WEB SITES ON INVENTORS AND INVENTIONS

WEB SITES ON INVENTORS AND INVENTIONS

FOR TEACHERS AND STUDENTS

Access these sites through your computer’s Internet connection. Open the underlined address (URL). Information can be printed or downloaded to your computer. Be sure to follow links to other sites and find your way back with the “Back” button. Note that a gateway site is one that is mostly links to a very large number of other sites on the topic. This list contains links to Thinkquest sites. The Thinkquest library has been available on and off recently so you may need to try more than once.

All of the sites listed were active as of February 25, 2003. The evaluation is by the AVA Center staff according to the amount of information given, the general appearance of the site and its potential use in the classroom. This list is also sent through email if you have a school email address. Let us know if you would like to be added to our mailing list.

AFRICAN AMERICAN INVENTORS

http://www.ehhs.cmich.edu/~rlandrum/general.htm

Information on African American inventors including a list of inventors and their inventions, African American Inventors in the Railway System, African American Inventors Series: Peanut Products, and African American Inventors: Special Mention. Excellent

ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL – THE INVENTOR

http://www.fitzgeraldstudio.com/html/bell/inventor.html

Explores the work of Alexander Graham Bell who’s most famous invention, the telephone, has overshadowed his work on kites and hydrofoils. Sections: Telephone Introduction, Early Telephone, Telephone, Flight Introduction, Tetrahedron, The Silver Dart, Early Hydrofoil Models, The HD-4, and Inventing the Future. Includes QTVR movies of the kite room at his lab and the hydrofoil. Excellent

ANCIENT CHINESE TECHNOLOGY – A THINKQUEST SITE

http://library.thinkquest.org/23062/index.html

A student-created site on the inventions and technology developed by the ancient Chinese. Sections: Introduction, Agriculture, Engineering, Domestic & Industrial Technology, Mathematics, Physics, Warfare, Transportation, and Nature Discovery. Includes inventions such as paper money, matches, hot-air balloons, gunpowder and much more. Good photos. Excellent

APPLIANCES WITH MINDS OF THEIR OWN: EXPLORING AND INVENTING APPLIANCES THAT THINK NEW!

http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20000413thursday.html

A lesson plan for grades 6-12. “In this lesson, students examine how everyday appliances might soon possess the capacity 'to think' as a result of recent technological advances. Students then display their knowledge of this new technology by creating a poster design of a 'smart' machine.” Excellent

ASK THE INVENTORS

http://www.asktheinventors.com/

An advice and resource site for aspiring inventors. Sections: Poster Contest, How to Invent, Don’t Be Scammed, Our Invention, FAQ, Helpful Links, Patent Libraries and more. Excellent

BE AN INVENTOR – THEMATIC UNIT

http://etc.sccoe.org/I99/inventor.html

A unit for grades 1-6 “This is a thematic unit based on inventors and inventions. Be an Inventor is a student centered unit designed to motivate students to create their own inventions. Throughout the unit, students will be completing on-line and off-line activities. The lessons included in this unit will introduce students to famous inventors, trademarks, patents, and the process of formulating an invention”. Sections: Overview, Purpose, Timeline, and six Lesson Plans. Excellent

BIODESIGNS INCORPORATED – WEBQUEST NEW!

http://www.itdc.sbcss.k12.ca.us/curriculum/biodesigns.html

A webquest for 10-12 grade students in which they invent a product for their company Biodesigns, Inc. “You are a part of a four person genetics engineering team, working for BioDesigns, Inc. The president of BioDesigns, Ms. Bio, calls a meeting for all engineers. "This company has been losing money steadily for the last 18 months! We haven't had a money making idea since we invented the seedless watermelon. If we don't have a product on the market within 6 months, we're going to be out of business!" She then further states that your team has to invent a new, revolutionary, money-making, genetically engineered product, or start looking for new jobs. Your team members include: a geneticist, a biologist, an environmentalist/lawyer, and a economist/ethicist.” Note: We found a few broken links on this site. Excellent

CLEVER CONTRAPTIONS: DESIGNING AND “PATENTING” ORIGINAL INVENTIONS

NEW!

http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/19990909thursday.html?searchpv=learning_lessons

A lesson plan for grades 6-12. “In this lesson, students appraise the qualities of successful inventors and inventions, as well as examine the ways in which the Internet supports inventors, as a springboard for designing and 'patenting' inventions that would be helpful to them in their daily lives.” Excellent

