Genius+at+Work!

Genius at Work!! Inventors and Inventions  Introduction   ﻿    Necessity is the mother of invention (or so they say). Our lives have been made so easy, efficient and hassle-free that we take for granted all the labor-saving devices that have made our lives easier. Think for a minute.......you are reading this on a computer, taking notes on a three-hole-punched sheet of paper, writing with a mechanical pencil, in an air-conditioned room that has four sinks, fluorescent lighting **, a big television, two printers and.....well, you get the picture. Someone (or several someones) made all this happen so that you could learn as much as possible in as short a time as possible with as few impediments as possible. Who are those guys? **   Task
 * In this activity, you will research the history of technology, its inventors, and the time frame in which these inventions took place.You and your partner will develop a timeline of inventions using adding machine tape. To wrap up the project, you will write a two-page essay about inventors and their inventions. **



Procedure
 * 1. Access the [|Inventor's Challenge] website. You will be given a paper copy of this material. Complete the required information. **
 * 2. You will be given a second Inventor's Challenge worksheet. On this sheet, the inventors are listed. You must discover the invention, dates, and the nationality of the inventor. **
 * 3. On a third sheet, determine the timeline of your inventions. Your teacher will provide adding machine tape for you to build your timeline. **

Resources
 * ** [|Smithsonian Institute] **
 * ** [|Enchanted Learning] **
 * ** [|Kidinfo] **
 * ** [|Energy Quest] **
 * ** [|Wikipedia] **
 * ** [|PBS] **



Conclusion
 * Write a two-page essay using the criteria listed below: **
 * ** The essay must be typed in 10-12 point font **
 * ** The essay must be written in paragraph form, using indents and double-spacing. **
 * ** Your essay must have a title, which may be written in a font no greater than 14 pt. **
 * ** Describe the contributions of at least three but no more than five inventors, explaining why their inventions were important. Include information about how these inventions changed technology, industry, education, or medicine and how they have changed society as a whole. If other inventions have resulted from the inventions you are describing, include this information. **
 * ** You are stating your opinion in this paper (which is not permissible in research papers); therefore, you are encouraged to speculate about the value of each of the inventions/innovations. (Hint: think about the kinds of technology that you use every day. What led to their development? Trace these inventions back as far as you can. This might help you determine their importance to society.) **
 * ** Be sure you take advantage of spell-check and other edit options. Your grammar, sentence structure, punctuation and spelling must be perfect. **

Evaluation [|**Rubric**] for Timeline [|**Rubric**] for Essay
 * This is a 100-point project, 50 points for the timeline and 50 points for the essay. **

Just for fun, build a [|fantastic] machine!

GLE 0807.T/E.1 Explore how technology responds to social, political, and economic needs.
 * Tennessee Standards and Expectations **