Curated OER
Telegrams!
Students read and analyze original telegrams to learn about people involved in and process of building the world's first Ferris wheel, examine correspondence between inventor and engineer to understand planning necessary to build Ferris...
Curated OER
Industrial Revolution: A Definition
America sure did have a few growing pains during the Industrial Revolution. Share the problems, causes, effects, and reformation that marked the turn of the century and shift in policy during US industrialization. This slide show...
Curated OER
Early 19c Industrialization in America: The Market Revolution
Posing a question about the effects of American Industrialization, this presentation provides viewers with a comprehensive look at the 19th century. From the "Lowell Girls" to the Iron Horse, these slides would be an excellent supplement...
Curated OER
Innovative Inventions
Help your scholars get a grasp on the chronology of the Industrial Revolution with this "Innovative Inventions" worksheet. They discover what year various items were invented, and then create a timeline placing each invention and...
Curated OER
Morse Code, Telegraph, and West Virginia
Students prepare for a visit to the West Virginia State Museum. In this West Virginia history lesson, students research the Morse Code and telegraph. Students create their own Morse Code and discuss communication history prior to...
Curated OER
Reading Comprehension Worksheet: Inventions
In this inventions worksheet, students read a passage that describes the invention of the electromagnetic telegraph by Samuel Morse. Students answer 4 questions about the text.
Curated OER
Telegraphy
Students research the telegraph. In this telegraph lesson, students review the history of the telegraph. Students complete radio wave experiments. Students work in pairs to complete 3 sound exercises.
Curated OER
Morse Code and Computers
In this Morse code worksheet, students read a short passage about the invention of Morse code and the use of telegraphs. Students answer three paragraphs about the passage.
Curated OER
Thomas Edison
In this mathematics instructional activity, students identify and define various vocabulary terms related to Thomas Edison through a math puzzle. There are nine problems to solve on the sheet.
Princeton University
Princeton University: Joseph Henry
A really fine and complete biography, quite lengthy. Some emphasis placed on his time at Princeton. A great deal of detail can be found here. Link here to the Joseph Henry House.
University of Virginia
University of Virginia: Alexander Graham Bell's Path to the Telephone
A detailed survey of the invention and evolution of the telephone. This scholarly article includes a Master Map that shows Bell's thought processes as he developed the telephone, with each step linked to more in-depth information. The...
Other
Federal Communications Commission: About the Fcc
This site from the FCC provides an in-depth look at the Federal Communications Commission and the job it performs.
PBS
Pbs: American Experience: Joseph Henry Lays Groundwork for the Telephone
This is the man who most encouraged Bell to invent the telephone. Bell said, "But for Henry, I never would have gone ahead with the telephone." This is a fascinating account both of Bell's invention and of Henry's life. Half a biography,...
Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Education: Spotlight Biography Inventors
This site provides information on American inventors Benjamin Franklin, Robert Fulton, Eli Whitney, Thomas Jefferson, Isaac Singer, Wilbur Wright, Thomas Alva Edison, Elias Howe, and Alexander Graham Bell. It offers pictures from and...
Central Intelligence Agency
Cia: Intelligence in the Civil War [Pdf]
A multi-topic look at intelligence gathering, the tools used, and the people involved in both the North and the South during the Civil War. Comprehensive, interesting coverage from the CIA.
Virtual Museum of Canada
Virtual Museum of Canada: Community Stories: A Line Through the Wilderness Humboldt Telegraph Station
The Humboldt Telegraph Station was established in the Saskatchewan wilderness in 1878 and was operated by George and Catherine Weldon. It served as a critical communication tool during the battle at Batoche. The history of the station is...
Smithsonian Institution
Lemelson Center: Thomas Edison's Places of Invention
An article by Paul Israel from the Prototype newsletter discusses the various laboratories used by Thomas Edison as he was developing his inventions.
Smithsonian Institution
Lemelson Center: Thomas Edison's Inventive Life
This site is a complete resource for learning about Edison's life, his inventions, and electricity. If you like experimenting, there are instructions included for how to make your own light bulb. Good photos.
Other
History News Network: How the Telegraph Helped Lincoln Win the Civil War
Abraham Lincoln participated in battle strategy in real time thanks to the telegraph. Read the fascinating story of how Abraham Lincoln was intimately involved in the course of the Civil War due to the increased use of the telegraph.
Huntington Library
Huntington Library: Decoding the Civil War
This is a rich learning module where students explore the use of telegraphs and of Union codes during the Civil War. Both topics have an "Explainer" to introduce it, pre- and post-activities, and primary and secondary source materials to...
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Thomas Edison: Inventor and Entrepreneur
Through a video and primary source activities, students will learn about Edison's remarkable business of innovation and some of his 1,093 patented devices.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Harcourt: Biographies: Samuel F. B. Morse
An account of Samuel Morse's life and career, with links to related information. Uses popups for photos.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Harcourt: Biographies: Samuel F. B. Morse
An account of Samuel Morse's life and career, with links to related information.
Civil War Home
Home of the American Civil War: Transportation and Commerce in the Civil War
From "The Civil War Day by Day" by E.B. Long comes this informative article about the different types of transportation that were used in the Civil War and why each had its importance.