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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Eli Whitney's Patent for the Cotton Gin

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students review the U.S. patent laws by researching Eli Whitney's petition for a renewal on his cotton gin patent. They examine documents to assess the impact of the cotton gin, role-play the patent hearing and discuss the effects of...
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Article
University of Michigan

University of Michigan: Proprietary Rights/norms of Science in Biotech Research

For Students 9th - 10th
This article examines how the commercialization of scientific discoveries leads to conflict between proprietary rights to intellectual property, trade secrecy, and the maintenance of scientific norms. The first two inhibit the...
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Website
Other

United States Patent and Trademark Office: Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights

For Students 9th - 10th
This comprehensive site provides answers to the most frequently asked kids' questions about patents, trademarks, and copyrights. Links are provided to related fun and interesting patent, trademark and copyright sites.
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eBook
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Mit: Inventor's Handbook: Patents

For Students 9th - 10th
This site has everything you would want to know regarding United States patents is included in this handbook for the "Aspiring entrepreneur."
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Handout
Other

Black Inventor Online Museum: Lewis Latimer

For Students 9th - 10th
The biography of the fascinating African-American inventor, Lewis Latimer. In addition to finding out about his development of the carbon filament for the incandescent lamp, you can read about his expertise in patent law, his association...
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Article
Other

Mark Allen Engineering: The Engineer: Opinion: Navigating Patent Law in Space

For Students 9th - 10th
With the rush to populate space and other planetary bodies, a British lawyer examines what the ramifications are for patent legislation. (Published June 14, 2021)