Science Invention Sites
Exploring Leonardo
http://www.mos.org/sln/Leonardo/
Experience the creations of one of the most famous painters of the Italian Renaissance;
Leonardo DaVinci. Although he is best known for his paintings, Leonardo conducted dozens
of experiments and created futuristic inventions.
Greatest Engineering Achievements of the
20th Century
http://www.greatachievements.org/
Come here to learn about the crowning engineering achievements of the 20th century. You'll
notice upon arriving that the list is spelled out right in front of you and numbered one
to twenty. But if you click on any of the topics you can learn all about them. Each
section will give you an introduction, then at the bottom of the page there is a link to
the History of each item and the Timeline for each item.
Great Idea Finder
http://www.ideafinder.com/
This site celebrates great inventors and their inventions in an easy-to-understand format.
Clicking on "History Facts & Myths" gives students inventor profiles, an
innovation timeline, and a trivia quiz. "Idea Showcase" highlights only the best
of ideas past and present. Plus there are lots of other educational and entertaining
features. For example, the feature "Did You Ever Wonder" identifies inventions
that were the result of an accident.
History of Inventions
http://www.cbc.ca/kids/general/the-lab/history-of-invention/default.html
This site from CBC 4 Kids has an interactive timeline featuring facts about great
inventions throughout history.
How Everyday Things Are Made
http://manufacturing.stanford.edu/
"AIM has developed an introductory website for kids and adults showing how various
items are made. It covers over 40 different products and manufacturing processes, and
includes almost 4 hours of manufacturing video. It is targeted towards non-engineers and
engineers alike. Think of it as your own private online factory tour, or a virtual factory
tour, if you wish." To use this site click the title How Everyday Things Are Made and
it will open up in a new window. Now you can pick and chose which videos and tours you
want to watch. You can see everything from bottling to how certain items are made. Check
out the Jelly Bean video. You can also check out how they do casting, make crayons, or
even cars and airplanes. All of this is really neat. Be patient while loading!
How Products Are Made
http://www.madehow.com/
For each item, visitors will have the opportunity to learn about the processes involved
with their manufacture and assembly. Perhaps users have wondered how the tiny candy corn
is manufactured? They need wonder no more after taking a look at this site. The site also
takes on more complex items, such as the camera lens and the nicotine patch.
How Stuff Works
http://www.howstuffworks.com
Invention at Play: Invention Playhouse
http://www.inventionatplay.org/playhouse_main.html
From the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History comes this
wonderful resource for developing logical thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration -
in students of any age level. There are four interactive puzzles - Puzzle Blocks, Cloud
Dreamer, Word Play, and the especially addictive Tinker Ball - and all lend themselves to
collaborative decision-making, innovative thinking, and a lot of just plain-old fun! This
page is part of the larger site which deals with play as invention and invention as play.
It's good to remember the preceding sentence should you need to justify your 73d attempt
to get that darn Tinker Ball into the little cup!
Invention Dimension
http://web.mit.edu/afs/athena.mit.edu/org/i/invent/
Based at MIT, the Lelemson-MIT Program offers resources to young inventors and encourages
young people to enter the fields of science, mathematics, and technology. Visit the
Inventor of the week, take the trivia challenge and check out the hot Resource &
Development companies around the US.
Inventing Modern America
http://www.mit.edu/afs/athena/org/i/invent/www/ima/games.html
Explore the world of inventors and inventions with some interesting games.
Inventive Kids
http://www.inventivekids.com/indexFlash.html
Play games to learn about inventing. Games include Woman Inventors Flip Book, Time
Machine, For Girls, Journey Across Canada, etc.
Invent Now: National Inventors Hall of Fame
http://www.invent.org/index.asp
The Hall of Fame is dedicated to those "who conceived the great technological
advances which this nation fosters through its patent system.". The online version of
the Hall of Fame may be explored in several ways: the name of the inventor, the name of
the invention, the date and through a timeline. Suitable for grades 4-12.
Lemelson Center: Study of Invention &
Innovation
http://invention.smithsonian.org/home/
This site features stories about invention, an interactive invention playhouse, and
resources about the value of play in learning. Students can use the online Inventors
Sketchpad to begin "doodling" as a first step in the invention process. Students
can also use the interactive tools found in the playhouse to improve their visual thinking
by engaging in activities such as designing their own clouds. They can combine the
invention stories present at the site with past inventions (such as barbed wire, the
telegram, and the Internet) to explore, analyze and understand the role and impact of
inventions in society.
On the Edge: Paralyzing Polio
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/ontheedge/polio/
This online comic book (from PBS: Science Odessey) is based on the true story of Dr. Jonas
Salk. This will give students an understanding of polio and how the vaccine was created
that eradicated the disease.
Revolutionaries
http://www.thetech.org/revolutionaries/
Revolutionaries takes a new look at the inspiration behind 18 of Silicon Valley's top
technology and science pioneers – the men and women who forged ground-breaking
research, products or businesses, often in the face of long odds and seemingly
insurmountable hurdles. Discover here the innovators' early interests in science, guidance
for young people excited by technology today, and thoughts on the future.
Smith College Museum of Ancient Inventions
http://www.smith.edu/hsc/museum/ancient_inventions/
They Made America
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/theymadeamerica/
This is the companion site to They Made America, the four-part public broadcasting series
on looking at America through its innovators -- from the early days to today. From
Alexander Graham Bell (telephone) to John Wanamaker (department store) and from Ted Turner
(CNN) to Fred Smith (FedEx), this site explores the stories of people who took a chance
and changed the course of our country.
You Innovate 21 Century
http://www.youinnovate21.net/
In support of its "Innovation America" initiative, the National Governors
Association (NGA) has launched a Web site aimed at getting middle school students excited
about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), with the goal of inspiring
and preparing them to become 21st-century innovators. The site, which is the result of a
collaboration between NGA and global children's publisher Scholastic Inc., features
standards-based content, interactive games, a career simulator, and activities designed to
encourage students to pursue STEM fields and careers.
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