The
Life
of
Thomas
Edison
Introduction
Thomas Edison was a great inventor. He invented one of the world’s greatest
need, electricity and……you will have to read on to find out!
The young life of Thomas Edison
Thomas Alva Edison was born on the 11th of February, 1847 in Milan, Ohio.
Young Thomas Edison
He was not poor, not rich but a middle classed citizen like most of us here.
He was the seventh child in the family and surprisingly, only could talk properly
at the age of four! In 1854, he and his family moved to Port Huron, Michigan.
Thomas went to a noisy, crowded and public schoolhouse that had only one room.
He annoyed his teacher because he kept asking questions and seemed to be very
self centred. The teacher however noticed that young Thomas’ forehead was
unreasonably large and made no secret that his brains were scrambled. When his
mother found out, she withdrew him from school and started to home-school him.
She too agreed that her son’s unusual appearance was something to do with his
remarkable intelligence.
Findings
How did he discover light? Well one night, his mother had been ill. The doctor
came and told them she would have to do for and operation. Unfortunately, the
candle’s light was too dim so they couldn’t do it. Thomas then remembered the
time when he was on the fields playing with mirrors. The mirrors reflected the sun
and a beam of light came out. With in a flash, Thomas ran to all the neighbours’
houses to borrow many mirrors and candles. He then gathered them together and
put them near his mother. The room lit up immediately. The operation could be
done. His mother was saved.
Conclusion
Thomas’ greatest invention was the Brockton invention. It provided
light through the whole city in a safe way. Thomas Edison has made a
big impact on our lives. Without him, we would
still be living using candles!
Thomas in his laboratory
The Life of Albert Einstein
Introduction
Albert Einstein was a great scientist. He studied Theoretical Physics,
light and gravity and light and time travel.
The young Albert
Albert Einstein was born into a Jewish family in Ulm, Württemberg, Germany on 14
March 1879. His father was Hermann Einstein, a salesman and engineer. His mother was
Pauline Einstein (née Koch). In 1880, the family moved to Munich, where his father and
his uncle founded a company, Elektrotechnische Fabrik J. Einstein & Cie that manufactured
electrical equipment. When Einstein was five, his father showed him a pocket compass.
Einstein realized that there must be something in the space, previously thought to be empty,
that was moving the needle and later stated that this experience made "a deep and
lasting impression". At his mother's insistence, he took violin lessons starting at age six,
and although he disliked them and eventually quit, he later took great pleasure in Mozart's
violin sonatas. As he grew, Einstein built models and mechanical devices for fun, and
began to show a talent for mathematics.
Young Albert
What he did
Albert Einstein married two women, Mileva Marić and Elsa Löwenthal. He had 3
children by Mileva Marić. Later, he divorced her and married Elsa Löwenthal.
Einstein found out about the Germans building a nuclear bomb. He didn’t want
Germany to win rather than America, so he wrote a letter to President Roosevelt Einstein and Elsa
of America to tell him about the bomb. Roosevelt responded to this by making the
Americans work harder on the bomb. Finally when they finished, they found out
they were 10 years ahead of the Germans.
Einstein also had a theory- if something can travel as fast as light, there can be time
travel. Later, He won the Nobel Prize for physics.
Death
On the 17 of April, 1955, Einstein suffered from internal bleeding. He took a
draft of his farewell speech to hospital with him, but sadly, did not live long
enough to complete it. He died in Princeton Hospital early in the morning at the
age of 76. Thomas Stoltz Harvey removed his brain and preserved it, hoping that
scientists in the future could find out why he was so intelligent
Conclusion
Einstein and Edison mad a great impact on our lives. Even though they lived in
different eras, they still depended on each other. If Edison hadn’t discovered light,
Einstein wouldn’t have made his theories. Together, they made the world bright
and helped the world have many new things. They would make a great team!
Record of Sources
Step 1a: Task Definition
1
In your own words, outline the task that you have been given .
To write a two page report on Thomas Edison (TE) and Albert Einstein (AE) with relevant text, media and to have
permission to use them.
Step 1b: Task Specifics
2
Text Information Needed (A list of questions to be answered) .
1
Who was TE, where did he come from, what was his family background, what was his personality, when was he
born and when did he die?
2 What was his first invention/ theory?
3 What inspired him to become an inventor?
4 How does his invention affect our lives? What would happen if he never made this discovery?
5 What are the similarities and differences between the two men- their inventions/theories?
6 Did one of these two men’s invention/theory help the other?
7 Who was AE, where did he come from, what was his family background, what was his personality, when was he
born and when did he die?
8 What was his first invention/theory and did people believe it was true?
9 What inspired him to be an inventor/ professor?
10 How did he affect our lives? What would happen if he never made this discovery?
Non-text Media Needed (A list of Images, Sounds, Photos, Video, etc… to be collected)
1
2
3
4
A picture of young and grown TE
A picture of young and grown AE
A picture/sound of their first invention/theory
A picture of their greatest invention/theory
Step 2: Location of sources
Location
Why will this source location be relevant to your research?
GOOGLE
It will have millions of copyright free information
Step 3: SOURCES TABLES
Text Information (from sources such as Newspapers, Books, Websites, Surveys)
Where you used
Source Type
Digital
Primary/
information and why
/Paper
Secondary
No.
Full Reference of Source
chosen?
(D or P)
(P or S)
T1
D
P
T2
D
P
T3
D
P
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Eins
tein
This information will be used in
the part about Albert Einstein.
T4
D
P
(All the websites above)
In the conclusion of the report
and for similarities and
differences.
[Or why not used]
http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1
-Edison-T.html
This information will be used in
part of the part about Thomas’
Edison’s background.
http://www.thomasedison.com/enlighte This information will be used
ned.html
but put in my own words.
Non-text Media (for example Pictures, Sound, Animation, Video, …)
Source Type
No.
Digital
/Paper
Primary/
Secondary
Full Reference of Source
Where you used
information and why
chosen?
Validity
Timeliness of
Correctness
of source.
source.
Up-to-date? proof?
If checked, how?
It is up to date
because the date
says 2008
It is up to date
because I cross
referenced it.
It is up to date
because it was
said that the last
time they updated
it was October 7th .
I cross referenced
it.
“
“
I cross referenced
it.
The bibliography is
correct.
Validity
Permission to use source.
(D or P)
(P or S)
M1
D
P
M2
D
P
M3
D
P
M4
D
P
[Or why not used]
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c
ommons/5/52/Young_Thomas_Edison
.jpg
http://www.judiciaryreport.com/images/
albert-einstein.jpg
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Ima
ge:Einstein_Albert_Elsa_LOC_32096u
.jpg
http://www.americancorner.org.tw/Am
ericasLibrary/aa/edison/aa_edison_su
bj_e.html
If ‘Yes’ then provide proof.
I will use it in the place about
TE as a young boy.
I did a copyright image free search.
In a place about AE ( an adult)
I did a copyright image free search.
In AE’s family
I did a copyright image free search.
A place about TE.
I did a copyright image free search.
Step 4: Raw Sources
Use this table to make a copy of any important parts of digital media or quotes from Paper Sources that you might use – label each (e.g. T1, M2) so you know
which source each item came from
No.
M3
Raw Dump
M1
M4
M2
1
2
Your teacher, parents and friends should be able to understand the task by just reading your summary
Add more rows to tables as necessary