Almost by Accident (Lesson A)
CONTENT FOCUS: Science/Reading/Language
Insert Content Focus
Arts
PROFICIENCY: Early
InsertIntermediate
Proficiency to Intermediate
OBJECTIVE: Students
OBJECTIVE:
Insert Objective
identifyhere
different
- it must
inventions
not exceed
and two
describe
lines.their
If it
does, let the Content Department know so they can revise it.
purpose.
3.65
GRADES
6-8
COT
ACTIVITIES: Students define invention, hear a story about the invention of
potato chips, learn about “Post-It® Invention,” work in pairs to phrase answers
to comprehension questions on the board, then complete the worksheet
“Other Inventions” by speaking with other students.
PREPARATION: student copies of “Post-It Invention” and “Other Inventions”
worksheets
Build Background: Introduce the Concept of Inventions
Introduce
Copyright © 2005 by CTB/McGraw-Hill LLC. All rights reserved.
1. Write the word “invention” on the board and ask students if they know
what it means. An invention is a new idea or a new object/tool/process. It is
something that never existed before or a new way of doing something. Explain
the following activity: Here’s the story of one invention. As I read the story, try
to guess what the invention is.
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2. Tell this story, making sure that students are following the story line. (Use
gestures during the story-telling to show slicing.) Say: George Crum worked
at a big hotel, called Moon Lake Lodge in New York. He made food for tourists.
Do you know what his job is called? (Students may answer “cook” or “chef.”)
He made French fries, which were very popular at the restaurant. Do you like
French fries? Pause for student responses. Where do you get them? Pause for
student responses. Well, one day an unhappy customer returned his fries to the
chef. He said they were too thick. The chef made new French fries for the same
customer, slicing the potatoes more thinly this time. The customer was still unhappy.
He returned them again. This happened a few times. Finally, the chef made the
fries so thin that you could not eat them with a fork. This time, the customer was
happy! What had George Crum invented? Pause for student responses. He had
invented potato chips!
Learn about Post-It Invention
Learn
1. Distribute the “Post-It Invention” worksheet. Tell students that together you
will read about one invention that happened almost by accident. Preteach “by
accident” by asking students: Do you know the word “accident”? Students may
come up with “car accident;” ask them to explain what it means. Then ask:
What does it mean when something happens by accident? The answers may be
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Almost by Accident (Lesson A)
“not expected” (“unexpected” if this word is appropriate for the students’
level) or “sudden.”
2. Read the text aloud about Post-It as students follow along. After you are
done reading, allow students to ask clarification questions regarding new
vocabulary.
Note: Students may need help with the following vocabulary: “slips” (of paper),
“bookmarks” (a visual representation may be helpful), “stuck” (irregular verb
“stick”), “removed” (prefix re-), and “inventor” (suffix –or).
3. When finished reading, prompt students to answer in pairs the following
questions written on the board. Read the questions aloud.
• What is the inventor’s name?
• What did he invent?
• What is the invention used for?
4. After students have finished answering the questions, return to working
as a class. Ask a few students the first question as the students provide the
answer. Continue same the process with the remaining questions.
• What is the inventor’s name? (Art Fry, Mr. Fry, or Fry)
• What is the invention used for? (for making notes and sticking them
wherever you want)
(S2.1: Identify an object and describe its purpose or use, using words or phrases)
OBSERVATIONAL OPPORTUNITY #1
STRATEGY LINK: SPEAKING You can help your ELL students communicate
successfully by introducing the strategy of circumlocution, i.e., substituting words
and phrases for a specific word or idea the speaker doesn’t know or remember.
Circumlocution can be used during English Language Proficiency tests. If ELL
test takers are able to use circumlocution instead of giving up and saying
“I don’t know,” the test examiner may be able to award some points to the test
taker.
Say (in this lesson, e.g., for “What is it?”—a cell phone. “What is it used for?”—
to make telephone calls.): What is this and what is it used for? If you don’t
know, what can you say? Yes, you can say “It is like a telephone and you can
make a call.” (Write students’ suggestions on the board.) Good. This thing is
called a cell phone.
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Copyright © 2005 by CTB/McGraw-Hill LLC. All rights reserved.
• What did he invent? (Post-It)
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Almost by Accident (Lesson A)
3.67
Say (in this lesson, e.g., for “What is happening in this picture?”—a man
is talking on his cell phone.): What is happening in this picture? Use any
words you know. Yes, you can say “The man on cell phone.” (Write students’
suggestions on board.) Good. The man is talking on his cell phone. He is
making a call using his cell phone.
It’s okay if you don’t know the words. But, you don’t have to give up and say
“I don’t know.” Say the words you do know. This can help you communicate
more effectively in English!
