Other
Texas Child Care Quarterly: Promoting Imagination in Preschool Classrooms
Imagination is one of the most important ingredients of a creative mind. Because imagination is at its peak in early childhood, educators can continually cultivate it among preschoolers. By allowing children to experiment with life...
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Mit: Inventor of the Week: Philo Farnsworth
Crack open a present day television today and it may not be as apparent, but every television designer is aware of the name Philo Farnsworth. Find out about the man behind the first all electric television among the 299 other patents...
Other
Bright Horizons: Nurturing Creativity & Imagination for Child Development
Imagination is critical in child development. Find tips to help nurture and encourage creativity in your kids!
PBS
Pbs Nova: The Design Process: From Idea to Solution
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...
PBS
American Experience: Technology Timeline: 1752 1990
Short descriptions of important technological innovations produced in America and the date of their introduction.
Council for Economic Education
Econ Ed Link: Eureka!
Take a look at how inventions, such as plastic, have changed our lives and how they are changing the future of living in space. Students explore the concept of invention and innovation by studying the use of plastics. Various uses of...
National Inventors Hall of Fame
National Inventors Hall of Fame: George Eastman
Read a biography of George Eastman and find out how his inventions and innovations revolutionized photography.
Other
Milwaukee Art Museum: Design a Better Bag
Students explore the creative process and understand the invention/innovation process through examining how paper bags are constructed. Teams of students work cooperatively to design, innovate, and then build their own paper bag models...
Ohio State University
Osu History Teaching Institute: Alexander Graham Bell Primary Source Activity
Eighth graders will critically examine primary sources to gain a better understanding of Alexander Graham Bell and the impact of his inventions.
Digital Public Library of America
Dpla: Early Aviation
Collection of digital resources gathered from public libraries, archives, and museums about early aviation. Learn more about key innovators and technologies from early flight experimentation and the invention of the hot air balloon to...
Council for Economic Education
Econ Ed Link: Capital Chips (Part 3)
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...
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: Rapid Prototyping Google Glass
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]
Other
Milwaukee Art Museum: In the Year 2121
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.
Other
Wake County Public School System: Core Concepts of Technology
In this assignment you are asked to identify significant inventions or innovations in our world today, and place them in the appropriate category. These things may have existed for a long time, or they might just recently have been...
BBC
Bbc: Bitesize History: The Industrial Revolution: Causes
An overview of historians' views of the causes of the Industrial Revolution in Britain and of the inventions, inventors, and industries that propelled it.
Edutopia
Edutopia: How to Use Play for Learning
Play is a primary and integral mode through which children make sense of the world, and that it is essential to their development and well-being. This article offers ideas on how to balance play and academic expectations in your classroom.
Other
Learners Edge: Play in the Classroom
Play is not more important than science, literacy, physics, or math - it IS science, literacy, physics, and math. It is the FOUNDATION for learning. This article touches on the research supporting the importance of incorporating play...
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: An Introduction to the Song Dynasty (960 1279)
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...
University of Houston
University of Houston: Engines of Our Ingenuity
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...
Library of Congress
Loc: Timeline of Flight
Library of Congress exhibit presents this timeline with photos and images as part of a special commemoration of the centennial of flight.
Other
Atlas Mission: 7 Kindergarten Creative Thinking Activities That Are Fun for Kids
With so much emphasis put on classwork, common core curriculum, and even homework, creative thinking can get pushed to the bottom of the barrel for kids, even kindergarteners. Here are 7 activities to inspire creativity.
Scholastic
Scholastic: How to Promote Creative Thinking
As teachers, we play an important role in supporting children's ability in art, dramatic expression, and creative responses to problems. Creative power increases a young child's desire to learn and supports intellectual development. This...
Smithsonian Institution
Lemelson Center: Spark!lab: Create Indoor Kite [Pdf]
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.
PBS
Pbs Teachers:nordic Sagas: Viking Ships
Research Viking ship design and the technological innovations they invented to improve transportation. Construct a wind-powered model of a Viking ship and examine the relationship between rudder shape, placement and steering angle.