TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: How Transistors Work
Gokul J. Krishnan describes what a transistor is and how this small device enables all the amazing things computers can do. [4:54]
PBS
Pbs Kids: Martha Speaks: True Stories
Martha's True Stories consists of non-fiction texts with accompanying video, glossary, and quiz centered on four STEM topics: science - the environment; technology - communication, transportation & tools; engineering - inventions;...
PBS
Pbs Kids: Martha: True Stories
A collection of interactive story activities about topics including the environment, technology, inventions, and measuring. There are four stories about each of the topics. In addition to being able to page through the books, the books...
PBS
Who Made America? Alexander Graham Bell
From a PBS series, They Made America, comes this biography of Alexander Graham Bell and his invention of the telephone. Read about his development of the telephone and research into the sound.
PBS
Outline of the History of the Transistor: Lee De Forest
Part of a larger site about the history of the transistor, this brief biography of Lee de Forest, the inventor of the audion, includes a QuickTime movie that shows how it worked.
Wikimedia
Wikipedia: Guillermo Marconi
This site chronicles the father of wireless communication. Examines his life and how his accomplishments affected both society and warfare.
Other
American Artifacts: The Imaginative Inventor
Just for fun. A website with a list of strange inventions by would-be entrepreneurs. Click on any to see a picture and description of the device.
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.