Gather Information
Wrap Up
1. Distribute the “Other Inventions” worksheet. Read the directions aloud,
and then give students the following instructions: Walk around the classroom,
and, using the worksheet, ask one person one question. Please, use full sentences.
For example, “What is it?” “It is a cell phone.” You will have to get answers
to all the questions by asking each other. I will ask a few of you to report your
answers to the rest of the class. If needed, repeat the directions. Tell students
they do not need to write the answers to these questions. It is important to
ask and answer the questions, not write the information.
Copyright © 2005 by CTB/McGraw-Hill LLC. All rights reserved.
(S2.2: Identify an academic or social situation and describe it, using sentences)
OBSERVATIONAL OPPORTUNITY #2
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2. After students have finished walking around and asking questions, return to
working as a class. Ask if anyone wants to share their answers with the rest
of the class. If no one volunteers, choose a student and invite him/her to
report the answers. The possible answers to three questions are:
• What is it? (This is a cell phone. This is a laptop. This is a video game.)
• What is happening in this picture? (A man is calling someone/making a
phone call. A woman is typing a paper/writing an e-mail. A boy is playing
a game.)
(S2.2: Identify an academic or social situation and describe it, using sentences)
OBSERVATIONAL OPPORTUNITY #2
ASSESSMENT: Use the Observational Assessment Rubric to evaluate
students’ speaking skills.
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3.68
Almost by Accident (Lesson A)
Copyright © 2005 by CTB/McGraw-Hill LLC. All rights reserved.
FOLLOW-UP: For additional reading comprehension practice with two more
inventions, use the “Popsicle®” and “Frisbee®” worksheets. These texts
may be assigned as homework or used during the lesson as supplementary
materials.
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Almost by Accident (Lesson A)
3.69
RELATED LINKS:
Standards: S2, L3, R3
Multilevel Links:
• Beginning students can draw pictures, use gestures, or use words or simple
phrases to identify the purposes of objects.
• Intermediate students can share purposes and describe objects using longer
phrases and complete sentences.
• Above Proficient students can use complete sentences to elaborate and
describe the situations that led to the various inventions.
Technology/Science Link:
Encourage students to visit one of these Web sites to learn about other
inventions. They can learn about accidental inventions and ones that were far
from accidents!
www.enchantedlearning.com/inventors/
library.thinkquest.org/J0111766/index.htm
Copyright © 2005 by CTB/McGraw-Hill LLC. All rights reserved.
Science Link:
Invite students to design an invention of their own. Students might draw
and label a design on paper or using a computer graphics program. They
might use found articles to create a model. Or, they might begin work on an
invention which they can later enter into a school science fair, such as a spoon
that encourages a baby to eat or furniture that folds up or floats away to give
you more floor room!
Home Link:
As a reinforcement of the material discussed in class, stand at the exit at the
end of class with a small stack of Post-It. As students leave the class for the
day, ask the name of the inventor from the reading (or another comprehension
question), and place a Post-It on the students’ worksheet, encouraging them to
share the invention discussed in the reading with their families.
Resource Links:
You may enjoy sharing other illustrated books about inventions—accidental
and otherwise!
• Accidents May Happen: 50 Inventions Discovered by Mistake by Charlotte
Foltz Jones, © 1998, Random House
• Imaginative Inventions: The Who, What, Where, When, and Why
of Roller Skates, Potato Chips, Marbles, and Pie (and More!) by
Charise Mericle Harper, © 2001, Little, Brown, & Company
• Mistakes That Worked by Charlotte Foltz Jones, © 1994, Random House
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Almost by Accident (Lesson A)
DIRECTIONS: Read aloud the following text and then allow students to ask
clarification questions regarding new vocabulary.
Post-It® Invention
E Int to Int
In the 1960s, Spencer Silver worked at a company named 3M.
He was trying to invent a strong glue, but all he could invent was
a very weak glue! No one knew what to do with it. Art Fry also
worked at the same company. Mr. Fry sang in his church, and he
used little slips of paper to mark his place in the book of songs
and music. But the papers always fell out of the book. So Fry put
some of Silver’s glue on the bookmarks. The slips of paper stuck!
When Fry was finished singing, he easily removed papers from
the pages. Mr. Fry had invented Post-It!
o
Go Tell it
n th e
Glue
Mountain
#
Copyright © 2005 by CTB/McGraw-Hill LLC. All rights reserved.
#
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Almost by Accident (Lesson A)
3.71
Student:
Date:
Other Inventions
Directions: Look at each picture and read the question below.
1
4
7
Copyright © 2005 by CTB/McGraw-Hill LLC. All rights reserved.
E Int to Int
*
2
5
8
0
3
6
9
#
What is the object? What is happening in this picture?
What is the object? What is happening in this picture?