DOING THINGS THE “WRIGHT” WAY: INVESTIGATING INFLUENTIAL INVENTIONS OF THE 20^TH CENTURY NEW!

http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/19990316tuesday.html?searchpv=learning_lessons

A lesson plan for grades 6-12. “In this lesson, students investigate 20th century inventions in order to examine how inventions reflect the historical events during which they were developed and improved. Students research what they feel are significant 20th century inventions and create illustrated timelines of the evolution of those inventions.” Excellent

EDISON AFTER FORTY

http://americanhistory.si.edu/edison/

Edison’s two most famous inventions were developed before he was 40. This site follows his later years as he developed larger laboratories and worked on new inventions. Sections: The Challenge of Success, Before Forty, Changes at 40, Home Life, The New Technical World, Fame & Its Distractions, and Edison in His Eighties. Includes lots of photos. Excellent

EUREKA: A WEBQUEST ON INVENTIONS NEW!

http://www.memphis-schools.k12.tn.us/admin/tlapages/eureka.htm

A webquest adaptable to different grade levels in which teams of students research three inventors per team. They will write an essay detailing the cultural impact of the invention on society and develop invention to be entered in the Exploravision competition. Excellent

EXPLORAVISION – IMAGINE THE FUTURE

http://www.toshiba.com/tai/exploravision/

A competition for students grades k-12 to encourage students to use science and technology in new ways. Sections: How to Enter, Request an Entry Kit, Past Winners K-12, For Teachers Only, ExploraVision Extra!, and more. Excellent

EXPLORE INVENTION AT THE LEMELSON CENTER NEW!

http://www.si.edu/lemelson/

An extensive site on invention and innovation. Sections: Invention at Play, Centerpieces (virtual exhibits), Digging Deeper (the history of invention), and much more. Don’t miss the Centerpieces section. Excellent

EXPLORING LEONARDO

http://www.mos.org/sln/Leonardo/

A look at the life and work of the scientist, inventor, and artist Leonardo da Vinci. Sections: Inventor’s Workshop, Leonardo’s Perspective, Leonardo’s Right to Left, What-Where-When?, Additional Resources and a Teacher’s Guide. Includes classroom activities. Excellent

FARNOVISION – THE FARNSWORTH CHRONICLES

http://www.farnovision.com/

Philo T. Farnsworth was a bored youth plowing the family farm when he began the dream which led to television. Sections: Introduction, The Farnsworth Chronicles Who Invented What…And When?, Before Philo, Video Library ( with clips) and links. Excellent

GANDER ACADEMY’S INVENTORS AND INVENTIONS

http://www.stemnet.nf.ca/CITE/inventors.htm

A Canadian school site on inventors. Sections: General Invention Resources, American Inventors, Female Inventors, Selected Inventions, Australian Inventors, Inventor Museums, Inventor Lists on the Web, British Inventions, Impact on Society, Totally Absurd Inventions on the Web, Canadian Inventors, Leonardo da Vinci, Canadian Medical Inventors, and Teacher Resources. (Note: Some broken links.). Excellent

GREATEST INVENTIONS: THE EVOLUTION OF MAN THROUGH HISTORY NEW!

http://library.thinkquest.org/C002942/?tqskip1=1&tqtime=0225

A student-created site on inventions and inventors. Click on the cogs for the sections. Sections: Site Guide, Interactive (games, learning cab, interesting facts, etc.), Inventions, Inventors, Timeline, Links, and Help. An extensive site. Note: A little difficult to navigate. Excellent

IMPORTANT HISTORICAL INVENTORS AND INVENTIONS

http://www.lib.lsu.edu/sci/chem/patent/srs136_text.html

Lists of inventions, date, inventor, and nationality of inventor. Sections: Calculating Machines & Computing, Cloth & Clothing, Communications, Construction, Electricity & Electronics, Food & Agriculture, Medicine & Biotechnology, Industrial Materials, Scientific Instruments & Devices, Transportation & Energy, and Warfare. Excellent

INNOVATIVE ENGINEERS OF THE RENAISSANCE – LEONARDO DA VINCI

http://www.imss.firenze.it/news/mostra/6/index.html

Although famous for centuries as a painter, da Vinci was also an accomplished engineer who left drawings of fantastic machines. The first robot? The first airplane? This site tells you more. Sections: Leonardo the Engineer, Leonardo’s Manuscripts, Studies on Flight, Anatomy, Leonardo’s Robot, and the Anatomy of Machines. Includes photos and facsimiles of his manuscripts and drawings. Excellent

