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Lesson Plan - History Makers: Thomas Edison
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Learning Objectives
Students will understand the accomplishments and lasting impact of inventor Thomas Edison.
Text Structure
Profile, Sequence
Content-Area Connections
U.S. History; STEM
Standards Correlations
CCSS: RI.3.1, RI.3.2, RI.3.3, RI.3.4, RI.3.5, RI.3.6, RI.3.7, RI.3.8, RI.3.10, L.3.4, SL.3.1
CASEL: Growth Mindset
NCSS: Individual Development and Identity
TEKS: Social Studies 3.19
1. Preparing to Read
Watch a Slideshow: 5 Things You Need to Know about Edison
After reviewing the slideshow, ask: Why do many people consider Edison one of the greatest inventors of all time?
Preview Words to Know
Project the online vocabulary slideshow and introduce the Words to Know.
Set a Purpose for Reading
As students read, have them think about the qualities that helped Edison succeed as an inventor.
2. Close-Reading Questions
1. According to the article, what challenge did Edison face when he was a child? A challenge Edison faced as a child is that he started to lose his hearing in both ears when he was around 12.
(RI.3.2 KEY DETAILS)
2. What are some ways Edison tried to create a glow inside a light bulb? Edison tried hundreds of ways to create a glow inside a bulb. For example, he tried using a piece of fishing line, the stringy part of a coconut shell, and hairs from a friend’s beard. He finally succeeded when he used cotton thread.
(RI.3.3 SEQUENCE)
3. What did Edison mean when he said that no experiment is a failure? Edison meant that even if an experiment did not work, you could always learn something that would help you.
(RI.3.1 INFERENCE)
3. Skill Building
FEATURED SKILL: Synthesize Information
Use the Skill Builder “All About Thomas Edison” to have students use details from the article to complete a profile of Edison.
English Learners
Note that the English verb invent and the Spanish verb inventar are cognates. Challenge ELs to look for other cognates in this issue, and make a list of the ones they identify.
Striving Readers
Explain that the sidebar “A Famous Inventor” shows three important events from Edison’s life. Have students use the main article to identify a fourth key event and draw a scene illustrating it.
Small Groups Have students respond to the following prompt: What qualities helped Edison succeed as an inventor? How did these qualities help him?