Ohio Inventors that Shaped America

Caitlyn Hilliard
Grade 4 Social Studies

Common Core Standards:

The fourth-grade year focuses on the early development of Ohio and the United States. Students learn about
the history, geography, government
and economy of their state and nation. Foundations of U.S. history are laid as students study prehistoric Ohio
cultures, early American life, the U.S.
Constitution, and the development and growth of Ohio and the United States. Students begin to understand
how ideas and events from the past have
shaped Ohio and the United States today.
Topic: History Strand
Historical thinking and skills:
1. The order of significant events in Ohio and the United States can be shown on a timeline.
2. Primary and secondary sources can be used to create historical narratives.
Heritage:
3. Various groups of people have lived in Ohio over time including prehistoric and historic American Indians,
migrating settlers and immigrants. Interactions among these groups have resulted in both cooperation and
conflict.
4. The 13 colonies came together around a common cause of liberty and justice, uniting to fight for
independence during the American Revolution and to form a new nation.
5. The Northwest Ordinance established a process for the creation of new states and specified democratic
ideals to be incorporated in the states of the Northwest Territory.
6. The inability to resolve standing issues with Great Britain and ongoing conflicts with American Indians led
the United States into the War of 1812. Victory in the Battle of Lake Erie contributed to American success in
the war.
7. Sectional issues divided the United States after the War of 1812. Ohio played a key role in these issues,
particularly with the anti-slavery movement and the Underground Railroad.
8. Many technological innovations that originated in Ohio benefited the United States.
Lesson Summary:
In this social studies lesson, students will be able to discover different inventors from Ohio using QR codes
then will review using an online application. They will then split into groups and do mini-projects on an
inventor of their choice and what they invented. They will have to make poster boards and give quick
presentations, then place their mini-project on the board at the front of the class on a large timeline
demonstrating when each invention was completed. This lesson will allow the students to learn about each
inventor, their inventions and what their inventions did for the United States. It will also give them a chance to
use a timeline to put the inventions in order.

Estimated Duration:
I would like to spread this lesson out over the course a few days. Day one will consist of using the QR codes
for the full class period (50 minutes) to discover the inventors and writing down notes about each, also
discussing with other classmates their findings.
Day 2 would consist of using about 35 minutes of class time to play the online game and take more notes on
the inventors. Then the remaining 15 minutes of class would be used to assign groups and pick inventors.
Day 3 is when the students use the computer lab to research more in depth about their inventors and what they
invented, also how it impacted the country. We would use the full 50 minutes.
Day 4 would consist of collecting materials and printing out pictures for their poster boards. 50 minutes.
Day 5 would consist of quick 5 minute presentations for each group to show off their boards and give us a
lesson on their inventor. 40 minutes, 8 groups.
Total: roughly 240 minutes
Commentary:
I plan on using technology throughout most of this lesson to keep the students excited. We will use Ipads for
the QR codes, allowing the students to walk around the room and scan the codes underneath pictures of the
inventors. It will get them up and moving around and allow some talking time to keep them from feeling
bored. This lesson wouldnt require lecturing. Also, having to be in a computer lab for quite some time gives
the students time in a different room. Letting my students play a game to review instead of a test or quiz will
also keep their attention. I think the biggest challenge of this lesson is keeping the students under control
during the QR code activity and group work.
The fact the lesson is based on inventors from Ohio will help the students feel like they can relate to the topic
in the lesson.
Instructional Procedures:
Day 1:
First 10 minutes: I will pass out the Ipads to each student and they will open their QR scanners. I will instruct
them to walk around the room and scan QR codes I have already placed in different areas. These QR codes
will take my students to websites about the 8 different inventors from Ohio where they can learn about what
inventions they created. I will also explain that they may talk to each other and share information but they
must use inside voices and scan every code. Also they will have to take notes!
25 minutes: Students will scan every QR code around the room by themselves with the ipads. They can take
screenshots of different facts on the websites and take notes they think are important or interesting. I will give
them plenty of time for this activity but it shouldnt take them very long since they can screenshot and quickly
jot down notes in their notebooks or in the notes on the ipads.
Last 5 minutes: The students will find their seats, save any notes or screenshots for the next day and start
thinking about which inventors they find interesting.
Day 2:
First 5 minutes: I will instruct students to pick a laptop supplemented in the classroom or a computer within a
computer lab. I would write the link to the review game on the smartboard in the front of the class for the
students to type into their browsers to play. They will be given about 35 minutes to play the game to review the