INNOVATIVE LIVES

http://www.si.edu/lemelson/centerpieces/ilives/index.html

Profiles of 26 inventors/inventions for such items as the pacemaker, solar shingles, and colored cotton. Focuses primarily on recent inventions. Excellent

INTERNET SCAVENGER HUNT – INVENTORS AND INVENTIONS

http://www.education-world.com/a_lesson/lesson120.shtml

Education World’s Internet Scavenger Hunt on Inventors and Inventions. There are two, for younger and older students. Excellent

INVENTING MODERN AMERICA – FROM THE MICROWAVE TO THE MOUSE NEW INFO!

http://web.mit.edu/invent/www/ima/

Profiles the life and work of 35 innovators through qualities such as vision, courage and perseverance. Includes fun games and links. Excellent

INVENTION DIMENSION

http://web.mit.edu/invent/index.html

M.I.T.’s invention section including the Lemelson/MIT Awards Program, Inventor of the Week Archives, The Inventor’s Handbook, Invention-Related Links and Resources. Excellent

THE INVENTIVE THINKING CURRICULUM PROJECT NEW!

http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/ac/ahrpa/opa/projxl/invthink/invthink.htm

A curriculum project in which students are shown how to develop inventive thinking step-by-step. Sections: Introducing Inventive Thinking, Practicing the Creative Part of Inventive Thinking, Practicing Inventive Thinking with the Class, Developing an Invention Idea, Brainstorming for Creative Solutions, Practicing the Critical Part of Inventive Thinking, Completing the Invention, Naming the Invention, Optional Marketing Activities, Parent Involvement, Young Inventor’s Day, and Enrichment: Stories About Great Thinkers and Inventors. An outstanding site. Excellent

INVENTORS AND INVENTIONS FOR K-12 EDUCATION – A GATEWAY SITE NEW!

http://falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/inventors.htm

A gateway site to information on individual inventors plus general sites and specific inventions. Outstanding. Excellent

INVENTORS AND INVENTIONS THEME PAGE – LESSON PLANS, UNITS

http://www.cln.org/themes/inventors.html

“links to two types of resources related to the study of inventors and inventions. Students and teachers will find curricular resources (information, content...) to help them learn about this topic. In addition, there are also links to instructional materials (lesson plans) which will help teachers provide instruction in this theme.” Excellent

INVENTORS/INVENTIONS

http://edtech.kennesaw.edu/web/inventor.html

A terrific list of links to information on inventors and inventions. Sections: Information/Research Sites, Online/Offline Lesson Plans, Online/Offline Activities. Excellent

INVENTORS, INVENTIONS AND SCIENTISTS – THEMES AND UNITS

http://www.connectingstudents.com/themes/invent.htm

Resources, lesson plans, handouts, Web-based Activities, Literacy, Worksheets and more. Excellent

INVENTORS/INVENTIONS TEACHING THEME NEW!

http://www.bestteachersites.com/themes/science/inventors/

An extensive site for teaching inventors and inventions. Sections: Bulletin Board Set, Resource Materials (not free), Downloads, Sites for Background Information, Hands-on Activities, Webquests, Interactive Sites for Students, Worksheets, Lesson Plans, and Worksheets You Can Customize. (Note: We found a couple of broken links on this site). Outstanding. Excellent

THE INVENTORS ONLINE MUSEUM

http://www.inventorsmuseum.com/

Online exhibits on inventors and inventions. Sections: African-American Inventors, Colonial Inventors, Communications Inventions, Earth Sciences, Fun & Games, Medical Inventions, Space, Transportation Tech, War Tech, Women Inventors, Featured Inventor, Join the Museum, and an Inventor's IQ Test. Terrific site. Excellent

INVENTORS WORLD MAGAZINE

http://easyweb.easynet.co.uk/~robodyne/inventors-world/

Online issues of Inventors World magazine with seven issues online. Excellent

KIDS DESIGN NETWORK NEW!

