 |
and
their inventions: student activities |
Before
beginning these activities, create a folder on your hard drive
called
"Inventors"; this is where you will be storing your
documents.
Activity
#1: What's an invention?
Open a new document in
Appleworks or Word, then complete the following activities.
How would you
define an invention? Does it always have to be something brand
new, never before discovered or used? Can we say that electricity
always existed, but it was discovered by Thomas Edison? To gain
a better understanding of inventions and the process inventors
typically follow, visit the Web site "Invention and Design".
Answer the following
questions:
- How is the
word "invention" defined?
- Can you add
anything to this definition to better explain this word?
- What are the
steps in the design process of an invention? Briefly explain
each step.
- Think of 3
inventions (different from the ones listed at the above web site),
which have had a big impact on our daily lives. Describe briefly
how they have changed our lives.
Save
your document in your "Inventors" folder as "Activity1.cwk" or
"Activity1.doc",
and send
it to your teacher as
an e-mail file attachment.
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Activity
#2: The invention factory
Open a new document in
Appleworks or Word, then complete the following activities.
Historically
there have been many people whose contributions we cannot imagine
being without. But none are so true as the contributions made
by Thomas Edison. As a young boy he showed tremendous curiosity
along with the ability to teach himself by reading and experimentation
- true characteristics of an inventor. To learn more about Edison
and his life, visit the Web site "Thomas Edison and his Menlo Park Laboratory".
Answer the following
questions:
- In what year
did Edison patent his first invention?
- How old was
he?
- How many inventions
did Edison patent in his lifetime?
- What ten things
did Edison invent?
- Where was Edison's
"invention factory" located?
- What is considered
Edison's most famous invention? In what year was it invented?
Save
your document in your "Inventors" folder as "Activity2.cwk" or
"Activity2.doc",
and send
it to your teacher as
an e-mail file attachment.
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Activity
#3: Hold the phone!
Open a new document in
Appleworks or Word, then complete the following activities.
Most young people
today cannot imagine life without a telephone. Life in the 90's
is filled with advanced telephone technology like cellular, mobile,
and car phones. Thanks to Alexander Graham Bell and his famous
invention, we can communicate with people around the world from
almost anywhere. Let's explore the creator of this modern tool
by visiting the Web site "Who was Alexander Graham Bell?".
Answer the following
questions:
- Briefly describe
the man, Alexander Graham Bell, and his life.
- List and describe
his inventions.
- Explain why
he is described as a teacher, inventor, and tinkerer.
- Create an epitaph
(a brief literary piece honouring a deceased person) for this
great inventor.
Save
your document in your "Inventors" folder as "Activity3.cwk" or
"Activity3.doc",
and send
it to your teacher as
an e-mail file attachment.
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Activity
#4: Bell trivia
* Note that the
following activities require a printer. If you have one, you can
either print out the activities directly from the web site, or
copy and paste them into an Appleworks or
Word document, then print the
document.
Let's have some
fun and learn more about the great telephone inventor, Alexander
Graham Bell. Visit "The Kids Zone" Web page to test your Bell trivia
I.Q.Here you will find games geared to Grades 3-4 and Grades 5-6.
- Select your
grade level.
- Grades 3-4:
Choose Activity #4; read the directions and do. Write a scientific
report using the following headings:
Procedure : (How
you made it)
Prediction :
(What you think might happen)
Outcome : (How
it worked)
Open Activity
3. Do the crossword puzzle. If you have a printer, print it out.
If not, copy the puzzle onto a Draw program and do.
Activities #
1 & 2 are optional if you have a printer.
When
you are finished, either send the documents to your teacher as e-mail
file attachments, or mail them.
Grades 5-6:
When
you are finished, either send the documents to your teacher as
e-mail file attachments, or mail them.
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Activity
#5: Those magnificent young men...
Open a new document in
Appleworks or Word, then complete the following activities.
Two other inventors
who changed the way we travel are the Wright brothers, Orville
and Wilbur. Learn more about their life by exploring the Web site
"To
Fly is Everything....".
Go to the section
"The Tale of the Airplane." Do the following in an Appleworks or Word
document. Answer in full sentences.
- Why does the
author describe the Wright brothers' story as a "puritan
fairy tale?"
