AFRICAN AMERICAN INVENTORS ONE-MINUTE SKITS (Instructions) Overview: Frequently, students learn about the same handful of African Americans in their History classes. These important people changed the way African Americans were treated in the United States throughout the course of time. Unlike those biographical accounts, this lesson exposes students to African American inventors who changed the way we all live, showing students that every person, no matter their skin color or ethnic background, contributes to society. (This assignment could easily be adapted to fit any group of people.) Materials: • Presentation Screen- with a way to project a computer-generated slide show (If this is not available, large posters could be used instead.) • Slide Presentation Software- ie: PowerPoint or Google Slides (If this is not available, large poster board, glue, pictures, and markers) • List of Inventors (attached) • Biography Page (attached) • One-Minute Skit Template (attached) • Potato Chip Bags for Every Attendee (optional) (Every child will be given a bag of potato chips with a brief note stapled to it that explains a bit about what was shared during the presentation. Ideally, that will be taken home and the child will share what they did that day, with the take-away as a talking point.) Part 1of 3: RESEARCH In groups of three, students will… • Research basic information about their inventor. • Fill out the attached Biography Page. • Choose a picture of the person to use on the slide presentation. • Choose a picture of the invention to use on the slide presentation. • Write a one-page research/reflection about the inventor. (Some inventors will not have much written about them, not even their birth and/or death date. However, this serves as an excellent talking point regarding the treatment of African-Americans.) Part 2 of 3: SKITS Students will… • Meet in their assigned groups. • Write a ONE-MINUTE SKIT. • Use the template to assist in writing. • List props needed on the back. (Remember to keep it very simple.) • Write out the mini screenplay. • PRACTICE. PRACTICE. PRACTICE. [Type here] lotus lessons [Type here] Part 3 of 3: PRESENTATIONS On the day of the presentations, students will… • Get up in front of the group with a backdrop or poster that has a picture of the inventor and a picture of the invention on it. • Perform one-minute skits for the group. [Type here] lotus lessons [Type here] AFRICAN AMERICAN INVENTORS ONE-MINUTE SKITS (Groups) INVENTOR: INVENTION: Elijah McCoy Trains run faster & efficiently Granville T. Woods Induction telegraph system for trains Andrew Beard Jenny Coupler - attached railroad cars George Washington Carver Over 300 uses for peanuts Benjamin Banneker Clock, Almanac, Plans for Capitol City George Murray Farm Equipment & Congressman [Type here] lotus STUDENT: lessons [Type here] Madame C. J. Walker African-American women’s hair products Marjorie Stewart Joyner Permanent Waving Machine Lyda Newman Improved Hairbrush Garrett Morgan Traffic Light & Gas Mask Alfred L. Cralle Ice Cream Scoop Fred Jones Refrigerated Truck Dr. Charles Richard Drew Blood Bank Dr. Patricia Bath Laser tool to improve vision in patients worldwide Daniel Hale Williams Open Heart Surgery [Type here] lotus lessons [Type here] James E. West Microphone Robert Flemming Jr. Guitar Joseph Dickenson Organ Lonnie G. Johnson Super Soaker Thomas J. Martin Fire Extinguisher Joseph Hawkins Metal Oven Racks I R Johnson Bicycle Frame Percy Julian Cortisone, steroids, birth control Matthew Cherry Basis of Bicycle & Tricycle & Car Fender Willis Johnson Eggbeater Thomas L. Jennings Dry Cleaning Thomas Stewart Mop [Type here] lotus lessons [Type here] George Crum Potato Chip Marie Van Brittan Brown Home TV Security System Madame C. J. Walker African-American women’s hair products George Grant Improved Golf Tee Kenneth J. Dunkley 3D Glasses Miriam Benjamin Gong & Signal Chair O. Dorsey Door Knob/Door Stop Nathaniel Alexander Folding Chair Jack Johnson Wrench William Purvis Fountain Pen Philip Downing Street Letter Box John Love Pencil Sharpener Websites: http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/bhistory/inventors/ http://biography.com/people/groups/famous-black-inventors Blackinventor.com Thoughtco.com [Type here] lotus lessons [Type here] OTHER INVENTORS: Meredith Gourdine Allergen Filtration Device Sarah Boone Ironing Board Alexander Miles Automatic Elevator Doors Lewis Latimer Improved Lightbulb Jan Ernst Matzelige Automated Shoe Making Machine Otis Boykin Pacemaker Etc. Mark Dean Co-Invented the Personal Computer George Carruthers UV Camera aka Spectrograph David Nelson Crosthwaite Jr. Heating & Air Conditioning Dr. Shirley Jackson Touch Tone Phone Sarah E. Goode Folding Cabinet Bed Benjamin Montgomery Steam Boat Propeller Ernest Just Marine Biologist George Alcorn X-Ray Spectrometer - Space Research James Forten New & Improved Sail Joseph Lee Bread Crumbing Machine & Bread Making Machine Lloyd Hall Food Preservation [Type here] lotus lessons [Type here] AFRICAN AMERICAN INVENTORS ONE-MINUTE SKITS (Biography Page) Name of inventor: Birth date & Death date: Invention(s): Why was there a need for this invention? In what ways did this invention change people’s lives? Has this invention either directly or indirectly made an impact on your life? If yes, how so? ppy [Type here] lotus lessons [Type here] List at least 5 facts about this inventor or this invention: 1.) 2.) 3.) 4.) 5.) [Type here] lotus lessons [Type here] AFRICAN AMERICAN INVENTORS ONE-MINUTE SKITS (Template) Opening Lines: (STAGE DIRECTION: Point to screen & say…) Thanks to _______________________________, we have ___________________________. (name of inventor) (name of invention) Middle Lines: (STAGE DIRECTION: Point to screen & say…) Thanks to _______________________________, we have ___________________________. (name of inventor) [Type here] lotus (name of invention) lessons [Type here] Ending Lines: (STAGE DIRECTION: Point to screen & say…) Thanks to _______________________________, we have ___________________________. (name of inventor) [Type here] lotus (name of invention) lessons [Type here]