http://www.dupagechildrensmuseum.org/kdn/index.html

From the DuPage Children’s Museum. Students investigate a challenge, dream up a design, plan it on the computer and submit it to a real engineer. “Pick a challenge that interests you. Think about a gadget you could make to meet the challenge. There are many different solutions to each challenge. If your first idea doesn't work, try something different. That's the way real engineers work, too!” Challenges: Chemical Engineering Challenge, Civil Engineering Challenge, Door Alarm Challenge, Mix-n-Match Challenges, Nuclear Engineering Challenge, Puppet Challenge, and Slowly Moving Marble Challenge. Excellent

M & M’S IN SPACE – INVENTION WEBQUEST NEW!

http://schoolweb.missouri.edu/moniteau.k12.mo.us/mathys/mandmwebquest.html

A webquest for middle school students in which they research conditions in space in order to invent an M&M dispenser that will work on the space shuttle. Excellent

MEDIEVAL CHINESE INVENTIONS AND INNOVATIONS

http://www.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/score/chinin/chinintg.htm

An online museum “designed to provide a collection of electronic artifacts and information resources for a unit on inventions and innovation of the Chinese during the medieval times. It is designed to strengthen the background knowledge of students as they study the discovery, use, adaptations, and effects during the medieval time through the present.” Sections: Foyer (Introduction), Paper & Paper Money, Printing, Compass, Explosives, Toys & Games, and Projects (Map, Timeline, Chinese Game, more). Excellent

MISSION POSSIBLE: EXPLORING PLAUSIBLE INVENTIONS FOR MAKE-BELIEVE MOVIES

NEW!

http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20020926thursday.html?searchpv=learning_lessons

A lesson plan for grades 6-12. “In this lesson, students create blueprints for imaginary inventions based on real-world technological principles. They then write explanations of how their inventions work in the form of movie dialogues.” Excellent

THE PARTNERSHIP FOR AMERICA’S FUTURE: SPECIALIZING IN EDUCATIONAL INVENTIONS NEW TITLE & URL!

http://www.pafinc.com/

A program established to complement the National Inventor’s Hall of Fame, every year six young people in grades K-12 are inducted into the National Gallery of America’s Young Inventors. Includes lists of inductees and their inventions. Excellent

SAFETY FIRST: EXPLORING TECHNICAL SOLUTIONS TO PERILOUS PROBLEMS NEW!

http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20020411thursday.html?searchpv=learning_lessons

A lesson plan for grades 6-12. “In this lesson, students explore safety issues and challenges related to various modes of transportation. They then create blueprints for technological methods to make those modes of transportation safer.” Excellent

SMITHSONIAN INVENTORS AND INVENTIONS

http://www.si.edu/resource/faq/nmah/invent.htm

Spotlights inventors and inventions including: African American Inventors, Women Inventors of the 20^th Century, Edison after 40, and much more. Excellent

TEACHERSFIRST INVENTOR’S WORKSHOP

http://www.teachersfirst.com/lessons/inventor/index.htm

A unit of study for upper elementary and middle school teachers. Sections: Unit on Inventors of the Industrial Revolution, A Quiz on Inventors of the Industrial Revolution and a List of Invention and Inventor Resources. Excellent

TRANSISTORIZED! THE HISTORY OF THE INVENTION OF THE TRANSISTOR

http://www.pbs.org/transistor/index.html

A PBS site on the invention of the transistor, the precursor to the microchip. Sections: History, Science, Timeline, TV Show (incl. online clips), Glossary, Interactive (two experiments). Includes an online Teacher’s Guide with four lessons that can be downloaded and printed. Excellent

USPTO KIDS’ PAGE

http://www.uspto.gov/go/kids/kidgames.html

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s kids' site with terrific games and activities. Includes a teachers section but no lesson plans. Games: Trademark Treasures, Goldmine, Inventor IQ, Whodunit?, Chicken or Egg?, Matching Fun, Mousetraps and We Dare You. Excellent

WEBQUEST- AUSTRALIAN INVENTIONS

http://www.web-and-flow.com/members/hbutler/austinvent/webquest.htm

A web quest on Australian inventors and inventions. Sections: Introduction, Question, Background Information, Individual Roles, Group Process, Rubric, Conclusion, and Teacher’s Guide. Excellent

WHOLE CLOTH: DISCOVERING SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY THROUGH AMERICAN HISTORY NEW!

http://www.si.edu/lemelson/centerpieces/whole_cloth/

Eight curriculum units that look at how the development of textiles shaped American history. Excellent

