Curated OER
Asian, African, or Australian Inventors & Inventions
Seventh graders explore the inventors or inventions from Asia, Africa, and Australia.
Captain Planet Foundation
George Washington Carver and the Sweet Potato
Learn about George Washington Carver's important contributions to agriculture by studying the sweet potato. First graders read about the inventor's observations and prepare sweet potato slips for the class garden. Additionally, they...
Curated OER
African American Inventors
Pupils use the Internet to research African American inventors. They work with a partner to complete a graphic organizer about the inventors and the inventions.
Curated OER
Play With a Purpose
Students consider toys as more than items for playing, compare and contrast inventors and toys they created, and discuss purpose of specific toys, including whether toy was created for education, financial success, or both.
Curated OER
Teach Inventions with PowerPoint
Students research famous inventors and what they invented. In this technology lesson, students gather facts about a specific invention and create a PowerPoint slideshow about it. Students practice adding in animation and color to the...
Education World
Black History Month Rap
Young scholars write a rap or hip-hop lyric about the life of a famous Black American. They explore famous Black Americans in history and explore how the rap form compares to other forms of poetic expression.
Curated OER
Telegrams!
Students read and analyze original telegrams to learn about people involved in and process of building the world's first Ferris wheel, examine correspondence between inventor and engineer to understand planning necessary to build Ferris...
Curated OER
Imaginative Minds
Eighth graders study the lives and creations of several significant inventors as well as designing their own invention and submitting it to a mock patent process. They determine the importance of notable inventions and their impact on...
Curated OER
For the Record: Black Inventors and Inventions
High schoolers create a database with the inventions of African-Americans. They analyze and sort the data in an appropriate fashion. They use the internet to gather their information for the database.
Curated OER
Leonardo da Vinci: Artist, Scientist, Inventor
Students explore the connection of art, science, and history during the Renaissance Period. For this art lesson, students watch a PowerPoint presentation with examples of da Vinci's work. To finish this lesson, students write a...
National First Ladies' Library
Eli Whitney: A Top Ten Inventor?
Students conduct research and present their findings in a persuasive manner. Then they work in groups to enhance the development of cooperative work skills. Students also present their findings through persuasive skills in writing and/or...
National Woman's History Museum
Inventive Women - Part 1
While a woman didn't invent the parasol, three women received patents for their improvements to the original design of umbrellas. In the first of a two-part series on inventive women, class members investigate the patent system to...
Curated OER
The Power of One
Young scholars identify key American inventors and their contributions to
modern day America.
Students identify that many inventions arise from one invention.
Young scholars investigate why certain inventors are important to modern day...
Curated OER
Clever Contraptions
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...
Curated OER
Inventions- The Impact
Students discuss the impact of certain inventions. In this technology activity, students research Thomas Edison and the light bulb on the Internet and discuss how the invention impacted society. Students create their own simple inventions.
Curated OER
Invention Convention
Invent a new machine for the 21st century and make a model of the invention in this cross-curricular instructional activity about Leonardo da Vinci. Young inventors will use various art supplies to create their models. The instructional...
Curated OER
The Impact
Students investigate the impact inventions have on society. In this technology lesson, students review the facts they learned about famous inventors and brainstorm an invention that can improve people's lives. Students use a graphic...
Curated OER
MADAME C. J. WALKER
Sixth graders recognize the achievements of Madame C. J. Walker and select one long term and one short term goal and describe the steps necessary to achieve those goals.
Curated OER
Invent It!
Students explore invention and unveiling of world's first Ferris wheel, analyze photographs and poster of first Ferris wheel, and discuss engineering achievements of Ferris wheel, including how it worked, how it was built, and its...
Curated OER
Invention/Innovation/Creative Thinking/Opportunities/Ideas
Young scholars, while examining inventions and innovators, identify, differentiate and discuss five Canadian inventors/innovations. After applying creative thinking strategies to a promotional piece, students brainstorm patents.
Curated OER
Inventions 2: The Impact
Students research inventors and inventions and their impacts. In this invention lesson, students research inventions and their affects in good and bad ways.
Curated OER
Technology And Our Quality of Life
Eighth graders design a product or machine and determine the impact their invention has on a person's quality of life. They present their design and machine with a description of its possible impacts to an audience of peers and adults.
Curated OER
A "Sweet" Lesson in Economics
Middle schoolers discover how to determine the flavor of a jellybean using different key documents. In this economics lesson, students discuss Virginia economics and begin an activity in which they will help decide on the what...
Curated OER
Toy Inventors Workshop
Eleventh graders investigate the technology of designing toys by conducting interviews with preschool age children. Ideas are obtained for making new types of toys. They design the toys and then use computer technology to share the...