Third graders explore WWII by analyzing technological advances. In this invention lesson, 3rd graders discuss the use of the Enigma machine which decoded private German messages that communicated with U-boats. Students utilize a timeline...

In this invention of the popsicle instructional activity, students read for information and assess comprehension. Students answer six multiple choice questions.

Students identify how technology has made people's lives easier. In this technological advancements instructional activity, students live without modern machines in their homes for 24 hours and speculate about what life in America 100...

Students create a PowerPoint or Keynote presentation on a specific inventor and their invention. This lesson is web-based and includes resource links, alternative lesson ideas, and lesson extensions.

Students use the internet to research an invention that was developed during the Industrial Age. Using a worksheet, they record all revelant information to their invention including the short term and long term affects of the product....

Third graders brainstorm a list of inventions used daily. They use Kidspiration to create a web with inventions in the middle. Students choose three inventions from the web and rank them according to interest.

Learners use Robert Temple's "The Genius of Chins: 3,000 Years of Science, Discovery and Invention", to understand how much the Chinese have contributed with their scientific and technological ability.

Students study the history of Chinese technology by identifying when and where items were invented or discovered.

Middle schoolers write a proposal for a speech. Students prepare appropriate visuals for use in the proposed speech. Middle schoolers produce one or more graphs that summarize the results from the experimentation. Students deliver an...

Students read "The Giver" after finishing the unit on inventions and inventors. Using the information in the novel, they develop a geographic map illustrating the community in the story. They identify human and physical features and...

Fourth graders, in groups, invent a product to sell, create a commercial for it using a stick puppet they make.

Students watch a Biography episode about Alexander Graham Bell -- his remarkable inventions, family life, and the individuals who influenced his work.

In this creative thinking instructional activity, students identify and list nine of the best and most important inventions ever created. Then they list nine of the not so good inventions. Finally, students list three of their personal...

Third graders use research from a previous lesson to design their own inventions. In groups, they brainstorm a product they would like to see built and share them with the class. They must explain how each one would serve a purpose or...

Fifth graders complete a variety of activities as they study the various tools and machines that have been invented throughout history that have made life easier and tasks less difficult for modern man.

Students write a paragraph explaining how a technological innovation from a particular country has affected the world. Using a variety of resources, students identify a technological innovation, giving accurate historical and...

Students identify a technological innovation associated with human migration, either forced or voluntary. They explain how the migration was influenced by technology and how technology influences migration through a written essay.

Students discuss the growth of transportation and communication technology since 1500 C.E. Individually or in groups, they research lists of developments in the two areas. Finally, students create timelines indicating the development...

What will flying look like in the future? The 21st lesson in a 22-part unit on aviation reviews the major aspects of the lesson. Pupils brainstorm ideas of a future flying machine.

Fahrenheit? Celsius? What's the difference, and where did these two temperature scales originate? Your pupils will learn all about these topics by reading the passage included here. After reading, individuals respond to five questions...

Explore the science of space exploration. Pupils consider technological advances in propulsion, communication, power, navigation, and imaging. They select one of these areas and create a timeline of historical progress that contributed...

Ideas take flight in an exciting activity exploring the Wright Brothers. Scholars view the Wright Brothers' patent for their flying machine and makes educated guesses as to the purpose of the document. Scholars discuss the purpose of...

Could you reinvent the light bulb? Scholars tap into their inner Thomas Edisons to build a light bulb prototype out of a jar and some wires. They see how long the filament wire glows in the jar (batteries not included) to measure their...

Astronomy is literally over your head, but this lesson will explain how we study it. Young scientists make telescopes, calculate and compare the light gathering power of lenses, and simulate detection of infared radiation....