What does innovation look like, and how can one generate innovative ideas in the classroom? This collection is built around "design thinking" and is intended to help educators and learners explore the invention of real, practical...

This site provides information on American inventors Benjamin Franklin, Robert Fulton, Eli Whitney, Thomas Jefferson, Isaac Singer, Wilbur Wright, Thomas Alva Edison, Elias Howe, and Alexander Graham Bell. It offers pictures from and...

Short descriptions of important technological innovations produced in America and the date of their introduction.

Through the use of a historical timeline of the capital investments made by the company the resulting benefits will be examined. The benefits from the capital investments of Herr Foods, Inc. will be related to their effect on the...

Through the use of a historical timeline of the capital investments made by the company the resulting benefits will be examined. The benefits from the capital investments of Herr Foods, Inc. will be related to their effect on the...

Read a biography of George Eastman and find out how his inventions and innovations revolutionized photography.

Eighth graders will critically examine primary sources to gain a better understanding of Alexander Graham Bell and the impact of his inventions.

Companion site to the four-part series on looking at America through inventors. Focuses on inventors from the early days of the country to modern day. From Robert Fulton and Samuel Colt, to Ted Turner and Russell Simmons, this site...

Website for the PBS series "A Science Odyssey." Numerous opportunities to explore the people and discoveries of science.

Have fun with history videos from the past which explored technologies and innovations of the future that is now, some relevant and others not, teaches students about the dreams of the past.

Innovations in transportation, communication, and weapons transformed the world in the 20th century. The modern era is the most complex yet, and the most fragile. This photo gallery highlights some of these innovations.

Computers are one of the top 20 engineering innovations of the 20th century. Read the history behind this great invention.

Rapid prototyping is a method used to accelerate the innovation process. Tom Chi explains how this method was used to create one of Google's newest inventions, Google Glass. [8:08]

Students research the advances of an invention's industrial design over decades or centuries. They then project future improvements and innovations with drawings and descriptive prose.

Get a taste of what inventors do by exploring exhibits at the National Inventors Hall of Fame in North Canton, OH.

An overview of historians' views of the causes of the Industrial Revolution in Britain and of the inventions, inventors, and industries that propelled it.

The Song dynasty was the second great "medieval" period of China. Northern Song (while it lasted) and the Southern Song (from 1127 until 1279) achieved incredible feats of learning, science, art, and philosophy. International trade and...

The Engines of Our Ingenuity is a radio program that tells the story of how our culture is formed by human creativity. The program uses the record of history to reveal the way art, technology, and ideas have shaped us. Episode topics...

[Free Registration/Login Required] An informational text about creating or improving innovative products. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.

Interactive brain games that challenge thinking and creativity skills.

The Industrial Age has also been called the Age of Edison. Edison patented more than 1000 inventions and gave rise to three industries: electric utilities, phonograph and record companies, and the film industry. This lesson will help...

Advancements in transportation have played a key role in the growth of our nation. U.S.government policies have also had a considerable impact on the development of transport as we know it today. In this series of three lessons, the...

Advancements in transportation have played a key role in the growth of our nation. U.S. government policies have also had a considerable impact on the development of transport as we know it today. In this series of three lessons, the...

Learn how Ben Franklin, Alexander Graham Bell, the Wright Brothers, and Guglielmo Marconi used kites as tools to spur innovation. Then follow the directions provided to create your own kite for flying indoors.