inventors they got to discover the previous day. Once completed and theyve taken notes, I will use the
remaining 15 minutes of the day to assign groups and have them each pick a different inventor. I would of
course make it fair and have them pick out of a bucket an inventor to research. The groups would then know
who they are working with and which inventor they are researching.
http://www.oplin.org/famousohioans/inventors/puzzler.html#person1
Day 3:
First 10 minutes: I would instruct the students to find their ipads used day 1 and a laptop. I would instruct them
to transfer their notes into a word document for a grade. I would not require a formal essay for this lesson, just
proof of note taking and participation.
Remaining 40 minutes: Students will spend the remaining class time copying their notes into a word document
and doing their final research on their inventor. I would expect them to find their inventors inventions and how
the inventions impacted the country. A little bit about each inventor would be highly encouraged, such as when
and where they were born, when they died etc.
Day 4: The students would use the laptops again to print out any pictures they would like to include on their
poster boards and work within their groups to complete their board. I would also use this time to allow the
students to ask any questions or get feedback from me before their final presentation. This would take the
entire class time.
Day 5:
The first 5 minutes of class would consist of me picking numbers to see what order the groups will present. I
chose to do groups for presentations because at this age, presenting on your own can be scary. We would allow
4 minutes for each group to give a summary on their inventors. This would total 32 minutes, 4 minutes for 8
groups. After each presentation, I would instruct the students to place their poster board on a timeline I would
have already had on the wall. The last 13 minutes of class would be to regroup and ask any other questions,
also to get a look at the timeline made by the class and review it.

Pre-Assessment:
To pre-assess the students, I would do an informal pre-assessment together to review any inventors the
students may already know or any inventions they feel are important. We would put the different inventions
and inventors on the smartboard.
Scoring Guidelines:
Because the lesson is very detailed, its unlikely the students will know each inventor and their
inventions already. I would score the pre-assessment with participation. As long as the student
attempted to write an inventor or invention on the smartboard, raised their hand to participate, I would
give them points.
Post-Assessment:
The students would have completed their post-assessment by doing their group posters but I would also require
a short quiz to match the inventors and their inventions with each other. Also, what year the inventions were
created. It would be a 16 question quiz.

Scoring Guidelines:
Each match will be worth 1 point, totaling 16 points.

Differentiated Instructional Support

Describe how instruction can be differentiated (changed or altered) to meet the needs of gifted or accelerated
students: Those who may be accelerated could have the option to write a short essay on an inventor of their
choice. They would use google docs to complete the assignment.
Discuss additional activities you could do to meet the needs of students who might be struggling with the
material: If I find students are struggling, I would allow the students to peer-review and peer-tutor each other.
Since this is a group project, those who are struggling would have the help if they needed it.

Extension
http://www.beavercreek.k12.oh.us/cms/lib5/OH01000456/Centricity/Domain/30/ohio_inventors/index.htm
This link will take students to a site where they can learn more about the 8 inventors that were discovered in
class or they can look at other inventors from Ohio as well.

Homework Options and Home Connections

For homework, I would have students make a timeline of their own of the significant events in their inventors
life that their group is working on. That way each student in every group is on the same page and are well
informed about their inventor.
I would have them do a timeline of each inventor and their inventions as well on a separate day, for a separate
homework assignment.

Interdisciplinary Connections
I could connect this lesson with science and the science behind certain inventions. I could talk about why
science is important for inventions to better our life like the lightbulb and the motor vehicle.

Materials and Resources:

For teachers

1. Smartboard pre-assessment, show the students how the online game works
2. Laminated pictures of the inventors

3. QR code maker
4. Laminated QR codes
5. Paper/Markers to make timeline
6. Ipad

For students

1. Ipads
2. Laptops/computers
3. Poster boards
4. Paper
5. Markers/colored pencils
6. Decorations for the poster boards (glitter)
7. QR code scanner app
8. printers

Key Vocabulary
1. Charles F. Brush
2. Electric Arc Light
3. Arthur Compton
4. Sodium Vapor Lamp
5. Florescent Light Tube
6. Atomic Bomb
7. Thomas Edison
8. Telegraph
9. Automatic Telegraphic Repeater
10. Phonograph
11. Movie Camera
12. Projector
13. Electronic Vacuum Tube
14. Charles M. Hall
15. ALCOA

16. Aluminum
17. Charles Kettering
18. Accounting Machine
19. Self-Starter for Automobiles
20. Shock Absorbers
21. Ethyl Gasoline
22. Granville Woods
23. Automatic Railroad Breaks
24. Orville Wright
25. Wilbur Wright

Additional Notes
Have Fun!