT?: EXAMINING
FAMOUS INVENTIONS AND INVENTORS – LESSON PLAN
NEW!
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20080331monday.html?searchpv=learning_lessons
A lesson plan for grades 6-12 on inventions
and inventors. "In this lesson, students create a
gallery exhibition and "inventor scrapbooks" about important
historical inventions and inventors." Excellent
A NEW "SPIN" ON NUCLEAR ENERGY:
UNDERSTANDING THE TECHNOLOGY OF NUCLEAR FUEL CENTRIFUGES –
LESSON PLAN NEW!
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20040323tuesday.html?searchpv=learning_lessons
A lesson plan on how inventions can
influence society for grades 6-12. "In this lesson,
students describe how inventions can influence society,
especially if misappropriated for unintended purposes. They
discover the principles underlying the centrifuge, the
invention on which nuclear energy relies." Excellent
OUR ROBOTS, OURSELVES – LESSON PLAN
NEW!
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20060720thursday.html?searchpv=learning_lessons
A lesson plan for grades 6-12 on robots.
"In this lesson, students investigate current research in
artificial intelligence and imagine the ways in which those
technologies can be developed for use in daily life."
Excellent
PEANUTS, PECANS AND PEAS, PLEASE – LESSON
PLAN NEW!
http://www.econedlink.org/lessons/index.php?lesson=EM363&page=teacher
A lesson plan for grades 3-5 on George
Washington Carver. "George Washington Carver, a great
scientist, changed the economy of the South with his
agricultural knowledge. This lesson will investigate how the
lowly peanut kept the cotton farmers from losing everything."
Excellent
POP SECRET INFORMATION: PROPOSING
PROCEDURES FOR INCREASING POPPING CORN SUCCESS RATES – LESSON
PLAN NEW!
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20050419tuesday.html?searchpv=learning_lessons
A lesson plan on inventing for grades 6-12.
"In this lesson, students design procedures for
increasing the popping rate of a set amount of popcorn
kernels, and then carry out and document this experiment."
Excellent
SAFETY FIRST: EXPLORING
TECHNICAL SOLUTIONS TO PERILOUS PROBLEMS – LESSON PLAN
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20020411thursday.html?searchpv=learning_lessons
A lesson plan for grades
6-12. "In this lesson, students explore safety issues
and challenges related to various modes of transportation.
They then create blueprints for technological methods to make
those modes of transportation safer." Excellent
TEACHERSFIRST INVENTOR’S WORKSHOP
http://www.teachersfirst.com/lessons/inventor/index.htm
A unit of study for upper
elementary and middle school teachers. Sections: Unit on
Inventors of the Industrial Revolution, A Quiz on Inventors
of the Industrial Revolution and a List of Invention and
Inventor Resources. Excellent
TECHNOLOGICAL TWINS: USING TECHNOLOGY TO
MIMIC NATURE – LESSON PLAN
NEW!
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20030603tuesday.html?searchpv=learning_lessons
A lesson plan for grades 6-12 on technology
and nature. "In this lesson, students list comparisons
between technology and nature. Then they create superheroes
with special animal adaptations and describe how ordinary
persons might replicate the adaptations with technology.
Finally, students attempt to patent their technological
inventions used to mimic animal adaptations."
Excellent
THANK YOU MR. EDISON:
ELECTRICITY, INNOVATION AND SOCIAL CHANGE – LESSON PLANS
NEW!
http://memory.loc.gov/learn/lessons/99/edison/intro.html
A lesson plan for grades
7-12 on the impact of electricity on society.
"Using documents from American Memory, plus
supplementary material, students investigate electrification
as both a technological and social process. A focus of the
student's investigation is Thomas Edison, because, as Nye
contends, "Electricity was the sign of Edison's genius, the
wonder of the age, the hallmark of progress" (p. 1)." Consists of 4 lessons. Excellent
TURN ON INVENTIVENESS: POTATO POSSIBILITIES
– LESSON PLAN NEW!
http://www.eduref.org/cgi-bin/printlessons.cgi/Virtual/Lessons/Interdisciplinary/INT0076.html
A lesson plan on inventiveness for grades
4-6. "This lesson is designed to "turn on
inventiveness" in students and to limber up their creative
skills. "Potato Possibilities" has students look at ordinary
potatoes and transform them into something totally different.
