Teaching with Primary Sources—MTSU
LESSON ACTIVITY: INVENTORS AND INNOVATIONS
Grade: 7th
Subject: Technology Engineering
Time Required: 2 class periods
Author: Perry F. Louden, Jr., Rockvale Middle
School, Rutherford County Schools
OVERVIEW
This lesson will explore various inventors and
innovations, how inventions are developed, and
how they changed people’s lives.
CURRICULUM STANDARDS
7th Grade – Technology Engineering Education
TN State Standard (6.0): Develop an understanding of the impacts of invention and innovation.
Learning Expectations (6.1): The student
will be able to: Select an invention and innovation and discuss how it has impacted society.
City Hall subway station, New York [between
1900 and 1906]
INVENTORS & INNOVATIONS
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Alexander Graham Bell (part I and part II)
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Elias Howe
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American automobile racing
Daniel H. Burnham
Andrew Carnegie
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Ice Cream Cone
Samuel F.B. Morse
New York Subway System
George Washington Carver
Corps of Engineers
Fred A. Dobson
Amelia Earhart
Thomas Alva Edison
Henry Ford
John P. Holland
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Benjamin Franklin Palmer
John A. Roebling
H.J. Rogers
Washington Monument
Frank Lloyd Wright
Wilbur and Orville Wright
PROCEDURE
Step 1
On the overhead, look at the Library of Congress image of the Assembly Line.
Discuss the following questions:
 Who was the innovator of the assembly line?
 What problem(s) was he attempting to solve?
 What knowledge would he need to develop the assembly line?
 What resources are involved?
Step 2
Have students select an inventor/innovation from the list. Have students begin their
research by visiting the America’s Story entry for their selection and read all the information provided.
Step 3
Students will need to complete the worksheet with the information available.
Step 4
Direct students to History.com or MIT Inventor of the Week to search for more information regarding their inventor and invention to complete the report. Additionally,
you may allow them to use an encyclopedia or other books from your school library.
Step 5
Students will then create a PowerPoint presentation about their inventor or innovation
from the information on their worksheets, including images from the Library of Congress. Direct students to the Prints and Photographs Online Catalog or the American
Memory “Technology, Industry” page. From there, they can type their inventor’s name
or innovation in the search box. They must have 10 slides, beginning with a title slide
and ending with a slide that cites all sources used.
Day 2—Step 6
Have each student give a presentation to the class regarding their inventor/innovation.
Assembly [1923 May 7]
Name(s): __________________________________________
Date: _________
Grade ______
Period: ________
Library of Congress America’s Story article title: _________________________________________
Name of Inventor/Innovation: ______________________________________________________
Background: Birthdate ____________________________________
(if applicable) Place of Birth _________________________________
Death _______________________________________
Education ____________________________________
Career/Job ___________________________________
Primary Invention/Innovation: _____________________________________________________
What problem(s) was the inventor attempting to solve? ____________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
What knowledge (background/life experiences) did he/she use?
____________________________________________________________________________
What resources (tools, people, or books) did he/she use?
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Summarize the inventor’s/innovator’s design process (did they experiment, was it accidental, how long
did it take, what did they use?) _____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
What positive effects did the invention have on society?
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
What negative effects (if any) did the invention cause?
____________________________________________________________________________
What other contributions or significant information was found about this inventor/innovation?
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________