5th graders will gain an understanding of how, what, and why people invent tools. This PowerPoint provides a complete description of what tools are, types of tools, why we make tools and what impact they have had on society. There are...

Students explore invention and unveiling of world's first Ferris wheel, analyze photographs and poster of first Ferris wheel, and discuss engineering achievements of Ferris wheel, including how it worked, how it was built, and its...

Explore the inventions of the past with a project on ancient tools. After reading an article about hunting during the Archaic period, the Late Prehistoric period, and the Historic period, kids fill in a cause-and-effect chart about the...

Sitting in a soda parlor, Joseph Freedman notices the difficulty his young daughter has trying to drink from the paper straw in her milkshake. This sparks the invention of a bendy straw. Watch to learn more about this small but widely...

Tomorrow's engineers visit an intriguing website about inventions that have changed the way we live. Biographies of child inventors on the suggested website aren't easy to find, so make sure to find some stories to share in place of...

Inspire innovation in young learners through a study of important inventions throughout history. The four-lesson unit includes four separate lessons with activities ranging from researching and describing the history of noteworthy...

Inventions are the focus of this interesting lesson. Pieces of paper are drawn from a hat; each one has the name of a common invention. Individuals research the origin and history of the invention, then present the invention to the class...

Use this lesson plan to discuss inventions that have changed your class's world and have impacted society. Middle schoolers investigate important inventions of their time and design an invention in a simulated business atmosphere. Modify...

Fourth graders plan how to sell and market their group's new invention. In this marketing activity, 4th graders plan how to sell their group's idea for a new invention. Each group has a choice between three creative ways to present their...

Fourth graders discuss a problem and come up with inventions to solve the problem.  In this invention lesson, 4th graders brainstorm the kinds of solutions that might solve the problem. Students work in groups to solve problems.

With the help from an interactive timeline, scholars discover the time and order in which inventions came to be—popular items from eyeglasses to the compact disc. 

Can you build a homemade speaker out of a potato chip? Bestselling author and do-it-yourself expert William Gurstelle shows you how in his brief presentation at TEDYouth 2012. He encourages young people to be creative and explore science...

Learners examine the drawings of Leonardo da Vinci's flying machines and discuss when they were conceptualized and how they are similar to today's flight vehicles. They collect recyclables such as wood and foam trays and create an...