ZOOM INVENTORS AND INVENTIONS

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/inventors/

A huge amount of information for elementary students on inventors and inventions. Excellent

CHINESE INVENTIONS: AN INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY

http://www.askasia.org/teachers/Instructional_Resources/Lesson_Plans/China/LP_china_8.htm

Classroom activity on the many inventions developed by the Chinese. Designed to change students’ perceptions that the Chinese are not technologically advanced. Very Good

CHOCOLATE COVERED CREATIONS WEBQUEST NEW!

http://mws.mcallen.isd.tenet.edu/tiftech/ci/projects/radame/aajWebquest.html

A webquest for middle school students in which they research chocolate and invent a new candy bar and prepare to market it. “Using the internet web sites below, you will research the history of chocolate. During your delicious adventure you will tour a chocolate factory, create a new candy bar, develop a slogan, design an advertisement, and be prepared to sell your famous new candy bar!” Note: We found a broken link on this site. Very Good

ECONOMIC SPOTTER: INVENTORS AND ENTREPRENEURS IN THE INDUSTRIAL AGE

NEW!

http://www.econedlink.org/lessons/index.cfm?lesson=EM330
A lesson for grades 3-5. An economic spotter can spot economic concepts at work. Task: “You will be given a list of character traits and a list of quotations from Thomas Edison. As you read the quotations, you will check off which character traits you think he has. Then you will focus on your own character traits; after comparing your traits to Edison's, you will write a paragraph on why you would make a good entrepreneur or why you would not.” Very Good

EXPLORING SIMPLE MACHINES WEBQUEST NEW!

http://www.lakelandschools.org/EDTECH/Machines/Machines.htm

A webquest for 4^th grade science students. “Your project will be to invent and build a simple machine that can be used in one of the following places: •garden/farm •kitchen/restaurant •office/school •garage •on a boat” Very Good

THE FACES OF SCIENCE – AFRICAN AMERICANS IN THE SCIENCES – INVENTORS

http://www.princeton.edu/~mcbrown/display/faces.html

Scroll down to the Inventors section to get information on African American inventors such as Granville Woods, Lewis Howard Latimer, and Madame C.J. Walker. Very Good

GREAT AFRICAN AMERICAN INVENTORS AND ENGINEERS

http://www.uwm.edu/StudentOrg/NSBE/bie.html

Includes a long list of African American inventors and information about their creations. Very Good

HISTORICAL INVENTIONS A-Z

http://inventors.about.com/library/bl/bl12.htm

Links to inventions from Adhesives to the Zipper from About.com. A starting point for students. Very Good

A HISTORY OF INVENTIONS: A TIMELINE FROM POTTERY TO COMPUTERS

NEW TITLE & DESC.!

http://www.cbc4kids.cbc.ca/general/the-lab/history-of-invention/default.html

An illustrated timeline from around 8,000 B.C. to the DVD in 1995. Covers a large number of inventions such as the wheel, toothpaste, the microscope, hot dogs, the flashlight, the Frisbee and more. Very Good

INVENTING A NEW KIND OF PENCIL

http://www.noogenesis.com/inventing/pencil/pencil_page.html

A fun site for kids on ways to redesign the common pencil. What works? What doesn’t? What can be added or changed? Fun. Very Good

INVENTION WEBQUEST NEW!

http://www.swistak.com/webquests/invention/

A webquest for 8^th grade students. “In order to have people gain a better understanding of how science has benefited society and why innovation and thinking outside the box are so important, the Smithsonian Institute is putting together a book highlighting some of the most important inventions in history. Knowing the experts that you are in this field, they have asked you to put together your own synopsis on an invention for their book.” Very Good.

INVENTION WEBQUEST NEW!

http://www.west.asu.edu/achristie/548/02WQ/Deirdre/index2.htm
A webquest in which students learn about different inventions and come up with their own. “During this WebQuest you will work in a group as an "Inventor or Scientist". You will research past inventions and inventors and work with a group to create a Multimedia presentation to share with the rest of the class. You may choose a topic of interest to research. Learn all about the inventions that are existing today, plus use your imagination to come up with new ideas. After you have come up with a new invention, you will share it with the class, research trademark laws, and possibly submit it to a website!” Note: We found a couple of broken links on this site. Very Good

INVENTIONS- AMERICA’S BEST WEBQUEST NEW!

