Two Facts and a Phony

Two Facts and a Phony
The Boy Who Invented TV
Directions: Two of the statements below are true and one is false. Can you guess which one is the
phony statement? Listen to the story The Boy Who Invented TV: The Story of Philo Farnsworth and
see if your guess was correct.
After hearing the story of how Philo Farnsworth invented the television, write down two other
interesting facts about his life on the lines below.
1.Philo Farnsworth had an article
published in Reader’s Digest when
he was in fifth grade.
2.When Philo Farnsworth’s family
moved to Idaho, he discovered an
attic full of Popular Science magazines.
3.When he was thirteen, Philo Farnsworth
won a contest in Science and Invention
magazine and bought a pair of long
pants with the prize money.
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October 2011 Web Resources • LibrarySparks • 1
Two Facts and a Phony
The Day-Glo Brothers
Directions: Two of the statements below are true and one is false. Can you guess which one is
the phony statement? Listen to the story The Day-Glo Brothers: The True Story of Bob and Joe
Switzer’s Bright Ideas and Brand-New Colors and see if your guess was correct.
After hearing the story of how Bob and Joe Switzer invented Day-Glo paint, write down two other
interesting facts about their lives on the lines below.
1. Joe Switzer read about
ultraviolet lamps in Popular
Mechanics magazine.
2. Fred Switzer wrote a biography
about his famous brothers.
3. Bob and Joe Switzer brought
home lots of books from the
library to help them learn how
to use chemicals to make paint.
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Two Facts and a Phony
The Boy Who Invented TV
Directions: Think of two interesting facts you learned from The Boy Who Invented TV: The Story
of Philo Farnsworth. Then, make up a statement that sounds true, but is not. Write the two facts
and the one fictional statement below in random order. Share your work with your classmates to
see if they can identify the phony statement.
1.__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
2.__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
3.__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
October 2011 Web Resources • LibrarySparks • 3
Two Facts and a Phony
The Day-Glo Brothers
Directions: Think of two interesting facts you learned from The Day-Glo Brothers: The True Story
of Bob and Joe Switzer’s Bright Ideas and Brand-New Colors. Then, make up a statement that sounds
true, but is not. Write the two facts and the one fictional statement below in random order. Share
your work with your classmates to see if they can identify the phony statement.
1.__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
2.__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
3.__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
October 2011 Web Resources • LibrarySparks • 4
Creating Small Invention
Definitions Sample
Directions: Roll the die three times. Each time you roll, choose one word part from each column
and circle it. Combine these parts to make a new word. Pretend this new word is the name of a small
machine or device that you have just invented. In the space provided below, write down the invention
name and its definition. Then use it in a sentence, and find a place for it in a dictionary.
Prefix
Root
Suffix
1
demi [half]
areo [air]
cycle [circle]
2
micro [millionth]
dyna [power]
globe [ball]
3
mini [small]
hydro [water]
graph [write]
4
mono [one]
palm [hand]
meter [measure]
5
nano [billionth]
photo [light]
droid [resembling]
6
uni [one]
thermo [heat]
taxi [movement]
New Invention Name:__________________________________________________________________
Definition:___________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
Sentence:____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
Pretend this new invention was in your dictionary.
On what page would you find this entry?____________________________________________________
What are the guide words on this page?_____________________________________________________
What is the name of the dictionary?________________________________________________________
Extra Credit Choices: (Use the back of this paper)
• Draw and label a picture of the new invention.
• Write a newspaper story describing how this new invention saved the day.
• Create a magazine advertisement featuring this new invention.
• Write a story explaining who invented this new invention and how it was invented.
October 2011 Web Resources • LibrarySparks • 5
Creating Small Invention
Definitions Activity
Directions: Roll the die three times. Each time you roll, choose one word part from each column
and circle it. Combine these parts to make a new word. Pretend this new word is the name of a small
machine or device that you have just invented. In the space provided below, write down the invention
name and its definition. Then use it in a sentence, and find a place for it in a dictionary.
Prefix
Root
Suffix
1
demi [half]
areo [air]
cycle [circle]
2
micro [millionth]
dyna [power]
globe [ball]
3
mini [small]
hydro [water]
graph [write]
4
mono [one]
palm [hand]
meter [measure]
5
nano [billionth]
photo [light]
droid [resembling]
6
uni [one]
thermo [heat]
taxi [movement]
New Invention Name:__________________________________________________________________
Definition:___________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
Sentence:____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
Pretend this new invention was in your dictionary.