Students practice visualization through a fantasy trip and
test their powers of observation by blindly identifying their
own potatoes." Excellent
WHAT’S THE BIG IDEA? EVALUATING THE
PRESENT, INVESTIGATING THE PAST: INNOVATIVE IDEAS IN SCIENCE,
HEALTH AND TECHNOLOGY – LESSON PLAN
NEW!
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20081216tuesday.html?searchpv=learning_lessons
A lesson plan on inventions for grades
6-12. "In this lesson, students investigate historical
ideas in science, health and technology from a fresh
perspective and create a "History of Ideas" magazine in the
spirit of The New York Times Sunday Magazine’s "Year in Ideas
2008."" Excellent
WHOLE CLOTH: DISCOVERING
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY THROUGH AMERICAN HISTORY - CURRICULUM
UNITS
http://invention.smithsonian.org/centerpieces/whole_cloth/
Eight curriculum units that look at
how the development of textiles shaped American history.
Excellent
CHINESE INVENTIONS: AN
INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY – LESSON PLAN
http://www.askasia.org/teachers/Instructional_Resources/Lesson_Plans/China/LP_china_8.htm
Classroom activity on the
many inventions developed by the Chinese. Designed to change
students’ perceptions that the Chinese are not
technologically advanced. Very Good
INVENTORS AND ENTREPRENEURS
IN THE INDUSTRIAL AGE – LESSON PLAN
http://www.econedlink.org/lessons/index.cfm?lesson=EM330
A lesson for grades 3-5. An economic spotter can spot
economic concepts at work. Task: "You will be given a
list of character traits and a list of quotations from Thomas
Edison. As you read the quotations, you will check off which
character traits you think he has. Then you will focus on
your own character traits; after comparing your traits to
Edison's, you will write a paragraph on why you would make a
good entrepreneur or why you would not." Very Good
INVENTORS AND ENTREPRENEURS
– A CLASSROOM ACTIVITY
http://www.econedlink.org/lessons/index.cfm?lesson=EM62
Not every inventor is an
entrepreneur. An entrepreneur will take an invention and pull
together the resources to put the product onto the market
place. Students learn here the difference between inventors
and entrepreneurs and explore the importance of both.
Includes activities and resource links. Very Good
INVENTORS AND INNOVATORS – LESSON PLAN
http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/Lessons.cfm?DocID=114
A lesson exploring the contributions of diverse people to
society for grades 6-8. "Students will use the
Inventor of the Week Archives to create and develop a
project on American inventions. There are about 150 inventors
profiled in this resource. In the first part of the project,
the entire class will work on a timeline that will include
information on all of the inventors profiled on the site. To
do this, assign five or six inventors to each student in the
class. Provide Internet time for each student to read their
assigned profiles and ask them to write the following
information on an index card for each inventor: name, gender,
date and place of birth, and the name(s) and date(s) of their
invention. Use the index cards to create a timeline of
American invention. Ask students to make generalizations
about American inventors based on the timeline. For example,
how many inventors were women, which regions of the country
produce the most inventors, how many of the inventions do we
still use today." Very Good
THOMAS EDISON’S INVENTIONS
IN THE 1900s AND TODAY – CURRICULUM UNIT
http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=408
A four-lesson unit for
grades 3-5. "The purpose of this lesson is to
familiarize students with life and technology around 1900 in
order to better understand how Edison influenced both.
