A guide for using our resources

Children will identify several Black inventors and explain how their inventions solved problems.

Social Studies Focus: Black History Month

Science Focus: inventors/inventions

CCSS (and states that have similar standards): RI.1.1, RI.1.3, RI.1.4

Simple, spectacular ideas to boost your lessons.

Paired Text: Have You Thanked an Inventor Today? by Patrice McLaurin

  • This book celebrates Black inventors and how their inventions aff ect kids’ everyday lives.
  • There are mini biographies of each inventor in the back of the book.

Draw the Word: bristles

  • Kids learned the word bristles from the issue. Help make the word “stick” by having kids draw what the word means.
  • Use our Draw the Word skill sheet, or have kids draw it in a word journal.
Example of a completed skill sheet

Hands-On Activity: Be an Inventor

Skill: engineering design, critical thinking

Materials: Be an Inventor skill sheet, pencils, crayons

  • Children can work on this project alone, in pairs, or in groups. Hand out copies of the skill sheet and discuss the problem from the sidebar: The giraff e is too tall for Kim to reach.
  • Challenge kids to come up with a solution that does NOT use a ladder! Have them draw their design and write about how the invention works.
  • Finally, have children share their work and compare their inventions.
Example of a completed skill sheet