On what page would you find this entry?____________________________________________________
What are the guide words on this page?_____________________________________________________
What is the name of the dictionary?________________________________________________________
Extra Credit Choices: (Use the back of this paper)
• Draw and label a picture of the new invention.
• Write a newspaper story describing how this new invention saved the day.
• Create a magazine advertisement featuring this new invention.
• Write a story explaining who invented this new invention and how it was invented.
October 2011 Web Resources • LibrarySparks • 6
Interesting Inventor Information
Sample
Directions: Now that you have selected an inventor, use an encyclopedia for your inventor research. Fill
out as much of the information below as you can.
Inventor’s Name:______________________________________________________________________
Birth Date:___________________________________________________________________________
Birth Place: __________________________________________________________________________
Five Interesting Facts:
1.________________________________________________________________________________
2.________________________________________________________________________________
3.________________________________________________________________________________
4.________________________________________________________________________________
5.________________________________________________________________________________
Source Citation:
Name of Encyclopedia:_______________________________________________________________
Copyright Date: ____________________________________________________________________
Volume Number: ___________________________________________________________________
Page Number(s):____________________________________________________________________
October 2011 Web Resources • LibrarySparks • 7
Interesting Inventor Information
Activity
Directions: Now that you have selected an inventor, use an encyclopedia for your inventor research. Fill
out as much of the information below as you can.
Inventor’s Name:______________________________________________________________________
Birth Date:___________________________________________________________________________
Birth Place: __________________________________________________________________________
Five Interesting Facts:
1.________________________________________________________________________________
2.________________________________________________________________________________
3.________________________________________________________________________________
4.________________________________________________________________________________
5.________________________________________________________________________________
Source Citation:
Name of Encyclopedia:_______________________________________________________________
Copyright Date: ____________________________________________________________________
Volume Number: ___________________________________________________________________
Page Number(s):____________________________________________________________________
October 2011 Web Resources • LibrarySparks • 8
The A-B-C List of
Inventors and Inventions
A. Robert Adler [remote control]
B. Alexander Graham Bell [telephone]
C. George Washington Carver [uses for peanuts]
D. Leonardo DaVinci [hang glider]
E. Thomas Edison [light bulb]
F. Benjamin Franklin [bifocal glasses]
G. Johannes Gutenberg [printing press];
Bette Nesmith Graham [liquid paper];
Temple Grandin [livestock handling methods]
H. John Harington [flush toilet]
I. Inventor of your choice
J. Thomas Jefferson [polygraph]
K. John Harvey Kellogg [corn flakes]
L. E. H. Land [Polaroid camera]
M. Guglielmo Marconi [radio]
N. Alfred Nobel [dynamite]
O. Robert Oppenheimer [atomic bomb]
P. Louis Pasteur [pasteurization]
R. Hyman George Rickover [nuclear submarine]
S. Levi Strauss [blue jeans]
T. Edward Teller [hydrogen bomb]
U. Lewis Urry [alkaline battery]
V. John Venn [Venn diagram]
W. Orville and Wilbur Wright [airplane];
Madam C.J. Walker [hair care products]
Y. Linus Yale, Jr. [cylinder pin-tumble lock]
Z. Ferdinand Zeppelin [dirigible airship]
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Interviewer’s Script
Background: You are a reporter who has been assigned to interview a famous inventor. This inventor
will be played by a fellow student who has done the necessary research to answer your questions. You
may use the script below or make up your own questions.
“Hello. My name is __________________________ and I’m here to interview the famous inventor,
___________________________________________.”
(inventor’s name)
“Thank you for agreeing to this interview. Please tell the audience what you are known for
inventing.” (Pause for inventor’s response.)
“Can you tell us how your invention helped people?” (Pause for inventor’s response.)
“That is very interesting. Please share a few other interesting facts about yourself.”
(Pause for inventor’s response.)
[Optional: Insert your own question here.]
________________________________________________________________________________
“Thank you for spending your valuable time with us. It has been a pleasure interviewing you.”
(Shake hands with the inventor.)
October 2011 Web Resources • LibrarySparks • 10