- Create a chart
of the main events which led to the first flight.
- What other
discoveries did the Wright brothers make on their way to the
first flight?
- How does the
story end?
Go to the section
"Inventors Gallery."
- Find the following
inventors: Choose 2 of them and describe their contributions
to aviation: write one or two paragraphs for each.
- Sir George
Cayley
- Glenn Hammond
Curtiss
- Sir Hiram Stevens
Maxim
- Percy Sinclair
Picher
- Gustave Whitehead
Save
your document in your "Inventors" folder as "Activity5.cwk" or
"Activity5.doc",
and send
it to your teacher as
an e-mail file attachment.
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Activity
#6: A tale of two brothers
Open a new document in
Appleworks or Word, then complete the following activities.
Like the other
inventors you have studied, the Wright brothers invented other
things besides the first airplane. Use the following two sites
to learn more about the men behind the flying machine:
Answer the following
questions:
- Create a brief
biography of these two inventors.
- What was their
first airplane named?
- Where and when
did the first flight occur?
- How far did
the first airplane fly?
Save
your document in your "Inventors" folder as "Activity6.cwk" or
"Activity6.doc",
and send
it to your teacher as
an e-mail file attachment.
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Activity
#7: The man on the money
Open a new document in
Appleworks or Word, then complete the following activities.
Not only as one
of the greatest inventors, but as one of America's greatest citizens,
is how Ben Franklin should be remembered.To learn more about his
life and inventions, visit the following Web sites:
"Inventors Museum:Benjamin
Franklin"
"Franklin Firsts"
"The Franklin Institute
Online"
Answer the following
questions:
- What is considered
his most famous invention or discovery?
- Which of his
inventions do you consider to be the most important? Why?
- Which of his
inventions can be found on the modern automobile?
Save
your document in your "Inventors" folder as "Activity7.cwk" or
"Activity7.doc",
and send
it to your teacher as
an e-mail file attachment.
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Activity
#8: Model T time
Open a new document in
Appleworks or Word, then complete the following activities.
Known as the
founder of the American automobile industry, Henry Ford changed
the way we live and work. We know how the story ends, but how
did it all begin? To take a closer look at the man and his inventions,
visit the following Web pages:
Answer the following
in 3 paragraphs :
- How did Ford
begin his experimenting?
- What did he
name his first car? In what year was it created?
- When did he
found the Ford Motor Company? How much money did it take to start
this company?
- Beside the
automobile, what other contributions did he make to the manufacturing
process?
What do you think?
Answer each of
the following in a paragraph : (Remember to support your staements).
- What would
our lives be like without the invention of the automobile?
- Did Henry Ford
change our lives for the better or worse?
Save
your document in your "Inventors" folder as "Activity8.cwk" or
"Activity8.doc",
and send
it to your teacher as
an e-mail file attachment.
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Activity
#9A: Just what the Dr. ordered!
Open a new document in
Appleworks or Word, then complete the following activities.
Now that we've
explored the serious side of inventions, let's take a light-hearted
look at one of life's pleasures - soft drinks. Can you imagine
working all day in a soda fountain with delicious aromas all around
you and wanting to try out new combinations of syrup? This natural
curiosity led to the invention of a popular soft drink. Can you
guess which one it was? Go to the Web site "Dr Pepper Museum
and Free Enterprise Institute".
Read about the
history of this soft drink. Answer the following in full sentences
:
- Where was this
drink invented? In what year?
- Who invented
this unique drink?
- How did it
get its name?
- When did this
soft drink become popular? Explain.
- List three
interesting facts about this drink.
- What is your
favorite advertising slogan? (Remember to say why).
Save
your document in your "Inventors" folder as "Activity9A.cwk" or
"Activity9A.doc",
and send
it to your teacher as
an e-mail file attachment.
Activity
#9B:
- Using the Appleworks
Draw program or the Drawing tools in Word, come up with a new slogan for this
drink and add an appropriate illustration.
Save
your document in your "Inventors" folder as "Activity9B.cwk" or
"Activity9B.doc",
and send
it to your teacher as
an e-mail file attachment.
Top
Adapted
by Chris Taylor
North
Island Distance Education School