Age of Invention

Social Studies American History Civil War Through 1900 Age of Invention
Students reflect on an invention that has made a major impact on their lives. Then they work in small groups to prepare an oral presentation on an assigned nineteenth century inventor. After the presentations, they analyze how scientific inventions help individuals and society.

This learning experience is designed for device-enabled classrooms. The teacher guides the lesson, and students use embedded resources, social media skills, and critical thinking skills to actively participate. To get access to a free version of the complete lesson, sign up for an exploros account.

1:1 Devices
Teacher Pack

The Pack contains associated resources for the learning experience, typically in the form of articles and videos. There is a teacher Pack (with only teacher information) and a student Pack (which contains only student information). As a teacher, you can toggle between both to see everything.

Here are the teacher pack items for Age of Invention:

Preview - Scene 1
Exploros Learnign Experience Scene Navigation


Engage


Overview

In this experience, students reflect on an invention that has had a major impact on their lives. Then they work in small groups to research an assigned nineteenth-century inventor, write a report, and prepare a presentation. After the presentations, they analyze how inventions can help individuals and society. They end the experience by reflecting on the content and organization of their reports and how effectively they worked as a group.

Students will collaborate in small groups from scene 2 through scene 3. There are several possible inventors for research.

There is no quiz at the end of the experience. Instead, students will evaluate their work using a rubric. The rubric is available in the Student Pack for students to review before they begin their research.

Estimated duration: The duration varies from a minimum of 90 minutes to a week, depending on your strategy. You may choose to keep the presentations short and focused in order to cover the key historical developments. You may also use this experience to develop ELAR skills as students plan, research, write, and present their work.

Objectives

  • Identify key inventors and inventions of the 19th century
  • Analyze how scientific inventions impacted life in the United States


The years after the Civil War were a time of rapid growth and change in the United States. Inventors created new technologies and improved older ones. Electric lights, telephones, and new types of cameras changed how people lived and worked. In this experience, you will research a major inventor and prepare a report about the inventor’s work.

Objectives

  • Identify key inventors and inventions of the 19th century
  • Analyze how scientific inventions impacted life in the United States


cartoon of a caveman carving a wheel from stone

Inventing the wheel


Which invention has been the most significant for your life?

Post your answer

Accept any reasonable answers. Discuss some of the most and least common of the student posts.


Divide students into their small groups for the next two scenes. Assign each group one of the following inventors to research:

  • Thomas Edison
  • Alexander Graham Bell
  • George Washington Carver
  • The Wright Brothers
  • Margaret Knight
  • George Eastman
  • Elisha Otis
  • John Pemberton
  • Whitcomb L. Judson
  • Sarah E. Goode
  • L. A. Thompson
  • Lewis Howard Latimer

When everyone is ready to continue, unlock the next scene.


End of Preview
The Complete List of Learning Experiences in Civil War Through 1900 Unit.
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Social Studies American History Civil War Through 1900 The Civil War
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Age of Invention
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Social Studies American History Civil War Through 1900 Nineteenth Century Literature
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Social Studies American History Civil War Through 1900 Reconstruction
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Social Studies American History Civil War to 1900 Civil War to 1900: Review
Civil War to 1900: Review
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