National High Magnetic Field Laboratory
Magnet Academy: William Thomson, Lord Kelvin
William Thomson, known as Lord Kelvin, was one of the most eminent scientists of the nineteenth century and is best known today for inventing the international system of absolute temperature that bears his name. He made contributions to...
OpenStax
Open Stax: Catherine Schmidt Jones: Message Drums
How did various cultures communicate before the invention of the telephone, email or telegraph? Discover the use of message drums in this lesson plan.
National Academy of Engineering
Greatest Achievements: Telephone
This resources features an overview of the history behind the technological development of the telephone today and a timeline showing the important dates.
Library of Congress
Loc: A Historic Message
This site, which is provided for by the Library of Congress, gives information on the first telegraph invented and the first message ever transmitted.
ClassFlow
Class Flow: Who Am I?
[Free Registration/Login Required] This is a review of famous inventors and people of the Second Industrial Revolution. Activotes questions are included. There is a citation for a United Streaming video clip at the end that could be...
Wikimedia
Wikipedia: Guillermo Marconi
This site chronicles the father of wireless communication. Examines his life and how his accomplishments affected both society and warfare.
National High Magnetic Field Laboratory
Magnet Academy: Carl Friedrich Gauss
Although he is best known as one of the greatest mathematicians of all time, Carl Friedrich Gauss was also a pioneer in the study of magnetism and electricity. To facilitate an extensive survey of terrestrial magnetism, he invented an...
Education.com
Education.com: Morse Code Messaging
[Free Registration/Login Required] One of the most important code systems invented is the internationally-recognized Morse code, which matches dots and dashes to letters of the alphabet. This revolutionized communication by sending...
Other
Granville T. Woods
Read a brief biography of Graville T. Woods, known as "The Black Edison" because of the multitude and scope of his inventions. Perhaps his most important was a way for trains to communicate with each other.
PBS
American Experience: Technology Timeline: 1752 1990
Short descriptions of important technological innovations produced in America and the date of their introduction.
Ohio History Central
Ohio History Central: Granville T. Woods
A biography of Granville T. Woods, who used his knowledge of machinery to establish his own company and invent many different improvements for the railroad.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Harcourt: Biographies: Granville T. Woods
A fascinating biography of Granville T. Woods. It tells of his impact on railroad transportation, and how some of his inventions are still used today. Links with additional information are also available.
PBS
Pbs: American Experience: Rescue at Sea
Companion website to the PBS documentary on the collision of two ships in 1909 and the reliance on the newly invented telegraph for rescue.
Curated OER
Educational Technology Clearinghouse: Clip Art Etc: Thomas Alva Edison
Thomas Alva Edison was born at Milan, Ohio, February 11, 1847, but the family soon after moved to Port Huron, Michigan. He had to earn his living from early boyhood, and was a train boy on a railroad. A station master, whose child's life...