Thomas Edison
A pictorial evolution of his life and inventions
Steven Jans
Edison Jr. High
An Adventure of the American Mind
Illinois State University
Summer 2007
An Adventure of the American Mind
Illinois State University
Thomas A. Edison, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs
Division, Detroit Publishing Company Collection.
Students will investigate, present, and orally report their findings on Edison’s major life periods and known patented inventions. This pictorial work will describe his accomplishments and original inventions, and how his inventions and ideas have evolved or changed over time. Students will compile pictures of Edison’s major inventions and show improvements and changes over time (original, mid and late 1900s,today and what they think his invention will look like 20 years in the future). Pictures will be collected off a number of internet sites and assembled into a storyboard for use with their oral presentation
Overview/ Materials/LOC Resources/Standards/ Procedures/Evaluation/Rubric/Handouts
Overview Back to Navigation BarObjectives / Students will:
· gain a greater understanding of the important works of Thomas Edison (our schools namesake).
· produce a pictorial display of one period of his life and/or one of his inventions, with additional pictures and text on how this invention has changed over time.
Recommended time frame / 4 days with another day for presentations
Grade level / 7th
Curriculum fit / Industrial Technology/Social Studies
Materials / · Color printers
· Paper
· Display Board
· Floppy discs
· Scissors
· Glue Stick
· Markers
Illinois State Learning Standards Back to Navigation Bar
Language Arts:
GOAL 5: Use the language arts to acquire, assess and communicate information.
· Locate, organize, and use information from various sources to answer questions, solve problems and communicate ideas.
o 5.A.3a Identify appropriate resources to solve problems or answer questions through research
· Apply acquired information, concepts and ideas to communicate in a variety of formats.
o 5.C.3c Take notes, conduct interviews, organize and report information in oral, visual and electronic formats
Social Science:
GOAL 16: Understand events, trends, individuals and movements shaping the history of Illinois, the United States and other nations.
· Apply the skills of historical analysis and interpretation.
o 16.A.3b Make inferences about historical events and eras using historical maps and other historical sources.
Procedures Back to Navigation Bar
Day One:
· Students will be working in teams of two.
· Students will read the Library of Congress biography on Thomas Edison http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/edhtml/edbio.html
· Teams will select one invention or period of his life from the list and produce a pictorial evolutionary display or storyboard
Day Two:
· Students will do internet research for pictures using the following websites:
· www.loc.gov , http://www.wikipedia.org/ , http://www.msn.com/ and * as a last resort http://images.google.com/imghp?tab=wi with strict filtering selected
· Keep pictures to thumbnail size or no bigger than 5 inches.
· Print to classroom printer
Day Three:
· Students will complete the worksheet “THOMAS EDISON’S LIFE or INVENTIONS AND THEIR EVOLUTION OVER TIME”
· Insert pictures in box (electronically or with scissors and paste) and complete brief descriptions from readings (word processed).
· Explain why you think this is important or why the invention evolved the way it did. Be brief.
· Students will complete display/storyboard board for their presentation or may use PowerPoint or any presentation method of their choosing.
Day Four:
· Presentation Tell what the picture is, and why you feel it’s important, or why you feel it changed/ evolved over time. Try to include at least one interesting fact about Thomas Edison that might not be known by other students
Evaluation Back to Navigation Bar
This project will use a rubric as the main evaluation tool with teacher observations of effort extended, teamwork and creativity will be taken into consideration.
Primary Resources from the Library of Congress
Back to Navigation Bar
IMAGE / DESCRIPTION / CITATION / PERM URL/ Thomas Edison / Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, Detroit Publishing Company Collection. / http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/i?ammem/detr:@field(NUMBER+@band(det+4a25922))
http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/det.4a25922
/ Electronic voting machine / Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Edison_patents
List of Edison patents
First one hundred patents / http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/0/0e/Edisonsfirstpatent.png/222px-
/ phonograph / http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Edison_and_phonograph_edit2.jpg
Edison: image phonograph
6/13/07 / http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c5/Edison_and_phonograph_edit2.jpg/200px-Edison_and_phonograph_edit2.jpg
/ First light bulb / http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Edison_bulb.jpg
Edison :light bulb
6/13/07 / http://www.classstudio.com/scaltagi/img/internship/sightseeing_day2/edison_bulb.jpg
/ microphone / http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Edison#Carbon_telephone_transmitter
Thomas Edison
microphone
6/13/07 / http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/b7/Carbon-Button-Microphone.JPG/180px-Carbon
-
/ kinetoscope / http://www.loc.gov/loc/lcib/9903/edison.html
kinetoscope / http://www.loc.gov/loc/lcib/9903/images/edison_4.jpg
Rubric
Back to Navigation Bar
Making A Poster : Thomas Edison storyboardCATEGORY / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1
Use of Class Time / Used time well during each class period. Focused on getting the project done. Never distracted others. / Used time well during each class period. Usually focused on getting the project done and never distracted others. / Used some of the time well during each class period. There was some focus on getting the project done but occasionally distracted others. / Did not use class time to focus on the project OR often distracted others.
Graphics - Relevance / All graphics are related to the topic and make it easier to understand. / All graphics are related to the topic and most make it easier to understand. / All graphics relate to the topic. / Graphics do not relate to the topic
Required Elements / The poster includes all required elements as well as additional information. / All required elements are included on the poster. / All but 1 of the required elements are included on the poster. / Several required elements were missing.
Knowledge Gained / Student can accurately answer all questions related to facts in the poster and processes used to create the poster. / Student can accurately answer most questions related to facts in the poster and processes used to create the poster. / Student can accurately answer about 75% of questions related to facts in the poster and processes used to create the poster. / Student appears to have insufficient knowledge about the facts or processes used in the poster.
Date Created: June 14, 2007
Handouts
Back to Navigation Bar
Thomas Edison Storyboard Topics
Thomas Edison his early life
Thomas Edison midlife
Thomas Edison his later years
Voting machine
Phonograph
Light bulb
Microphone
Kinetoscope
Stencil pens
War of currents and distribution
THOMAS EDISON
A PICTORIAL EVOLUTION OF HIS LIFE AND INVENTIONS
INVENTION-______
Picture of the original invention
Brief description of the invention and how it works______
______
Picture as it looked in 1940 to 1950
Brief description of how the invention has changed/evolved______
______Why______
Picture as it looked in 1980 to1990
Brief description of how the invention has changed or evolved______
______
______
Why______
______
Picture as it looks now
Brief description of how the invention has changed or evolved______
______
Why______
______
What do you think it will
look like in 20 years?
Brief description of the invention and how it will change or evolved______Why______
An Adventure of the American Mind
Illinois State University
THOMAS EDISON
A PICTORIAL EVOLUTION OF HIS LIFE AND INVENTIONS
PERIOD OF LIFE______
Picture
Brief description of the picture and its importance. ______
______
Picture
Brief description of the picture and its importance. ______
______
______
Picture
Brief description of the picture and its importance. ______
______
______
Picture
Brief description of the picture and its importance ______
______
______
Picture
Brief description of the picture and its importance ______
______
______