Great American Inventors: Using Nonfiction to Learn About Technology Inventions
Students use technology every day, but do they ever stop and wonder about the inventors who made certain technology possible? This lesson encourages students to investigate three American inventors-Alexander Graham Bell, George Washington Carver, and Stephanie Kwolek-through research and readings of their biographies. Reading biographies about famous inventors can bring enthusiasm and a sense of exploration to your classroom. To begin this lesson, students are divided into three research groups, and each group is assigned a different inventor. As students read, gather, and present information about Bell, Carver, and Kwolek, they learn how this trio’s inventions changed and shaped America’s past and influenced the future of technology. Further, students examine how the inventions directly impact their own lives.
More about this lesson plan:
Materials Needed: * One large photograph of Alexander Graham Bell, George Washington Carver, and Stephanie Kwolek
* Biographies of the Selected Inventors
* Popsicle sticks labeled with each student's name
* One hat and three strips of paper labeled with the names of the inventors
* Three boxes labeled with the names of the inventors
* Three sets of task buttons
* Chart paper and markers
* White board
* Computers with Internet access
* PowerPoint software
* Projection hardware and screen
* Three large hula hoops of different colors
* Writing journals
* A telephone, jar of peanut butter, and bulletproof vest (or pictures of these items)
Author: Skipper Malcolm, Andrea Kent
Source: © www.readwritethink.org
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