Overview
 

Elizabeth Garcia
Nowlin Elementary School
23600 Penn St.
Dearborn, MI 48124
Phone : (313) 730-3165
Email : garciae@dearborn.k12.mi.us
Introduction
Overview
Narratives
Exhibits
Reflection
 

 

The purpose of this cross curriculum unit is to introduce students to inventions and their relevance to everyday life. 

  • What are some of the most important inventions of the 20th Century? 
  • How have these inventions impacted society? 
  • What would life be like without these inventions? 
  • If you could invent something to make your life easier, what would it be?
Each lesson in this unit incorporates a variety of Michigan Content Standards in Technology, Social Studies, Science and Language Arts, as well as National Educational Technology Standards for Students. The Exhibits section of this portfolio contains each lesson plan in its entirety, including the National and State Content Standards they meet as well as assessment pieces. Students will be introduced to this topic through a variety of experiences, both inside and outside of the classroom. They will explore inventions through fiction and nonfiction texts during guided reading. They will participate in a district planned field trip to the Henry Ford Estate to learn more about this internationally renowned inventor who has such strong ties to the Dearborn area.
 
  

 

Lesson Overviews


Lesson 1
Students will explore inventions through guided reading. They will activate prior knowledge by using Kidspiration to construct a web.  They will write "Inventions" in the center circle.  Circles around the web will include the names of various inventions. Additional circles linked to the name of each invention may include the following: 

  • Name of inventor
  • Year of invention
  • Use of invention
  • Impact on society
Students will choose three inventions from their web and rank them, according to interest, using the numbers 1-3.  They will then be grouped together to research a specific invention. Mixed abilities and common interests will both be taken into account when grouping students.

Lesson 2
Students will work in groups to conduct further research, using multimedia such as books, the Internet and CD Roms.
 

Lesson 3
Students will use their research to create a Power Point presentation about the invention, the inventor, and the impact the invention has had on society.
 

Lesson 4
Students will use a digital video camera to record a narrative piece introducing their presentation.
 

Lesson 5
Students will work with their group to create their own invention using Microsoft Paint.  They may improve upon the invention they have studied or they may create something new. This will be added to their Power Point presentation.



  • Bullets are useful her

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