Through comparing and contrasting life and technology in the
early part of the twentieth century with technology found in
their own homes and experiences, students will gain a greater
understanding of how far the fields of industry and
entertainment have progressed since Edison's day and of how
Edison's work was the foundation for technology they enjoy
today." Very Good
BE INVENTIVE! LESSON PLAN
http://www.mos.org/sln/Leonardo/BeInventive.html
A lesson plan in which
students use the elements of machines to develop their own
inventions. Good
AN ENTRODUCTION: INVENTION
VS. INNOVATION – LESSON PLAN
http://www.econedlink.org/lessons/index.cfm?lesson=EM155
A lesson for grades 3-8 in
which students research inventions to determine which were
innovations and learn the difference between the two. Good
FOSSWEB- IDEAS AND
INVENTIONS MODULE- GRADES 3-6
NEW!
http://www.fossweb.com/modules3-6/IdeasandInventions/index.html
The Ideas and Inventions
Module consists of four sequential investigations that
promote student creativity and inventiveness. Each
investigation provides valuable science content while
introducing a conventional technique for revealing the
unseen. A bit hard to navigate. Good
INVENTIONS 1780-1870 -
LESSON PLAN
http://www.teachervision.com/lesson-plans/lesson-4812.html
A lesson plan in which
students learn about the proliferation of inventions from
1780 to 1870. Good
INVENTIONS - LESSON PLAN
http://ofcn.org/cyber.serv/academy/ace/lang/ceclang/ceclang079.html
A lesson plan for grades
7-12 designed to help students understand the relationship
between things and words by developing inventions and finding
ways to describe them. Sections: Overview, Purpose,
Objectives, Resources, Activities, Day Two, Day Three, and
Tying It All Together. Good
INVENTIONS WORD SEARCH
WORKSHEET
http://www.teach-nology.com/worksheets/science/invent/search/
A word search to print out
using invention terms such as patent, inspiration, enigma,
etc. Good
INVENTORS AND INVENTIONS
LESSON PLAN
http://www.learningspace.org/instruct/lplan/library/Weaver.html
A high school lesson plan
for language arts in which students research inventors and
inventions between the years 1870 and 1914 and produce a
research paper according to the requirements given. Good
INVENTORS’ CLUB –
SCIENCE/ART ACTIVITY
http://www.eduplace.com/rdg/gen_act/cando/invent.html
A classroom for science or
art in which children discuss how machines help us do things
and then develop machines to help them do things they want to
do. Sections: What You Need, What To Do, and Teaching
Options. Good
INVENTORS CROSSWORD PUZZLE
NEW!
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/xwords/20031001.html
A crossword puzzle from the New York Times
on inventors. Good
JOHN’S WORD SEARCH PUZZLES
– INVENTORS
http://www.thepotters.com/puzzles/kids/inventors.html
A word search puzzle to
print out using the names of inventors. Good
PET INVENTIONS – CLASSROOM
ACTIVITY
http://www.eduplace.com/rdg/gen_act/pets/invent.html
An activity for elementary
students in which they "invent" something to make their pets’
lives easier. Sections: What You Need, What to Do. Good
THE REAL McCOY – CLASSROOM
ACTIVITY
http://ecedweb.unomaha.edu/lessons/realmccoy.htm
An activity for elementary
students based on the life of Elijah McCoy, an
African-American inventor who may have inspired the
expression "the real McCoy". This is developed to cover other
inventors and inventions. Good
EVOLUTION OF INVENTIONS
WEBQUEST NEW!
http://www.webquest.org/questgarden/lessons/12829-051221104944/index.htm
A webquest for students in
grades 9-10 on inventions throughout history. "This
webquest is designed to give beginning level engineering
students a foray into design & inventions. It is
intended to allow students to investigate an invention of
their choice. Through their investigation they will see
how a product evolves over time. It is also hoped that
they begin to understand the effects that these inventions
have on society as well as the effect society has on the
evolution of a design. Students will put their research
findings into PowerPoint presentation. This will be
displayed around the classroom to put together a time of
design." Excellent
INNOVATION AND INVENTION
WEBQUEST NEW!
http://www.sabatoweb.com/InnovationWebquest/Innovation&InventionWebquest.html
A webquest on inventions
for grades 9-12. "You will work
in small teams (2-4 students) to innovate or invent something
by identifying a problem or challenge in your every day lives
and creating a new technological solution to the problem. You
will produce a prototype or graphical design rendering of
your innovation or invention. You and your team will
utilize the Internet to assist you in finding solutions and
to determine if your ideas exist. The final step in the
project will be for your team to present your prototype or
design to the class and relate how it solves a problem."
