Handout
Smithsonian Institution

Lemelson Center: Tracing the Roots of America's Motion Picture Industry

For Students 9th - 10th
In the late 1800's, Thomas Edison and his fellow inventors were key in the American film industry's boom.This web site provides a podcast and accompanying transcript tracing the roots of the film industry in America. Podcast [21:27]
Handout
Smithsonian Institution

Lemelson Center: Thomas Edison's Places of Invention

For Students 9th - 10th
An article by Paul Israel from the Prototype newsletter discusses the various laboratories used by Thomas Edison as he was developing his inventions.
Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Saltwater Circuit

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students build a saltwater circuit, which is an electrical circuit that uses saltwater as part of the circuit. Students investigate the conductivity of saltwater, and develop an understanding of how the amount of salt in a solution...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

National Park Service: The Invention Factory:thomas Edison's Laboratories

For Teachers 6th - 8th
This Teaching With Historic Places lesson plan about Thomas Edison's laboratories is filled with maps, readings, critical thinking questions, and photographs related to Edison's labs and inventions. This site explains and details the...
Lesson Plan
PBS

Pbs Learning Media: Thomas Edison: Inventor and Entrepreneur

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Through a video and primary source activities, students will learn about Edison's remarkable business of innovation and some of his 1,093 patented devices.
Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Completing the Circuit

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
In the everyday electrical devices we use - calculators, remote controls and cell phones - a voltage source such as a battery is required to close the circuit and operate the device. In this hands-on activity, students use a battery,...
Lesson Plan
Alabama Learning Exchange

Alex: Save a Buck Challenge

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Our pipes leak, air drafts push through our windows and walls, light bulbs create more heat than light, and every appliance we have stays plugged in all day long. Of course its our parents who pay the bills, so it doesn't matter. This is...
Activity
Texas Instruments

Texas Instruments: What Causes the Seasons?

For Teachers 6th - 8th
In this activity, students' will explore how the tilt of the earth's axis results in different amounts of solar radiation at different times of the year, causing seasons. They will simulate the earth's warming using a light bulb that...
Lesson Plan
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Investigating Electricity: Building Circuits in Elementary Science Class

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
In this exploration activity, students compare the difference between series circuits and parallel circuits using wire, light bulbs, and D batteries.
Lesson Plan
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Introduction to Open and Closed Electrical Circuits

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
This activity introduces students to the concepts of electrical current and open and closed circuits. Students will act out open and closed circuits as a whole class with some students acting as the "motors" or "light bulbs."
Lesson Plan
TryEngineering

Try Engineering: Series and Parallel Circuits

For Teachers 9th - 10th
The core of this lesson is simple circuits and the differences between parallel and series circuit design. Students perform experiments to test the differences between the two circuit designs using low voltage light bulbs.
Unit Plan
TED Talks

Ted: Ted Ed: How Quantum Mechanics Explains Global Warming

For Students 9th - 10th
You've probably heard that carbon dioxide is warming the Earth. But how exactly is it doing it? Lieven Scheire uses a rainbow, a light bulb and a bit of quantum physics to describe the science behind global warming. [5:01]
Lesson Plan
Broward Education Foundation

Broward Education Foundation: Generating Fun With Alternative Energy [Pdf]

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Students took what they had learned and created a matching game (simple circuit board) for others to test their knowledge about energy. The matching game illuminates a light bulb, when the correct matching pairs are selected.
Article
Famous Scientists

Famous Scientists: Thomas Alva Edison

For Students 9th - 10th
Meet the inventor of the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and the long-lasting, practical electric light bulb, Thomas Edison.
Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Lunar Lollipops

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
The students work in teams of two to discover the relative positions of the Earth, Sun and Moon that produce the different phases of the Moon. The students will be given a Styrofoam ball that they will attach to a pencil so that it looks...
Interactive
Physics Classroom

The Physics Classroom: Electric Circuits: Circuit Builder

For Students 9th - 10th
Students manipulate this virtual electronic circuit board where they can add resistors, light bulbs, wires, and ammeters to build a circuit, explore Ohm's law, and compare and contrast series, parallel, and combination circuits. Three...
Activity
University of Virginia

Uva Virtual Lab: Resistors and Capacitors and High Voltage

For Students 9th - 10th
In this simulation a battery will be used to charge a capacitor. The capacitor will then be used to operate a light bulb until the capacitor is discharged.
Handout
National High Magnetic Field Laboratory

Magnet Academy: Fluorescent Lamp 1934

For Students 9th - 10th
Compared to incandescent lamps, fluorescent lamps last longer, require less energy and produce less heat, advantages resulting from the different way in which they generate light.
Activity
CK-12 Foundation

Ck 12: Plix: Atomic Emission Lamps: Atomic Emission Spectra

For Students 9th - 10th
[Free Registration/Login Required] In this interactive you will drag each gas bulb into the red circle to excite them and see their emission spectrum. You will need a sign-in to access this media, but it will be worth your time!
Handout
Other

Black Inventor Online Museum: Lewis Latimer

For Students 9th - 10th
The biography of the fascinating African-American inventor, Lewis Latimer. In addition to finding out about his development of the carbon filament for the incandescent lamp, you can read about his expertise in patent law, his association...
Website
Digital History

Digital History: The Wizard of Menlo Park

For Students 9th - 10th
This resource provides information about the famous American inventor, Thomas Edison. Find out about his childhood, some of his famous inventions, and even some of his mistakes.
Primary
Digital Public Library of America

Dpla: Electrifying America

For Students 9th - 10th
This primary source set explores the development, commercialization, and impact of electricity.
Primary
US National Archives

Nara: American Originals

For Students 9th - 10th
A collection of important documents highlighting events in United States history. These at one point were on display in the Rotunda of the National Archives Building. Each document is accompanied by a short description of its significance.
Website
Rutgers University

Rutgers: The Thomas Edison Papers

For Students 9th - 10th
Links to copies of papers written by Thomas Edison. Also includes biographical information and copies of his patents and companies.

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