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Website
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Earliest Voices: Thomas Edison

For Students 9th - 10th
This resource offers historic voice recordings of Thomas Edison. There is a recording of animal sounds, and a speech given at an electrical exhibition in 1908. A biography and downloadable images of him are also included.
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Website
The Henry Ford

The Henry Ford: Thomas A. Edison and the Menlo Park Laboratory

For Students 9th - 10th
This site, presented by the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village, offers a peek into the life and inventions of Thomas Edison. Content is focused mainly on Edison's Menlo Park Laboratory and his invention of the first practical...
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Handout
Rutgers University

Thomas Edison Papers: Biography of Thomas Edison

For Students 9th - 10th
The first person to make the storage battery practical, with 147 patents, Edison's life is a testimony to invention. This biography, in outline form, is in two parts; go to 1879 site after this.
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Lesson Plan
Library of Congress

Loc: Learning Page: Thomas Edison

For Teachers 9th - 10th
This resource provides lesson plans and information about Thomas Edison and his inventions.
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Lesson Plan
National Endowment for the Humanities

Neh: Edsit Ement: Thomas Edison's Inventions in 1900s and Today: From New to You!

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
For this lesson plan, learners will consider "Thomas Edison's Inventions in the 1900s and Today: From "New" to You!." The plan includes worksheets and other student materials that can be found under the resource tab.
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Handout
Science Struck

Science Struck: Timeline of Thomas Edison's Inventions

For Students 9th - 10th
Describes Thomas Edison's inventions in chronological order from 1868 to 1915, with mention of his contribution to World War I.
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Handout
Science Struck

Science Struck: Facts About Thomas Edison

For Students 4th - 8th
Read about the life of Thomas Edison and his many inventions.
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Website
Rutgers University

Rutgers: The Thomas Edison Papers

For Students 9th - 10th
Links to copies of papers written by Thomas Edison. Also includes biographical information and copies of his patents and companies.
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Website
Smithsonian Institution

Lemelson Center: Thomas Edison's Inventive Life

For Students 9th - 10th
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.
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Lesson Plan
PBS

Pbs Learning Media: What Edison Teaches Us About Success

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
In this interactive activity, students examine Thomas Edison's character traits and how they contributed to his becoming one of the greatest inventors in history. In this interactive activity, students watch videos to gather evidence...
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Stanford University

Beyond the Bubble: Edison and the Kansas Housewife

For Teachers 9th - 10th
[Free Registration/Login Required] Students read a letter from a Mrs. W.C. Lathrop to Thomas Edison thanking him for inventing her electric appliances and making her life easier. They are then presented with some contextual facts, and...
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Website
Curated OER

National Park Service: Thomas Edison National Historical Park: Thomas Edison

For Students 9th - 10th
This site includes information about Thomas Edison's inventions and his home and family life. Find a lengthy biography and several sounds from Edison's original phonograph.
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Primary
Rutgers University

Thomas Edison Papers: Latimer's Patents

For Students 9th - 10th
Find a list of patents issued to African-American inventor, Lewis Latimer, to him individually or with another inventor. Clicking on the invention takes you a diagram of the invention as well as its description submitted to the U.S....
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Unit Plan
National Humanities Center

National Humanities Center: Toolbox Library: Progress: The Meaning of the Machine: Thomas Edison

For Students 9th - 10th
A photograph of Edison and an interview of Edison by Theodore Dreiser that displays the inventor's convictions about progress in America.
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Interactive
Curated OER

National Park Service: Dison National Historical Site: The Invention Factory

For Students 6th - 9th
This terrific interactive site from the National Park Service describes the different buildings on Thomas Edison's West Orange, New Jersey's laboratory facility. After exploring the buildings, follow Edison's invention and application of...
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eBook
Other

Edison:life and Inventions/motion Pictures

For Students 9th - 10th
This page is part of an online text of a book published in 1929 by Dyer and Martin on the life and work of inventor Thomas Edison. Discusses Edison's role in the development of motion pictures, but be sure to view the rest of the book...
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Handout
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Harcourt: Biographies: Thomas Edison

For Students 9th - 10th
A good description of the inventions and life of this bright and ambitious man. As inventor of the light bulb, phonograph, movie camera and many others, Edison lived a very inspiring life. In Spanish.
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Website
Smithsonian Institution

Lemelson Center: Thomas Edison

For Students 9th - 10th
Read a brief biography of Thomas Edison.
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Handout
Mocomi & Anibrain Digital Technologies

Mocomi: Thomas Edison Biography

For Students 1st - 8th
Interesting biographical information, famous inventions, and quotes of Thomas Edison, one of America's greatest inventors.
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Website
Other

Creative Thinking With Thomas Edison

For Students 9th - 10th
As a master inventor Thomas Edison used many techniques that helped him with his creative ideas. Learn how you can apply some of his techniques to yourself to aid you in your own creative inventiveness.
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Website
Other

History of Recording Technology: Edison's Invention of the Phonograph

For Students 9th - 10th
Click through the pages on this site to read about Edison's development of the phonograph as well as a discussion of Edison's rivals who were seeking to develop a similar product. Read about the changes in the ways to record sound as the...
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Website
Ducksters

Ducksters: Thomas Edison: Inventor of the Light Bulb and Much More

For Students 1st - 9th
Kids learn about Thomas Edison's biography. Invented many things including the light bulb and phonograph.
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Handout
Science4Fun

Science4 Fun: Thomas Edison

For Students K - 1st
Brief biographical sketch of Thomas Alva Edison, inventor of the light bulb and phonograph.
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Handout
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Harcourt: Biographies: Thomas Alva Edison

For Students 9th - 10th
A biography of Thomas Edison, the "confused" young student who ended up being one of the greatest inventors in history. Offers a brief list of his many important inventions.

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