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Lesson Plan
American Institute of Physics

African American Inventors in History

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
A two-part lesson plan introduces young historians to the work of famous African American inventors. Groups first research and develop a presentation of an inventor that includes biographical information and information about one of...
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Interactive
DocsTeach

Patent Analysis: Wright Brothers' Flying Machine

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
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...
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Interactive
DocsTeach

Patent Analysis: Joseph Glidden's Barbed Wire

For Teachers 3rd - 6th Standards
Barbed wire may have made cattle farming easier, but it brought to an end the free-roaming days of the plains. No longer could Native American groups continue their nomadic lifestyle, and the days of cowboys herding large groups of...
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Interactive
DocsTeach

Patent Analysis: J.W. Davis and Levi Strauss's Fastening Pocket Openings

For Teachers 3rd - 6th Standards
Commonplace today, the zipper and button construction of blue jeans was a major innovation. Using the patent for the J.W. Davis and Levi Strauss innovation, individuals comb an image of the fly for clues. Afterward, they discuss its...
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Interactive
DocsTeach

Patent Analysis: Alexander Graham Bell's Telephone

For Teachers 3rd - 6th Standards
Believe it or not, the plugs and wires on Alexander Graham Bell's patent application for telegraph improvements has a direct connection to devices today. Young historians examine the fine details of the patent application. After they...
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Interactive
DocsTeach

Patent Analysis: Thomas Edison's Lightbulb

For Teachers 3rd - 6th Standards
Watch lightbulbs go off in learners' heads as they look at a patent for Thomas Edison's most famous invention. After examining the light bulb patent, young historians speculate on how the invention changed life in the 1880s and its...
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Interactive
DocsTeach

A Petition for the Cotton Gin

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
While almost forgotten today, the cotton gin could be seen as one of the causes of the Civil War. The innovation led to more cotton production, which in turn undermined political power balances in the 1800s. Individuals unpack the...
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Lesson Plan
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C-SPAN

Choice Board: Expressed and Implied Powers

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Article 1, Section 8 of the United States Constitution expressly lists powers given to Congress. Over the years, lawmakers have expanded the enumerated powers to include powers implied by the list. To better understand the significance...
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Lesson Plan
National Woman's History Museum

Inventive Women - Part 1

For Teachers 7th - Higher Ed Standards
While a woman didn't invent the parasol, three women received patents for their improvements to the original design of umbrellas. In the first of a two-part series on inventive women, class members investigate the patent system to...
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AP Test Prep
College Board

2002 AP® Microeconomics Free-Response Questions

For Students 10th - 12th Standards
Inventors with patents have a distinct advantage in the market. But what happens when the patent expires? A series of questions from College Board asks learners to consider the effects of a patent expiration. Other practice prompts...
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Organizer
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World Intellectual Property Organization

Learn from the Past, Create the Future: Inventions and Patents

For Students 3rd - 8th Standards
3D printers, selfie sticks, smart watches. GPS, self-driving cars, YouTube. Imagine life without inventions. Believe it or not, these items were all invented in the last 10 years. Inventions, and the inventors responsible for them, are...
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Lesson Plan
Teach Engineering

Design Step 2: Research the Problem

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
How do you get started designing a product to meet your engineering design goals? Here, learners gain understanding of an important aspect of the engineering design process: background research. Through brainstorming and worksheets,...
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Lesson Plan
Micron Technology Foundation

Inventions and Patents

For Teachers 3rd - 9th Standards
Curiosity gets you everything. With this assignment, inspiring minds come together to create and invent. Learn how and why we invent and what it means to patent an invention.
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Lesson Plan
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Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

Life Vest Challenge

For Teachers 3rd - 12th Standards
After reading about the history and science of personal floatation devices, patents, and intellectual property, engineering teams design a life vest for a can of soup. To evaluate which groups considered the need for waterproofing, hold...
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PPT
Curated OER

Inventions: Third Grade Science

For Teachers 3rd
This inventions PowerPoint includes age-appropriate text and information about what an invention is, the planning process for developing inventions, and common factors of successful inventions.  Several short biographies with text and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Breezy, Chilly, or Freezing?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students assess the factors which influence the sensation of being "cold" in a particular situation. They study the complexities in measuring temperature by reading and discussing the article "Beyond Brrr: The Elusive Science of...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Educational Complacency Will Make U.S. Feel the Pain

For Teachers 12th
Twelfth graders examine the educational system in the United States in reference to the job market and available expertise. In this Current Events lesson, 12th graders read an article and discuss their opinions with the class.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Economics Lesson: The Real McCoy

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Learners research the origination of the expression "The Real McCoy." In this economics research lesson, students read the book The Real McCoy. Learners examine Elijah McCoy and his invention of the oil cup and how it relates to the...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Internet Inventors Scavenger Hunt

For Students 4th - 5th
In this inventors scavenger hunt worksheet, students research 10 different significant inventors known to history. First, they read each question to determine which inventor to search for using the Internet. Then, students write a...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Smoses Toy Expo

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Students research one of the simple machines listed in the lesson plan and review several simple machine websites to complete their research. Students use software and a watch a video to learn more about machines. Students create a...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Art of Subtle Persuasion

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Students examine a scene from "Julius Caesar." After watching commercials and political ads on TV, students explore the intention of the commercial. They compare and contrast the forms of persuasion used. Students share their writings...