Other
Smith College: Museum of Ancient Inventions
Look at these ancient inventions. Compare these inventions with ones we use today to see if you can find any similarities. Take a tour of the museum or click each invention to find out more info.
Other
Canal Kids: Grandes Ingenerates (Big Inventions)
An exploration of four defining scientific inventions/discoveries of recent history: plastic, laser technology, electricity, and bar codes. The history and development of these technologies, along with examples of their application and...
Other
Byu Broadcasting: Farnsworth Society: Farnsworth Story
The story of Philo T. Farnsworth, who at age twenty one developed the first electronic television, is presented by Brigham Young University where Farnsworth was a former student.
Other
The Industrial Revolution: Changes in Society
A guided website which covers the major aspects of the Industrial Revolution from about 1750 until 1830. Areas such as industry, agriculture are explored.
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: History Comes Alive: Developing Fluency and Comprehension
Let the power of imagination and inference serve as a "time machine" to bring Benjamin Franklin into the classroom! History and science come to life in a dialogue with Franklin the inventor, developed through lesson activities that...
Other
History of Telephone Sets: Graham Bell Invents the Telephone
A short summary of how Alexander Graham Bell (1847-1922) came to invent the telephone.
Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History
Gilder Lehrman Institute: History Now: Technology of the 1800s
[Free Registration/Login Required] Article considers the inventions and innovations in communication, transportation, and manufacturing that drove America forward in the nineteenth century. Includes a link to an interactive history of...
The Franklin Institute
In Quiry Almanack: Touching
Let your students get a feel for their sense of touch by perusing this site. Site includes interactive activities to use in the classroom.
The Franklin Institute
Daguerreotype Cameras
Read about the Daguerreotype camera. This particular apparatus on display at the Franklin Institute was made in 1839, by Joaquim Bishop. Included on this site are activities for the classroom and resources for students to explore.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Mit: Inventor of the Week: Wallace Carothers
This site from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology contains information on Wallace Hume Carothers and his invention of nylon.
BBC
Bbc: History Trails: Victorian Britain
Victorian Britain experienced dramatic economic growth but at great social cost. Read about the times, and play online learning games as well.
Enchanted Learning
Enchanted Learning: Inventors & Inventions From the 1700s
Use this site to learn more about early inventors and inventions from the 18th century. This web page offers text and images on various inventors and their inventions. You can also access information about inventors and inventions from...
Other
African American Inventors and Inventions: Elijah Mc Coy the Real Mc Coy
A brief biography of Elijah McCoy and a description of one of his inventions that made factory machinery run smoothly.
Smithsonian Institution
Lemelson Center: True Colors Dyeing Yarn
An interesting history and exploration of the technology and invention of dyes and dyeing from earliest times to present and the effects of new colors in yarns on the economy. This is a complete unit of lessons with activities and...
PBS
Pbs: American Experience: Special Feature: Forgotten Inventors
This fascinating site from PBS features seven inventions from the 19th and 20th centuries, along with information about the men and women who created them. Click on one of the small photos to learn more, or scroll down through the...
Smithsonian Institution
Lemelson Center: Spark!lab: Inventor Profiles: Charlotte Cramer Sachs
Charlotte Cramer Sachs held the patents on many inventions. She invented quick baking products such as Joy muffin mixes, as well as accessories for dogs and musical games. One invention was a precursor to the retractable dog leash. A...
Smithsonian Institution
Lemelson Center: Spark!lab: Inventor Profiles: Joseph B. Friedman
Joseph B. Friedman invented the bendable straw, which he patented in 1937. Read about his life here and the history of this famous invention.
Smithsonian Institution
Lemelson Center: Spark!lab: Inventor Profiles: Charles F. Brannock
Charles F. Brannock's most famous invention was the Brannock Device. It is used worldwide today for measuring feet in order to determine proper shoe size. Original drawings for it can be viewed here, along with a biographical profile of...
Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Libraries:industrial Drawings at the Smithsonian: Doodles & Drafts
Drawing is a key element in an inventor's skill set. When it comes to the working out of new ideas, inventors turn to pencil and paper. Mixing art and science, this exhibition site showcases a collection of industrial drawings that...
Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Libraries: Innovators Gallery
Who invented the tennis racket, Crayola Crayons or Tupperware? Smithsonian site invites users to explore the achievements of a variety of American innovators and inventors.
PBS
Pbs: American Experience: Forgotten Inventors
Here is an accounting of a few inventions, most of which were invented in the 1800s, that often are overlooked. Find out about how the can opener was invented as well as that clothing staple, the denim jeans.
National High Magnetic Field Laboratory
Magnet Academy: Crookes Tube 1870
English chemist Sir William Crookes (1832 - 1919) invented the Crookes tube to study gases, which fascinated him. His work also paved the way for the revolutionary discovery of the electron and the invention of X-ray machines.
Other
Eli Whitney/cotton Gin
A collection of websites on Eli Whitney and his invention, the cotton gin.
Other
Rube Goldberg
Get a look into the life of the wacky machine inventor Rube Goldberg. Includes a terrific biography, a gallery of his cartoon inventions, and a link to The Rube Goldberg Machine Contest.