Excellent
INVENTIONS WEBQUEST
NEW!
http://www.bloomington.k12.mn.us/departments/technology/media/5StarR_Research/InventionsWebquest.htm
A webquest for 2nd
grade students on inventions. "You will look at several
websites about inventions to decide which invention has the
biggest impact on our lives. You will research that invention
and create a poster that will convince the second grade
teachers which invention is the most important one ever."
Excellent
INVENTIONS – WEBQUEST
NEW!
http://www.cap.nsw.edu.au/bb_site_intro/stage2_Modules/inventions/inventions.htm
A webquest on inventions
for 5th grade students. "An Alien Spaceship
from Planet Zap has landed on Earth and dropped a team
of scientists onto the planet to investigate useful
inventions to take home. CONGRATULATIONS! You are a member
of the team! As a member of the team your job is to
assist in compiling a database of the most important
inventions on Planet Earth. With other members of
the team you will need to choose the most useful inventions
to take home to Planet Zap." Excellent
INVENTORS AND INVENTIONS
WEBQUEST NEW!
http://ex.susd.org/ebartholomew/
A webquest on inventors and
inventions for 3rd grade students. "Did you
know that the Popsicle® was invented by accident? An 11 year
old boy named, Frank Epperson left his soda with a stirring
stick in it on his porch overnight. That night was really
cold and his soda froze with the stirring stick in it.
Eighteen years later in 1923, Frank started his own business
with his new invention. Have you ever wondered who invented
the telephone, the teddy bear, or even the pencil you use
everyday? During the webquest you will get the chance to
research famous inventors and their inventions.
Throughout the webquest you might just become a famous
inventor yourself! Good luck on your journey!"
Excellent
M & M’S IN SPACE –
INVENTION WEBQUEST
http://schoolweb.missouri.edu/moniteau.k12.mo.us/mathys/mandmwebquest.html
A webquest for middle
school students in which they research conditions in space in
order to invent an M&M dispenser that will work on the space
shuttle. Excellent
SIMPLE MACHINES INVENTION
WEBQUEST NEW!
http://www.jsd.k12.ak.us/~wittigs/sm/intro.html
A webquest for elementary
students and up on inventions.
"It is your job in this WebQuest to invent a new machine.
Not just any machine, but a compound machine based on the
work of Rube Goldberg. You will need to use at all six
simple machines at least once in an unusual arrangement to
accomplish a simple task.
Rube doesn't have much time
until his next cartoon is due so he is asking that you work
with others as you complete the first part of this project.
You need learn about patents, research simple machines and
Rube Goldberg. Each of you will make your own wacky invention
(mostly at home) and try to convince the patent board that
your invention will benefit the most people and reap the most
money." We found some broken
links on this site. Excellent
CHOCOLATE COVERED CREATIONS
WEBQUEST
http://mws.mcallen.isd.tenet.edu/tiftech/ci/projects/radame/aajWebquest.html
A webquest for middle
school students in which they research chocolate and invent a
new candy bar and prepare to market it. "Using the
internet web sites below, you will research the history of
chocolate. During your delicious adventure you will tour a
chocolate factory, create a new candy bar, develop a slogan,
design an advertisement, and be prepared to sell your famous
new candy bar!" Note: We found a broken link on this
site. Very Good
CONVENIENCE FOOD INVENTION
WEBQUEST NEW!
