CLASSROOM SPOTLIGHT SCIENCE...
Transcript of CLASSROOM SPOTLIGHT SCIENCE...
ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • APRIL 14 - 20, 2016 A15
DID YOU KNOW?
SCIENCE CORNER
The St. Louis American’s award winning NIE program provides
newspapers and resources to more than 7,000 teachers and
students each week throughout the school year, at no charge.
African-American Inventor Miriam E. Benjamin
Miriam Benjamin was born
in 1861 in Charleston, South
Carolina. She was the oldest of
five children. Benjamin moved
to Boston, Massachusetts, where
she attended high school. She
attended Howard University’s
medical school and worked as
a clerk for several government
departments. Then, she attended
Howard University’s law school
because she was interested in
learning about patents. Her brothers, Lyde and Edgar, were
both attorneys and inventors who
received patents. Benjamin also
worked as a school teacher in
Washington, D.C.
She was the second African-
American woman to receive a
patent (patent number 386,289)
on July 7, 1888. She invented
the gong and signal chair. This
device was used in hotels. With
this invention, the hotel customer
could be comfortably seated and
press a button on the back of
the chair which caused a light
to signal the wait staff. The wait
staff could easily see who needed
help. This allowed the customers to
receive prompt service. Benjamin
created this device because she
noticed many hotels seemed over staffed; they had too many
employees. There were several workers walking around to
be available when someone needed them. The hotels were
able to save money because they did not have to hire as
many workers. In her patent application, Benjamin explained
that her invention would “reduce the expenses of hotels by
decreasing the number of waiters and attendants, to add to
the convenience and comfort of guests and to obviate the
necessity of hand clapping or calling aloud to obtain the
services of pages.” Benjamin’s invention was so successful,
it was used in the U.S. House of Representatives. Today, a
similar current device is used on airplanes to signal airline
attendants during a flight
Learning Standards: I can read a biography about
a person who has made a contribution in the fields of
science, technology, engineering, and math.
I can make text to text and text to world
connections.
Teachers, if you are using the St. Louis American’s NIE program and would like to nominate your class for a Classroom Spotlight, please email: [email protected].
CLASSROOM SPOTLIGHT SCIENCE STARS
MAP CORNER
Enjoy these
activities that
help you get to
know your St.
Louis American
newspaper.
Activity One — Noun/Verb Stories:
Choose a story in today’s
newspaper. Rewrite the story
in sentences that only contain
two words—a noun and a verb.
For example, “Snow predicted.
Coats needed.”
Activity Two — Tax
Money:
Clip three
pictures of news items
from the paper to illustrate the
various ways tax money is
spent.
Learning Standards: I can use a newspaper to
locate information. I can
write for a specific purpose
and audience. I can identify
the purpose of taxes.
MATH CONNECTION
Inventors see a problem and think of ways to solve it. They
have sharp minds and strong critical thinking skills. Practice
your critical thinking skills with these math review problems.
z If the original price of a video game is $39, and it
is on sale for 50% off, how much does the game cost?
___________
x Which is the better
buy—a 4-pack of museum
tickets for $57, or a 9-pack
of museum tickets for
$110? ___________
c How would you write 43%
as a decimal? __________
How would you write 43% as a fraction? __________
v The track team voted for a team captain. If 85% of the
60 team members voted, how many track team members
voted in the election? ___________
b A train traveled at the same
speed for 5 hours. It went 113
miles in all. How fast was the
train going? Write your answer as
a decimal. __________ miles per
hour
Learning Standards: I can add, subtract, multiply, and divide to solve a problem.
Mixed Review
The upside-
down ketchup
bottle earned
its inventor,
Paul Brown, $13
million.
Leonardo da Vinci
never built the
inventions he
designed.
Thomas Edison patented
almost 1,300 inventions in
his lifetime.
The can opener was
invented 48 years after
cans were introduced.
Have you ever had someone take
credit for a good idea that you
had? When inventors have good
ideas, they receive a patent from
the government that gives them
credit for this idea. In order to
receive a patent, an inventor has
to be sure that it meets the criteria
for receiving a patent. In order to
be able to get a patent, it must be a
process, a machine, a manufactured
good, or an improvement of any of
these. Next, the patent will fit into one
of two categories—a design patent or a
plant patent (if it is a new type of
plant created through scientific
processes). Third, check to make
sure there is not already a patent
in place for this idea. To do this,
you can search the United States
Postmark Trademark Office (USPTO)
database. Finally, a lawyer will assist
in the process of filling out a patent
application.
Learning Standards: I can read nonfiction text for main
idea and supporting detail. I can make
text to text connections.
How to Receive a Patent
Are you ready to be an inventor? Your goal is to
create a device that will lift a tennis ball in
the air without using your hands.
Materials Needed:
• Tennis Ball • 2 Plastic Cups
• 2 Feet of String • Broomstick
• 50 Pennies • Tape • Scissors
• Table • Meter Stick
Procedure: q Your goal: Use two cups, string,
scissors, tape, a broomstick, a table,
and up to fifty pennies to create
something that will allow you to lift a
tennis ball 50 centimeters into the air without using your
hands.
w Sketch your design.
e Build your design.
r Revise as necessary.
t Evaluate: What did you build? What
was the most difficult part? How did you
solve the obstacle?
Learning Standards: I can use
prediction, trial and error to solve a
problem. I can evaluate and revise my
strategy. I can draw conclusions.
Tennis Ball LiftSCIENCE INVESTIGATION
Lucas Crossing
Elementary School
4th grade teacher
Trina Moorehead, shows
Ravyn Thomas, Omaruy Franklin,
Ataxia Bland and Marian North
how to use the newspaper to find
words of encouragement as a STEM
lesson. Lucas Crossing Elementary
is in the Normandy Schools
Collaborative. Photo by Wiley
Price/St. Louis American
Leo Fender, inventor of the Telecaster
and Stratocaster, could not play guitar.
Ruth Wakefield, the
inventor of the chocolate
chip cookie, sold the
idea to Nestle Toll House
in return for a lifetime
supply of chocolate.