Name __________________________________Social Studies, Hour ___ Date ______
Inventor Information Sheet
RESEARCH TO PREPARE FOR PRESENTATION
1. Who is your inventor? ___________________________________________________
(Put his or her name on your index card)
2. When did the inventor live? Is she or he still alive (if so, when was he/she born?)?
(Put this information on your index card)
3. What is (was) the education of your inventor? (Examples of things to find: Where did
your inventor go to college?; did he/she go to high school?; If he/she didn’t go to school,
why not?; were they too poor to attend school?; were they home-schooled?
________________________________________________________________________
(Once you have this information, start a new index card, and write down the
information you discovered)
4. Find any problems the inventor had while she/he was inventing the invention or
making a discovery, thinking of the invention/discovery, or possibly, even having
problems in her/his personal life. (Examples: Were there financial struggles in his/her
home?; Was she/he seriously ill?; Did people discourage him/her or tell her/him the
invention would never work?; Was it a woman trying to succeed in a man’s world?; Was
it a man trying to invent something for women and that person was harassed because of
this?; Was it more difficult due to her/his race or national origin?)
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
(Write down the problems you find on your index card)
5. Describe the invention/discovery. Include:
A. What it is
B. How it works
C. The purpose of the invention
D. Something about the cost (what it cost to invent, to advertise, to purchase, etc.)
E. How is the invention distributed to the public (is it sold in stores, is it delivered
through the United States Post Office or delivery trucks, etc.?)
F. How was the public notified?
G. What was the public reaction to the invention/discovery?__________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
(Research at least four of these seven areas and write your information on a new
index card)
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6. What is the impact on society of this invention/discovery? (Examples: If it makes life
easier for some people, who are those people, and how does it make their lives easier?; If
it adds pleasure to someone’s life, who gets pleasure from the invention and how does it
add pleasure?; How did this invention/discovery lead to future inventions/discoveries;
Does the invention cause the earth to lose some of its resources, if so, how and what
resources are lost?; Have others suffered because of this invention? If yes, who has
suffered, and why have they suffered?)
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
(Write the impact on society down on a new index card)
RESEARCH FOR YOUR COSTUME
7. How will you “dress the part” of your inventor? What is the time period? (Examples:
Will you need a tie or a hat or suspenders or gloves or red lipstick or a moustache?)
Describe your complete outfit here:
On my head or face I will wear? _____________________________________________
because ________________________________________________________________.
On my body I will wear? ___________________________________________________
because ________________________________________________________________.
On my _______________ (complete only if there is another area to “dress up” Example,
“I will wear a telescope around my neck because I am Galileo, and I improved the
telescope) I will wear ______________________________________________________
because ________________________________________________________________.
RESEARCH FOR YOUR PROP
8. I know I need at least one prop that further explains my invention. Therefore, my prop
is going to be a/an ________________________________________________________
because _________________________________________________________________
RESEARCH FOR THE ORAL PART OF YOUR PRESENTATION
9. What will you say or do to “grab” your audiences’ attention? (Examples: Tell a joke
that is relevant to your invention or costume, sing a song that is relevant to your invention
or costume, do or say something unexpected that has meaning for the inventor) Explain
your introduction here. BE SPECIFIC! If you are going to tell a joke, write it down,
word for word. Tell why you are telling that joke. If you are going to turn the lights on
and off, write that down AND explain WHY you will turn the lights off and on:
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________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
(Write down your introduction on your first index card as a reminder)
10. What interesting way will you end your presentation? The audience needs to be able
to tell that you are finished. Do not leave them “hanging” and wondering if you are done,
DO NOT SAY, “THAT’S IT”; or “I’M DONE NOW”. (Examples: Repeat some of
the main points in your speech, “In conclusion, remember, every time you use your
microwave oven, think about how much work I put into inventing it.”; “Let me turn off
the lights now so you can see what life would be like without my invention”; etc.). Write
down exactly what you will say when you are ending your presentation below (AGAIN,
BE VERY SPECIFIC. WRITE EXACTLY WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO SAY
OR/AND DO!)
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
(Write down your ending on your last index card as a reminder)
11. On the lines below, write all the items you will need to bring to school on your
assigned presentation day (include each of your costume items) so you have a reminder
list:
A. _______________________________________________________________
B. _______________________________________________________________
C. _______________________________________________________________
D. _______________________________________________________________
E. _______________________________________________________________
F. _______________________________________________________________
Enjoy learning about your famous, or maybe not so famous, inventor! 
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