N. Pauly
Lesson Introduction to Inventions and Buffalo Inventions (Two Days)
Materials:
Video on GM, PowerPoint on Inventions from the Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association website American centuries, Buffalo Industries sheets,
Objectives:
The students will be able to:
Identify former inventions.
Examine how GM engines have revolutionized industry and Buffalo.
Read about their specific Buffalo company.
Report to the class their findings about their company.
Introduction:
What inventions have changed your lives?
When do you think invention started?
Show PowerPoint project on inventions. This will illustrate objects from the PVMA collections.
Have the students try to identify these objects.
What can we learn from these early inventions?
Procedure:
1. List on the board the inventions that you learned about last night from the reading.
Examples:
Edison – Phonograph
Bell – Telephone
Gillette – Disposable Razor
Eastman – Kodak Camera
2. Examine the video on the building of General Motors.
Why did GM choose Buffalo?
How has the motor car engine changed our lives?
How have cars changed from the early 1900 until today?
2. Divide the classroom into partners. Each group will be responsible for examining their Buffalo industry and reporting back to the group. Each group will have to complete their worksheet.
3. Each group will have to report to the class.
Closure:
What company are your surprised that started in Buffalo?
What company have you heard of or used their products?
Homework:
Read the next section in your book.
New York State Standards:
Social Studies Standard for United States History
Resource Guide
Inventions
Name:
Group:
Directions:
After you have read your reading your group must answer the following questions:
Tomorrow you will be responsible for a presentation to class.
1. What is your company and product?
2. Who invented this product or started the company?
3. How did it revolutionize industry?
4. Has the product changed since its original conception?
5. Give me two fun facts about the product?
Name:
Group:
Directions:
After you have read your reading your group must answer the following questions:
Tomorrow you will be responsible for a presentation to class.
6. What is your company and product?
The company is called Jell-O and they produce many different flavors of gelatin dessert.
7. Who invented this product or started the company?
In 1897, Pearle Wait, a carpenter in Leroy, experimented with a cough remedy and laxative. His wife enjoyed the concoction and named it Jell-O. He lacked the finance and sold his idea to Orator Woodward for 450 dollars.
8. How did it revolutionize industry?
It became one of Leroy most successful industries. It developed unique ideas for advertising. Also, it revolutionized the fruit dessert industry.
9. Has the product changed since its original conception?
The product virtually remains unchanged since it original idea. The company has changed from its original four flavors to include many others. Also, the company was sold to Kraft foods in 1964 and moved the processing plant to Dover, Delaware.
4. Give me two fun facts about the product?
Leroy still houses the Jell-O museum. In 1993, it was tested that a bowl of Jell-O had the same EEG as the human brain. The first flavors were orange, lemon, strawberry, and raspberry. Only certain fruits float in Jell-O, Apples, oranges, and bananas. Grapes, cherries and pears do not float.