Thomas Edison

We are working on the FOSS unit Magnetism and Electricity - another one of my favorite units! So far we have explored what is attracted to magnets using plastic bags full of materials.  Many of the materials are duplicates, only one is made of iron or steel and the other of another non-magnetic substance. 

We have begun exploring how to create a circuit using D-cells and light bulbs.  Students are learning new vocabulary such as energy source and energy receiver, circuits and filament. As part of this lesson we are introduced to Thomas Edison. 

Lewis Latimer
Did you know that Thomas Edison did NOT invent the light bulb? He was an engineer - he found an existing problem and using through trial and error worked to find a better way. It was not until he met Lewis Latimer, an African American inventor that the modern  light bulb was improved to last more than a few days.  Thomas Latimer had created a filament that would not burn out quickly. Together they figured out a way to vacuum out the air, so that there would be no oxygen in the glass bulb for the filament to catch on fire.


Anyway....I have created a worksheet to use as a follow up to introducing Thomas Edison.  I tried to include a passage about his childhood love of asking questions as a spark or connection for our kids.  Then we ask them to imagine what they would invent if they could.  

Grab it free here!



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