6 Inventions That Changed the World

1. Set Focus
Pose this essential question: In what ways can a new invention change the world?

2. List Vocabulary
Share some of the challenging vocabulary words in the article. Encourage students to use context to infer meanings as they read.

• transformed (p. 19)
• bureaucracy (p. 19)
• suspended (p. 20)
• navigation (p. 20)
• accessible (p. 20)
• disruptive (p. 21)

3. Engage
Have students brainstorm uses of the wheel (e.g., car, bicycle, shopping carts, wheelchairs, airplanes). Then have students imagine what their lives would be like if the wheel did not exist. Ask volunteers to share some of their thoughts on what would be different for them.

4. Read and Discuss
Ask students to read the Upfront article about six inventions that changed the world. Review why the article is a secondary source. (It was written by someone who didn’t personally experience or witness the events.) Then pose these critical-thinking questions:

• Based on details in the “Wheel & Axle” section, what was life like before people figured out how to transport heavy things on wheels? (People had to live close to one another, not spread out, so that they could work together to move and build things. They were probably less productive, as they had to exert more time and energy to moving and building things. They also were not able to engage in long-distance trade, as they would not have been able to transport large quantities of goods long distances.) 

• How did the invention of paper lead to the invention of the printing press? In what ways did the invention of the internet have similar effects on the world as paper and the printing press? (Without paper, there would be no need for a printing press. Also, paper allowed people to distribute information more easily, which led to a desire to distribute information even more efficiently—thus the invention of the printing press. The internet allowed people to document and distribute information even more quickly.)

• What problems might sailors and land explorers have faced prior to the invention of the compass? (On dark nights, sailors might have ended up way off course. They might have run out of food while trying to get back on course. They might have gotten lost at sea. Land explorers also might have gone down paths they didn’t intend to and may have ended up in enemy territories.)

• In the “Electric Light Bulb” section, Ernest Freeberg says, “Edison was building on a process that many people created.” What does he mean? (He means that Edison isn’t solely responsible for the invention of the electric light bulb. Instead, Edison was building on knowledge and ideas discovered and put forth by people who had come before him.)

5. Use the Primary Sources
Project or distribute the PDF ‘Edison and the Skeptics’ (or assign it in Google Classroom), which features excerpts from a New York Times article published in 1880 about the light bulb Edison invented. Discuss what makes the news article a primary source. (It provides firsthand evidence concerning the topic.) Have students read the excerpts and answer the questions below (which appear on the PDF without answers).

• How would you describe the tone and purpose of these excerpts from the New York Times article? (The tone can be described as critical and authoritative. The purpose is to explain and analyze two opposing viewpoints on Edison’s new invention and then offer what the author sees as a better way to approach the situation.)

• What is the controversy the author references in the first line? Summarize the author’s assessment of the controversy. (The controversy is that some people are sure Edison’s light bulb will be a success, while others are sure that it will be a failure. The author’s assessment is that “both parties to the dispute are over-hasty”—or too quick to judge. The author says that speculative, or financial, interest in the invention has caused some supporters to make wild claims about it, and that personal connections to Edison have caused other supporters to lose their ability to engage in “cool” or unemotional reasoning. As for the skeptics, the author believes that they are being too conservative based on known science.)

• What does the author say readers should do? (The author recommends that readers wait and see what is accomplished rather than rushing to judgment. The author also recommends that readers hope for Edison’s success because the light bulb could make life easier.)

• In the last paragraph, what argument does the author make about Edison’s invention? Do you think the argument is well reasoned and supported? Explain. (In the last paragraph, the author argues that Edison’s light bulb will become a success only if it is better and cheaper than gas lights. Students’ assessments of the author’s argument will vary, but in their responses, students should analyze the evidence and reasons the author includes.)

• Based on the Upfront article and the excerpts from ‘Edison and the Skeptics,’ in what ways are new inventions incredibly exciting but also disruptive? (Students’ responses will vary but should be supported with evidence from both texts.)

6. Writing Prompt
Based on the article, what drives people to invent new things? Explain your conclusions in a one-page essay, supporting your points with text evidence.

7. Quiz
Use the quiz to assess comprehension..

8. Classroom Debate
Is the electric light bulb the greatest invention of all time?

9. Book Clubs
Have small groups each select a book or an online article about accidental inventions that changed the world. Have groups read and present summaries of their texts to the class. Then lead a class discussion about the different factors that lead to new inventions and the effects they can have.