http://www.whsfamilylife.com/conv_invention/intro.html
A webquest for high school
students on inventing a convenience food. "The leading
Manufacturer of convenience foods has a monopoly on the
industry. You, the young, industrious, talented and creative
cook and business person that you are want to cash in on this
very lucrative business. You have decided to cash in on this
popular food industry trend of convenience foods, as well as
the "eating for good health" trend. You meet with two friends
and decide to develop a new product, a healthy convenience
food, that is not already on the market today. Who knows this
healthy new convenience product just might make you and your
friends millionaires! Possibly billionaires!!" We
found some broken links on this site. Excellent
EXPLORING SIMPLE MACHINES
WEBQUEST
http://www.lakelandschools.org/EDTECH/Machines/Machines.htm
A webquest for 4th
grade science students. "Your project will be to invent
and build a simple machine that can be used in one of the
following places: •garden/farm •kitchen/restaurant
•office/school •garage •on a boat" Very Good
FAMOUS INVENTORS WEBQUEST
NEW!
http://www.gmpdc.org/webquests/vesey/index.htm
A webquest for 5th
grade students on inventors. "You
are representing a famous inventor at the World Science Fair
in Hudson, New Hampshire. The Committee of
International Science and Technology is going to decide which
invention is the most important invention of all time.
As a group, you need to
choose one invention, market your inventor’s original
invention and describe how it has changed or stayed the same
over the centuries. You must also support why it is the
most important invention of all time. If your invention
is chosen, you and your inventor will each win
$100,000,000!How are you going to market your inventor and
his invention for the 21st century?"
Excellent
INVENTION WEBQUEST
NEW!
http://www.west.asu.edu/achristie/548/02WQ/Deirdre/index2.htm
A webquest on inventions for elementary
students. "Have you ever seen an
invention and thought, "Hey, I could have invented that!".
Maybe you DO have an inventor's mind... it's time to find
out. Over the next three to four weeks you will be learning
about inventions. You will use various books, computer
software, and internet resources to support your studies. You
will participate in cooperative groups, work independently,
produce projects, and read, write, discuss, create, and
research." Excellent
INVENTIONS- AMERICA’S BEST
WEBQUEST
http://www.tccsa.net/webquest/cole_johnson/#Group%20Process
A webquest for middle
school students in which they form teams to research American
inventions and determine which five inventions had the most
impact on our society. "As a team, you will explore
American inventors and their inventions. Each member of
your team will research and will become knowledgeable about
great American inventions from four points of view. You
will then get together to share your information in the quest
to identify the five most important American inventions."
Very Good
INVENTIONS DISCOVERED BY MISTAKE – WEBQUEST
NEW!http://www.lockhartisd.org/~elemresource/teachers/tag/inventions/inventor.html
A webquest for primary students on accidental inventions. "Oh no, you just dropped the jar of peanut butter on the floor and it splattered everywhere. You bend down to clean up the mess and realize you need another towel and when you reach up to the counter to get it you accidentally knock your chocolate candy bar on the floor too! Man, what a mess. You really wanted both of these snacks. You decide that instead of throwing it all away you may as well enjoy some of it so you take a bite--peanut butter and chocolate--kinda tasty together and voila, a new candy bar has been invented. Instead of just making a mess on the kitchen floor you have provided the world with their favorite snack!" Doesn’t use any outside links. Very Good
INVENTIONS WEBQUEST
NEW!
http://research.education.purdue.edu/challenge/webquest/2001_2002/Showalter/index.htm
A webquest for 6th
grade students on inventions. "This unit is called An
Introduction to Technology & one of our main activities
during this unit will be to complete this WebQuest about
Inventions! This activity is for 6th grade Technology
students at Tuttle Middle School here in good old
Crawfordsville Indiana. Students are going to use some links
on the web to locate information about all kinds of
inventions throughout our history. Things like who invented
what, what's it good for, why do we need it & when was it
invented. Students will be guided toward a vast amount of
information about inventions, but they will be required to
choose certain types of inventions, that fit into specific
categories." We found some broken links on this site.
You’ll need to add your own. Very Good
INVENTORS WHO HAVE CHANGED THE WORLD –
WEBQUEST NEW!
http://its.guilford.k12.nc.us/webquests/inventors/inventors.htm
A webquest on inventors for
upper elementary students. "Did
you ever wonder what your life would be like if we did not
have electric lights, washing machines, cars, or computers?
Our world changes every time there is an important invention.
