SUBTOPIC: Understanding The Genius

OBJECTIVES:

The students are asked to:

1) identify inventions that influenced the course of history

2) determine the political, social and economics effects of these inventions/discoveries on mankind 

Students should be aware of and develop an appreciation for human genius making life on earth less hostile. It is important for students to become aware of past inventions and discoveries which condition our life. By staying abreast of what they already know, students are able to add to an ongoing list which will continue throughout the school year.

ACTIVITY #1:

MATERIALS: TRANSPARENCIES, OVERHEAD PROJECTOR, FORMS APPROPRIATE FOR THE ACTIVITIES, PEN AND PAPER

PROCEDURE:

1) Make transparencies of all illustrations. If possible do the following as well:

a) separate illustrations

b) enlarge illustrations

c) colorize illustrations

3) Give students a copy of the "What in the World is That?" form. They will duplicate the form in their notebooks each time this lesson is presented.

4) Display illustrations you wish to use on screen and say to the students, "What in the world is that? What do you think it is? What does it look like?" The latter two questions will be asked if the students say they do not know.

Hint: Do not let the students answer out loud. Instead, have them write what they think the object is in the appropriate space(s) on the form supplied. You may also try to make the lesson competitive by saying something like, "I wonder who will be able to identify this item?" Allow only three minutes for answers.

5) Give students appropriate reading material with which to identify the items and provide additional information so that they may complete the forms given. 

6) Upon completion of the forms, ask students if they were able to identify the items displayed. If not, why? What, if any, changes have been made, etc.

7) Have students store their form or work sheet in the section of the notebook especially reserved for this exercise.

8) On the "What I Know" sheet:

a) duplicate the form on the chalk board

b) have students duplicate form on loose-leaf paper

c) in the column "What I already know," ask the students to write everything they know about a particular person, place or thing. 

*Example: "Tell me everything you know about Thomas Edison, or Ptolemy, or the typewriter."

d) Upon completion, the teacher should ask each student to explain one change that the student already knew about the subject. Start with students who rarely respond in class. Then write the answers on the chalkboard in the appropriate columns.

e) After getting a response from each student, distribute the reading material on the subject. Be sure to give the students enough time to read and digest the material.

f) Upon completion of the reading, the teacher should have students complete the second column, entitled "What I know now." 

g) Follow this with a discussion of comparison of what the students already knew in terms of quantity and quality with what they now know. 

1) Teachers may use other discoveries and inventions as they fit into the lessons.

2) Students should be required to find pictures of other inventions/ discoveries that influenced the world. They should share at least one of the pictures with the class and should be sworn to secrecy as to what this invention/discovery is. The write-up should remain the same throughout the entire series.

3) Students should do at least 10 discoveries/inventions for the year, five per semester. Each discovery/invention should be valued highly enough to encourage compliance. Teachers may grade the notebooks while he/she walks around the room.

4) Teachers may wish to use a thematic approach by using inventions/discoveries that contributed to the discovery of the new world, that made the continuation of slavery necessary, that made the industrial revolution possible, etc.

5) Teachers may have students research the subsequent inventions necessary to make the originals serviceable, practical, economical, and ethical.

Conlin, Joseph R. A History of The United States: Our Land, Our People. 442-443.

Moyer, Albert E. "Benjamin Franklin: Let the Experiment be Made." 

The Physics Teacher. Vol. 14.