What is the object? What is happening in the picture?
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Almost by Accident (Lesson A)
DIRECTIONS: Read aloud the following text and then allow students to ask
clarification questions regarding new vocabulary.
Popsicle
®
Copyright © 2005 by CTB/McGraw-Hill LLC. All rights reserved.
E Int to Int
Frank Epperson was only 11 years old when he accidentally invented
the Popsicle. It was 1905. One night, he left a fruit drink out in the
cold nighttime air of San Francisco, California. He must have run
in for supper and forgotten about it. He also left the stirring stick in
the drink. The drink froze around the stick. Early the next morning,
Frank found a sweet and tasty frozen treat. Later, Frank sold his
invention as the twin Popsicle. He also created other frozen treats.
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Almost by Accident (Lesson A)
3.73
DIRECTIONS: Read aloud the following text and then allow students to ask
clarifications regarding new vocabulary.
®
Frisbee
Copyright © 2005 by CTB/McGraw-Hill LLC. All rights reserved.
E Int to Int
In the early 1900s, a pie company in Connecticut baked pies for hungry college students.
After the students had filled their bellies, they were ready to have some fun. Someone
discovered that the empty pie tins sailed through the air very well. So, after eating, the
students got some exercise and had some fun tossing the pie tins back and forth. What
was the name of the pie company? The Frisbie Baking Company. In 1948, Walter
Frederick Morrison and Warren Franscioni invented a plastic version of the toy. It flew
faster and with more accuracy. Today, even dogs like to catch Frisbees.
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Almost by Accident (Lesson A)
Student:
Date:
Observational Assessment Rubric
❑ yes
❑ no
Observational
Opportunity #2
(S2.2):
describes
situations
❑ yes
❑ no
1
❑ with gestures, or using one or two words: Fry
2
❑ with short phrases which may not be fully comprehensible: Fry
Post-It
3
❑ with longer phrases or short sentences containing some errors: Mr.
Fry invented Post-It to use
4
❑ with production similar to a native speaker’s: Mr. Fry invented PostIt to leave mark pages.
If yes, the student describes the situation:
1
❑ with short sentences containing many errors: Cell phone
2
❑ with longer sentences containing many errors: Man calling phone
3
❑ with sentences containing some errors: Man talking on cell phone
4
❑ in complete sentences similar to a native speaker’s: There is a man
talking on his cell phone.
1—Beginning/Early Intermediate
2—Early Intermediate/Intermediate
3—Intermediate/Proficient
4—Proficient/Above Proficient
NOTES:
65315_6-8t3_IG.indd 74
E Int to Int
(S2.1):
identifies an
object and its
purpose
If yes, the student identifies an object and its purpose:
Copyright © 2005 by CTB/McGraw-Hill LLC. All rights reserved.
Observational
Opportunity #1
7/20/05 4:39:16 PM
Almost by Accident (Lesson B)
CONTENT FOCUS: Science/Reading/Language
Insert Content Focus
Arts
PROFICIENCY: Early
InsertIntermediate
Proficiency to Intermediate
OBJECTIVE: Insert Objective here - it must not exceed two lines. If it
OBJECTIVE: Students respond to questions in complete sentences.
does, let the Content Department know so they can revise it.
3.75
GRADES
6-8
COT
ACTIVITIES: Students review vocabulary of the story about potato chips
from the previous lesson, listen to “The American Sign Language Translator”
passage, and respond to questions after the reading.
PREPARATION: overhead (to show pictures only) of “The American Sign
Language Translator,” comprehension questions on overhead or written on
board (See During Step 5)
Review Vocabulary
Review
Write the words “invention” and “accident” from the previous lesson on the board.
Then provide short definitions for these words some distance away from the
words (e.g., for invention: “an object that never existed before” and for accident:
“something that happens unexpectedly or suddenly”). Draw students attention to
the board and ask them to guess which word goes with which definition.
Copyright © 2005 by CTB/McGraw-Hill LLC. All rights reserved.
Listen and Take Notes
During
1. Tell students that you are going to read aloud a passage, they will listen, and
then answer questions similar to those they answered last class. Ask: Which
inventions did we talk about during our last lesson? (Potato chips, Post-It) Who
invented potato chips/Post-It? (Mr. Crum, chef/Art Fry, Mr. Fry, or Fry) What
is the invention used for? (Potato chips is a snack; Post-It are for making notes
and sticking them wherever you want.)
THINK ALOUD: Before I begin to read, ask yourself: “Why am I listening?” You
might answer like this: “Hmmm. Last class the stories were about inventions.
I think now I will hear about another invention.” Then, guess what the story
will be about?” I think the passage will tell me who the inventor was and what
was invented.” Finally, decide on a purpose for listening. “I will listen for an
inventor’s name and the name of an invention. I also want to learn what the
invention is used for and other details.”
