Inventor Times

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INVENTOR TIMES
An Elementary School Web Quest

Introduction
The Age of Exploration brought about new discoveries of new worlds. Once discovered, the New World has been enhanced by inventions that have advanced societies. Since settlers first inhabited America in the 1600’s, what major inventions have made the most significant contributions to the growth and success of our American society?

This information quest will help you learn about major inventions from the past five hundred years through the present, the people who invented the items, and the impact that these discoveries have had on our country. Collectively, as a class, you will design a newspaper special edition that will have 25 or so newspaper front pages with articles chronicling the best inventions that helped shape America in the past five centuries.

The Task
You are working as a news reporter in the year 2076 for Invention Times New Services. Your Managing Editor wants to do a series of front page cover stories on “Important Inventions” for America’s Tricentennial. You are to write about a major invention, the inventor and the contribution that the invention had on American society. You will then create a full page advertisement publicizing the invention.

The Process
1. At a staff meeting, you will be assigned to report along with 3-4 other reporters on an invention era; 1600’s, 1700’s, 1800’s, 1900’s, 2000’s.

2. After the meeting you will do the following:
a. As a group, research 4-5 important inventions for the era assigned.
b. As a group, assign an invention news story to each reporter in the group based upon agreed upon criteria for why the invention was an important contribution and evaluate.

(Example: give each invention 5 points if it saved lives, helped transportation, communication or education, food production or improved the quality of life).

c. The reporter will use the Time Travel TelePhone, invented in 2025, to interview the inventor using the linked graphic organizer and write a series of articles incorporating Who, What, Where, When, Why and How.

d. Each reporter will find specific information about the invention to report in a newspaper cover story using a word processing program such as AppleWorks or Microsoft Word.

e. The newspaper article, which will be also be available on the Invention Times web site, must contain the following:
i. What was the invention?
ii. Why was it created?
iii. Who invented it? What was the
Inventor’s life like, including where did they live and how were they educated?
iv. When was the item invented?
v. Why was it an important contribution
to American society? Did this item replace another item?
vi. Use Telephone to interview a resident of the era and ask “How will your life change with the invention of the item?”
vii. Include at least one picture of invention or inventor and cite Internet resources.
viii. Publish your paper in the year of
the invention!

f. On the reverse side of the newspaper, create a full page advertisement of the invention, either free-hand or with drawing tools. Include an image of the invention, include copy that appeals to the market of the invention and where you can get the item.

g. As a group, share your newspapers with the class and discuss in a presentation why your group chose the inventions that you did.

Conclusion
Scientists have improved the quality of American life with their inventions.
As a class, bind all of the Invention Times cover stories and advertisements into the American Tricentennial Invention Times “Important Inventions” Special Edition. Reflect upon how life might have been different without these inventions.

Evaluation
See Rubric on Page 2.