We will learn about the
lives of great inventors and how they achieved their goals.
Take a moment to think about which inventions are most
important to you. Through this exploration you may discover
how these inventions were created!"
We found some broken links on this site. You
will need to add your own. Very Good
INVESTIGATING INVENTIONS WEBQUEST
http://www.campbell.k12.ky.us/links/webquest/inventions/invent.htm
A webquest for upper
elementary students in which they research inventions and
then develop an Invention Memory Game based on what they
learned. Very Good
SIMPLE MACHINES INVENTION
WEBQUEST NEW URL!
http://cfievalladolid2.net/tecno/recursos/webquest/Simple%20Machines%20Webquest.htm
A webquest for upper
elementary students in which they research the principles of
simple machines (i.e. lever, wedge, pulley, etc.) and use
them to design a machine. "NEWS FLASH--- Rube Goldberg,
(click here:Machine Contest ) a famous wacky machine
cartoonist, has lost his creativity. He is sending out
a mass alert to children everywhere with imaginations to help
him. The only problem is that the patent board needs to
patent your invention so that Rube can use it." Very
Good
TO FLY….IS EVERYTHING – A
VIRTUAL MUSEUM COVERING THE INVENTION OF THE AIRPLANE
NEW!
http://invention.psychology.msstate.edu/
Sections: Library, Images,
Patents, Inventors, Merchandise, Models, Simulator (download
a 1903 Wright flyer simulator), Tale and Links. Very Good
THE WEIRD, WACKY INVENTION
WEBQUEST NEW!
http://schools.webster.k12.mo.us/education/components/scrapbook/default.php?sectiondetailid=21700&sc_id=1157746402
A webquest for elementary
students on inventions. "Your
task is to find the strangest, the most unusual, the weirdest
and the wackiest invention of all time. Not only must you
find it, but you must be able to defend your selection. What
makes your choice the strangest, the most totally unusual,
the wackiest, not to mention the weirdest invention of all
time? You must give at least 5 reasons to back up your
decision. Be sure to include the name of the inventor and the
purpose and how the the invention works in your rationale. In
addition, you must also complete the following: ● create a
computer drawing of the invention you select ● write and
perform a commercial for the invention ● create a Power Point
Presentation that will persuade the Museum's curator, Mrs.
Ward to feature your selection in the Project Plus "Believe
or Not Exhibition." Very Good
IMAGINATIVE INVENTIONS
WEBQUEST
http://www.bgsu.edu/colleges/library/crc/webquest/inventions/inventions.html
A webquest for 2nd
grade in which students learn about inventions, perform
invention activities and then write about their favorite
invention. Note: We found a couple of broken links on this
site. Good
IMAGINATIVE INVENTIONS
WEBQUEST NEW!
http://www.bgsu.edu/colleges/library/crc/webquest/inventions/inventions.html
A webquest for 2nd
grade students on inventions. "Have you ever dreamt of
becoming a world-famous inventor like Thomas Edison? Or have
you ever dreamt of creating your very own invention yourself?
Go on this quest to learn more about inventions and the
famous inventors who created them." All four links on
this site are broken. You will have to replace them. You can
use other links from this list. Good
SIMPLE MACHINES INVENTION
WEBQUEST NEW!
http://www.sbac.edu/~stanfogb/machine.htm
A webquest for elementary
students on inventions with simple machines. "It is
your job in this Web Quest to invent a new machine. You
will work in pairs to invent a simple machine to accomplish a
simple task. In your group you need to make an
invention and describe how it will simplify a task."
We found several broken links on this site. You will need to
add your own. Good
DISCLAIMER: We are unable to check every link within every site.
Prepared by the Cumberland County AVA Center staff. Please call #856-451-0817 or email: avacenter@cumbavac.org with questions or suggestions for future web site lists. The site list is also posted on our website http://www.salemcountyava.org
It is also posted on these three websites:
http://www.atlanticava.org
http://www.cjims.org
Note: All illustrations are from Totally Absurd Inventions http://totallyabsurd.com/