2. You may wish to model on the board how to set up a simple note-taking format
(e.g., list headings such as “What was invented,” “Who invented it,” “What is it used
for,” “Other details”) and encourage students to make notes while you are reading.
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Almost by Accident (Lesson B)
3. Before starting to read the story, do the vocabulary check. Say: The story is
called “The American Sign Language Translator.”
• Do you know what American Sign Language is? (It is the kind of language
that is used by people who cannot hear and speak.)
• Have you seen people use this language? (Pause for student responses.)
• If yes, where did you see this language being used?
• What is a translator? (It is a machine or person that changes one type of
information into another type of information).
• When can you use a translator? (To translate from Spanish to English or
from English to Korean)
4. Read aloud “The American Sign Language Translator” worksheet. Tell the
students that you will ask them questions after the reading.
5. After reading the passage, ask these questions. Encourage students to speak
in a complete sentence. Model one question-answer:
• What is the inventor’s name? (His name is Ryan Patterson.)
• What did he invent? (He invented the American Sign Language
Translator/ASL Translator.)
• Why did he invent it? (He invented it to help people understand sign
language.)
• How old was Ryan when he invented the translator? (He was 18.)
(L3.3: Identify supporting details) OBSERVATIONAL OPPORTUNITY #1
Wrap Up
Discuss Your Dream Invention
To wrap up, ask students what they would like to see someone invent. If needed,
provide examples to get the discussion started. For example: a homework
machine, a robot that cleans your room, etc. Write students’ ideas of new
inventions on the board. (S1.2: Express opinions and preferences)
Copyright © 2005 by CTB/McGraw-Hill LLC. All rights reserved.
• What is it used for? (When a person wears the glove he invented and
speaks in sign language, the words appear on a screen.)
ASSESSMENT: Use the Observational Assessment Rubric to evaluate
students’ listening skills.
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Almost by Accident (Lesson B)
3.77
RELATED LINKS:
Standards: S1, S2, L3
Multilevel Links:
• Beginning students draw an invention that would help themselves or others.
They can describe the invention in a complete sentence.
• Intermediate students can draw an invention that would help themselves
or others. They can give this invention a specific name and describe the
invention using 2-3 sentences.
• Above Proficient students can draw an invention that would help themselves
or others. They can give this invention a specific name and describe the
invention in a paragraph of 6 sentences. They could also create a way to
advertise their product for others to purchase.
Copyright © 2005 by CTB/McGraw-Hill LLC. All rights reserved.
Home Link:
Encourage students to ask family members about one or two inventions that
have made their lives easier. They can then share this information with the class.
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Almost by Accident (Lesson B)
DIRECTIONS: Read aloud the following text.
The American Sign Language Translator
B
C
D
E Int to Int
A
One day, Ryan went into a fast food restaurant. He watched a person using sign language.
As the person spoke in sign language, another person translated the signs for the person
behind the counter. Ryan thought, “Wouldn’t it be great if more people could understand
sign language. People using sign language could be more independent.”
Ryan decided to work on the problem. He took a glove used by golfers and changed it.
He put small sensors inside the glove. When a person wearing the glove uses American
Sign Language, the small sensors translate the signs into words. These words appear on
a small screen. Thanks to Ryan’s invention, more people can now understand American
Sign Language.
65315_6-8t3_IG.indd 78
Copyright © 2005 by CTB/McGraw-Hill LLC. All rights reserved.
Ryan Patterson invented the American Sign Language Translator when he was only
18. Here is why he did it. Many people have trouble hearing and speaking. They have
learned American Sign Language so that they can communicate with others. It is a
beautiful language. It uses hand gestures, body movements, and expressions on the face
to communicate. However, many people do not know sign language. So, even though
someone is speaking to them using sign language, they cannot understand that person.
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Almost by Accident (Lesson B)
Student:
3.79
Date:
Observational Assessment Rubric
Observational
Opportunity #1
L3.3:
identifies
supporting
details
E Int to Int
❑ yes
❑ no
If yes, the student identifies the details:
1
❑ with short sentences containing many errors: Ryan signing
2
❑ with longer sentences containing many errors: Ryan glove
3
❑ with sentences containing some errors: Ryan Patterson glove for
language
4
❑ in complete sentences similar to a native speaker’s: Ryan Patterson
invented a glove to help people understand sign language.
1—Beginning/Early Intermediate
2—Early Intermediate/Intermediate
3—Intermediate/Proficient
4—Proficient/Above Proficient
Copyright © 2005 by CTB/McGraw-Hill LLC. All rights reserved.
NOTES:
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Copyright © 2005 by CTB/McGraw-Hill LLC. All rights reserved.