http://www.tccsa.net/webquest/cole_johnson/#Group%20Process

A webquest for middle school students in which they form teams to research American inventions and determine which five inventions had the most impact on our society. “As a team, you will explore American inventors and their inventions. Each member of your team will research and will become knowledgeable about great American inventions from four points of view. You will then get together to share your information in the quest to identify the five most important American inventions.” Very Good

INVENTOR ED’S KIDS INVENTOR RESOURCES

http://www.inventored.org/k-12/

Lots of links for kids on inventors, the history of selected inventions, and much more. Very Good

INVENTORS AND ENTREPRENEURS – A CLASSROOM ACTIVITY

http://www.econedlink.org/lessons/index.cfm?lesson=EM62

Not every inventor is an entrepreneur. An entrepreneur will take an invention and pull together the resources to put the product onto the market place. Students learn here the difference between inventors and entrepreneurs and explore the importance of both. Includes activities and resource links. Very Good

INVESTIGATE INGENIOUS INVENTORS NEW!

http://www.learningspace.org/teach_learn/lplan/library/McFarland.html

A lesson plan for intermediate grades in which students research the lives of inventors to discover what character traits are found in successful inventors. “Dr. James Blond and his research team have been hired by a wealthy millionaire to discover the attributes/characteristics that an inventor must possess to create an invention to change the world. It is his hope to find a person to save the world by inventing a machine to close the hole in the ozone layer. As a member of his team, you must research the lives of one of three inventors to locate these qualities. Once you have located these you must collaborate with other teams to find common qualities that their inventors share with yours. You must then report your findings to Dr. Blond in a presentation to include a timeline, graphics, attributes, and a cause and effect graphic organizer.” Very Good

INVESTIGATING INVENTIONS WEBQUEST NEW!

http://www.campbell.k12.ky.us/links/webquest/inventions/invent.htm

A webquest for upper elementary students in which they research inventions and then develop an Invention Memory Game based on what they learned. Very Good

MEET GIRL INVENTORS!

http://www.girltech.com/Invention/IN_inventors.html

Meet several young women who have seen a need and filled it with an invention. Very Good

MOUSESITE

http://sloan.stanford.edu/MouseSite/

Explores the history of human computer interaction beginning in the 1960s. Sections: Persons, Devices, Culture, Context, Forum, Archive, Links and more. The Archive is extensive and includes interviews and photos of people, devices and much more. Very Good

MUSEUM OF ANCIENT INVENTIONS

http://www.smith.edu/hsc/museum/ancient_inventions/home.htm

We tend to think of inventions as a modern phenomenon but people have been inventing things as long as they’ve been around. This online museum shows some of the ancient inventions with photos and descriptions. Very Good

ROBERT FULTON – ENGINEER AND ARTIST

http://www.history.rochester.edu/steam/dickinson/

A lengthy online biography of Robert Fulton, from his interest in developing submarines to the steam engine. Very Good

RUBE GOLDBERG TODAY

http://www.rubegoldberg.com/index.html

Known for his cartoons of contraptions that used everyday times to build elaborate machines to accomplish simple tasks, Rube Goldberg’s ideas continue and have inspired numerous contests around the country. Sections: Rube Goldberg Today, Rube Goldberg Biography, Rube Goldberg Machine Contest, Rube Goldberg Information, and more. Very Good

SCIENCE NETLINKS: INVENTORS AND INNOVATORS NEW!

http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/Lessons.cfm?DocID=114
A lesson exploring the contributions of diverse people to society for grades 6-8. “Students will use the Inventor of the Week Archives to create and develop a project on American inventions. There are about 150 inventors profiled in this resource. In the first part of the project, the entire class will work on a timeline that will include information on all of the inventors profiled on the site. To do this, assign five or six inventors to each student in the class. Provide Internet time for each student to read their assigned profiles and ask them to write the following information on an index card for each inventor: name, gender, date and place of birth, and the name(s) and date(s) of their invention. Use the index cards to create a timeline of American invention. Ask students to make generalizations about American inventors based on the timeline. For example, how many inventors were women, which regions of the country produce the most inventors, how many of the inventions do we still use today.” Very Good

SIMPLE MACHINES INVENTION WEBQUEST NEW!

