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

Simple, spectacular ideas to boost your lessons.

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

• 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.

Skill: critical thinking

Materials: Be an Inventor skill sheet, pencils, crayons

• Use the question on page 3 of the issue as a springboard for this activity. Give each child a copy of the skill sheet and discuss the problem: The giraffe is too tall for Kim to reach.
• Invite children to draw their ideas and name their inventions. If kids are stuck, you can prompt them with questions such as, “What could make the sponge reach higher?”
• Have children share their work and compare their inventions.