In my last post, I wrote that we’d take a look at some amazing children’s books about inventions, but then I decided to go with famous inventors first. To me, it makes more sense to talk about the identity we create when we live a curious life before we talk about the outcome of such a life. People who are curious observe the world. They ask a lot of questions and tend to notice problems. Often, this leads to creative work where something new or improved is born. Thinkers who tinker become builders, engineers, artists, designers, makers of all sorts … or inventors!
So why should we study famous inventors? It isn’t necessarily about what they invented as much as it is about WHY they invent. For example, it’s important to know what people like Ben Franklin and Garrett Morgan did. But it’s equally (if not more) important to understand the human stories behind the work and how it impacted the lives of others. Likewise, it might come in handy during a trivia game to know that Madam C. J. Walker invented hair care products, but it’s more relatable and inspiring to understand why she did. Inventions happen when needs, creativity, and grit collide. Understanding how inventors think is the powerful part. The ultimate goal is to replicate the process, not the product.
Famous Inventors
There are many books about famous inventors. MANY. The trick, if you teach a primary grade, is in finding biographies your kids can actually read. It’s easy to get around this by reading texts aloud to your students or by showing kid-friendly videos. Patrice McLaurin’s picture book Have You Thanked an Inventor Today?, is a good choice for young children. (See photo at top.👆) In her book, Patrice introduces readers to several African-American inventors in short snippets, so you can break the reading up over a few days. The text isn’t super explicit about what motivated the inventors to invent, but this gives the kids a chance to practice inferential thinking as they pick up on subtle clues. One thing the author does ask is for the readers to imagine what their lives might be like without the inventions shared in the book. This gives you a chance to play it in reverse: “What problems might we experience if we didn’t have traffic lights? I wonder if that’s how the invention came about in the first place. I bet Garrett Morgan had the same concerns you’re thinking about.”
When you’re looking for books about inventors, try to find a variety of genres or formats. For example, I like these two texts about George Washington Carver.👇 The National Geographic book is informational text with nonfiction text features like a contents page, captions, and key word boxes. On the other hand, In the Garden with Dr. Carver by Susan Grigsby is historical fiction and reads like a narrative told in the first person (the little girl on the cover). I love both. One is a little more technical. The other feels more personal. By using both books, we get a more well-rounded idea of who George was and what drove his work.
So, What Exactly IS an Inventor?
If you look up the definition of inventor, it will probably sound something like this: a person who invented a particular process or device. But I like the suggested synonyms so much better: creator, innovator, designer, developer, maker, planner, pioneer, mastermind, discoverer. To me, those words crack open the role of inventor to be much more inclusive, multi-faceted, and collaborative. I think this is an important nuance because not all creative thought leads to the production of a single object. And most inventors don’t work alone. Sometimes, imagination and innovation lead to experiences. Sometimes, makers make memories. And often it takes a team of people joining together, each contributing their unique skill set toward the collective outcome.
This is why I like a broad definition of the word inventor … a definition without rigid boundaries … a definition that includes creativity in all its forms … a definition where all our kids can see themselves as makers in one way or another. Think about the people in these books.👇 They were pioneering thinkers in their niche. Their imagination and hard work resulted in new experiences for others, and there’s a process to their work that holds lessons to be learned.
Why does this matter? Because not every kid will want to work with their hands. Not every kid will construct an item, but let’s not overlook the construction of ideas. There’s a spot on the invention-team for everyone.
Biography Passages about Famous Inventors
The best way for me to get the “just right” instructional materials I’m looking for is to create them. What I like about these reading passages is that they include text features I want to highlight (timelines, key words, quotes, and labels) at a reading level students can handle with support. I wrote them with a common theme in mind … these people are inventors, but why? What do we notice about their personal stories? What traits do they have in common?
In general, adult inventors were once curious kids. They were given chemistry sets as gifts. Or they spent a great deal of time outdoors observing the world around them. They asked, and asked, and kept asking questions. When faced with problems, they thought and planned and worked until a solution was discovered. They tend to be people who wonder, “Is there a better way?” This is a big part of what I want kids to understand. I don’t need my students to reinvent the light bulb. (Well, they can if they want to.) What I want is to teach them the value of being a thinker and doer. And I want them to know what that looks like. So I’ve called on a few famous inventors to help me:
- Dr. Patricia Bath
- Alexander Graham Bell
- George Washington Carver
- Benjamin Franklin
- Stephanie Kwolek
- Lewis Latimer
- Joy Mangano
- Sarah Breedlove (Madam C. J. Walker)
Representation is critical. Kids need to believe, “Hey, I could do that, too.” So this collection represents both men and women, different ethnic backgrounds, multiple decades, and a wide variety of inventions … all the way from lightning rods and Kevlar vests to Miracle Mops and beauty products.
Female Inventors
The text difficulty of this resource is a little easier, providing an opportunity to differentiate instruction. Plus, I just like how it focuses on the contributions of women in history, an often overlooked group. I continued the thread in this text as well, providing clues as to why these women made what they made. The bottom line? They’re all problem-solvers.
Intended for readers in 1st and 2nd grades, you can check it out👉 here.
Ok … next time I promise to share my collection of picture books about famously fun kid-friendly inventions … everything from donuts and cotton candy to crayons and roller coasters. And if you missed the first two posts in this series that started with the benefits of boredom, you can check them out here.👇
Previous Posts in This Series
Happy teaching!