http://www.jsd.k12.ak.us/ab/el/simplemachines.html

A webquest for upper elementary students in which they research the principles of simple machines (i.e. lever, wedge, pulley, etc.) and use them to design a machine. “NEWS FLASH--- Rube Goldberg, (click here:Machine Contest ) a famous wacky machine cartoonist, has lost his creativity. He is sending out a mass alert to children everywhere with imaginations to help him. The only problem is that the patent board needs to patent your invention so that Rube can use it.” Very Good

SPOTLIGHT:BIOGRAPHY: INVENTORS

http://educate.si.edu/spotlight/inventors1.html

A Smithsonian site with brief biographies of inventors and lots of links to further information about them and their inventions. Very Good

SUPER SCIENTISTS – A GALLERY OF ENERGY PIONEERS

http://www.energyquest.ca.gov/scientists/index.html

Profiles 15 energy engineers/inventors. Very Good

THE TOP TEN AFRICAN-AMERICAN INVENTORS

http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/bhistory/inventors/

A Scholastic site for grades 3-4 on ten African-American Inventors: Very Good

WACKY PATENT OF THE MONTH

http://colitz.com/site/wacky.htm

Recognizes selected inventors and their remarkable and unconventional patented inventions. Includes patent information, description and the diagrams submitted for the patent. Sections: Patent of the Month, Patenting, Prior Wacky Patents, and Inventor Links. Very Good

A WEBQUEST ON CANADIAN INVENTIONS, DISCOVERIES AND INVENTORS NEW!

http://mbs.sd23.bc.ca/Subjects/Science/science10/invention.htm

A webquest in which students research Canadian inventors and inventions. Note: We found a couple of broken links on this site. Very Good

WHY DID THE ANCIENTS NOT DEVELOP MACHINERY?

http://www.southwestern.edu/academic/classical.languages/rciv/machinery.html

An article for high school students explaining why the ancients didn’t invent machines sooner. Good background information. Very Good

ABC NEWS – PATENTLY WEIRD ARCHIVE

http://abcnews.go.com/sections/business/patentlyweird/

A humorous look at some of the most unusual inventions. Fun. Good

THE AGE OF INVENTION WEBQUEST NEW!

http://teacher.esuhsd.org/webquests/webquests/age_of_invention.html

A webquest for middle school students. “Your class has been brought together with the National Invention Conventions Committee on Education. The committee has heard about how well your class is at researching people in history. They have chosen you to research different inventors and give a presentation at the National Invention Convention. You have also been asked to use the information about the impact of inventions on society and the knowledge from your science class to build some type of invention of your own to be displayed at the convention.” Note: The “Click here to go back to the top of this page” links do not work. Good

AMERICAN INVENTORS WEBQUEST NEW!

http://www.newton.mec.edu/Angier/DimSum/inventorwebq.html

A webquest for elementary students in which they use the Internet to get information on the inventors and inventions listed. Very basic. Good

BE INVENTIVE! LESSON PLAN NEW!

http://www.mos.org/sln/Leonardo/BeInventive.html

A lesson plan in which students use the elements of machines to develop their own inventions. Good

BUILD IT YOURSELF TOY LABORATORY

http://northshore.shore.net/~biy/

“Ever dream that your toys could do more than they do? Use the best parts from LEGO®, K'NEX®, Radio Shack®, the local hardware store. Add junk from around the house, a cup full of your imagination and stamp it: "Made In Another Universe" “Build-It-Yourself publishes an on-going series of multimedia files (animated plans and building tips) that inspire kids between 8 - 16 years to build whimsical toys. Projects incorporate commonly found materials, LEGO Dacta parts and programmable microcomputers.” Sections: Join the Crew, Missions, and Hot Shots. Good

CHINESE INVENTIONS – A THINKQUEST SITE

http://library.thinkquest.org/15618/index.htm

We tend to think of inventions as having origins in Europe, but the Chinese were avid inventors, too. This site explores several Chinese inventions. Sections: History, Inventions and Inventors, Implications, and China’s Future. Good

CLUB GIRL TECH

http://www.girltech.com/Invention/IN_menu_frame.html

A cool place to learn about inventors and their inventions. Includes a Kooky Invention Page and Teacher’s page for teaching about inventing. Good

CYBERSLEUTH KIDS – INVENTORS

http://cybersleuth-kids.com/sleuth/Science/Inventors/

Information for kids on inventors such as Samuel Morse, George Eastman, Charles Babbage and more. Plus links to other sites. Good

DELPHION GALLERY OF OBSCURE PATENTS NEW!

http://www.delphion.com/gallery

Not all inventions are useful or successful. For instance, the bird diaper. Click on the Gallery and the Historical Patents links to view some strange and interesting patent sketches. Good

DISCOVER GAMES

http://www.discovergames.com/

A resource for game inventors to promote and showcase their games. Includes help for inventors getting started. Good

THE ELI WHITNEY MUSEUM

http://www.eliwhitney.org/

Information on the Eli Whitney Museum, a biography, exhibits and an online MOOseum. Good

AN ENTRODUCTION: INVENTION VS. INNOVATION NEW!

http://www.econedlink.org/lessons/index.cfm?lesson=EM155

A lesson for grades 3-8 in which students research inventions to determine which were innovations and learn the difference between the two. Good

FORGOTTEN INVENTORS

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/telephone/sfeature/index.html

Features brief paragraphs about little known inventors of such items as the gas mask, can opener, blue jeans, and oil burner. Good

HOW STUFF WORKS NEW!

http://www.howstuffworks.com/

How everything works. Not really inventions but helpful. Sections: Computer Stuff, Auto Stuff, Electronic Stuff, Science Stuff, Home Stuff, Entertainment Stuff, Money Stuff, Travel Stuff, and People Stuff. Good

HUNGARIAN INVENTORS AND INVENTIONS

http://www.hpo.hu/English/inventor/eindex.html

While we are most familiar with American, British or French inventors, there were inventors working in all countries. This site lists the work of Hungarian inventors. Good

IMAGINATIVE INVENTIONS WEBQUEST NEW!

http://www.bgsu.edu/colleges/library/crc/webquest/inventions/inventions.html

A webquest for 2^nd grade in which students learn about inventions, perform invention activities and then write about their favorite invention. Note: We found a couple of broken links on this site. Good

INVENTING ENTERTAINMENT NEW!

http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/edhtml/edhome.html

An American Memory collection from the Library of Congress. Recordings of Thomas Edison’s early inventions in sound. “This site features 341 motion pictures, 81 disc sound recordings, and other related materials, such as photographs and original magazine articles.” Gives students a chance to actually hear Edison’s inventions. Includes a biography. Good

INVENTIONS 1780-1870 LESSON PLAN NEW!

http://www.teachervision.com/lesson-plans/lesson-4812.html

A lesson plan in which students learn about the proliferation of inventions from 1780 to 1870. Good

INVENTIONS LESSON PLAN

http://ofcn.org/cyber.serv/academy/ace/lang/ceclang/ceclang079.html

A lesson plan for grades 7-12 designed to help students understand the relationship between things and words by developing inventions and finding ways to describe them. Sections: Overview, Purpose, Objectives, Resources, Activities, Day Two, Day Three, and Tying It All Together. Good

INVENTIONS WORD SEARCH WORKSHEET NEW!

http://www.teach-nology.com/worksheets/science/invent/search/

A word search to print out using invention terms such as patent, inspiration, enigma, etc. Good

INVENTORS AND INVENTIONS LESSON PLAN NEW!

http://www.learningspace.org/instruct/lplan/library/Weaver.html

A high school lesson plan for language arts in which students research inventors and inventions between the years 1870 and 1914 and produce a research paper according to the requirements given. Good

INVENTORS’ CLUB – SCIENCE/ART ACTIVITY

http://www.eduplace.com/rdg/gen_act/cando/invent.html

A classroom for science or art in which children discuss how machines help us do things and then develop machines to help them do things they want to do. Sections: What You Need, What To Do, and Teaching Options. Good

INVENTORS, INVENTIONS, INVENT-NET – THE INVENTORS NETWORK

http://www.inventnet.com/

Provides help for inventors in doing patent searches, finding patent attorneys, chat room, forms, scams, and much more. A site for aspiring inventors. Good

JAMES WATT BY ANDREW CARNEGIE

http://www.history.rochester.edu/steam/carnegie/

A short online book by Andrew Carnegie on the work of James Watt with steam. A personal account. Good

JOHN’S WORD SEARCH PUZZLES – INVENTORS

http://www.thepotters.com/puzzles/kids/inventors.html

A word search puzzle to print out using the names of inventors. Good

LEVI STRAUSS – THE INVENTION OF LEVI’S JEANS

http://www.levistrauss.com/about/history/jeans.htm

The invention of blue jeans in 1873 turned fashion around as they became one of the most recognizable and worn items of clothing in the world.