The Inventor's Secret Teach-a-long!

The Inventor's Secret:  Close Reading, STEM, Mindset, and Inquiry

 Welcome to the Teach-a-long!

 

Teach along with us as we walk you through each lesson of our integrated unit, The Inventor's Secret:  A Study of the Inventing Process and the Mindset of Inventors.

This series of step by step lessons begin with the beautifully written picture book, The Inventor’s Secret: What Thomas Edison Told Henry Ford, which tells the tale of how these two men achieved success through a growth mindset; goal setting, perseverance, and learning from their mistakes.

Our goal is to help you have the most successful experience possible as you implement close reading in your classroom and this teach-a-long gives you another method for learning.

Our posts will feature clear instructions and photos meant to supplement the Teacher's Guide that comes with the unit.

Your Teacher 

 

Your teach-a-long will be taught be me (Rebecca). 

I have been an educator for 26 years and have experience teaching grades PreK-6. I left the teaching profession for 10 years, providing professional development and instructional coaching for teachers.  This is my 9th year back in the classroom as a 4th grade teacher. 

I can't wait to teach the unit, The Inventor's Secret, with you!

How it Works

 

Our Teach-a-longs are simple. We’ll publish a series of posts detailing each step in the process of implementing the unit. You can teach along with us, ask questions, and share your experiences and ideas with others.

Feel free to leave comments with thoughts, questions, and photos. We try our best to answer as many questions as possible, but encourage you to jump in and help each other out as well.

If you can't join us real-time, no worries! These posts will always be available and we will be here to respond to your comments and questions.

What We Cover 

 

Introduction to the Unit
Get the details on why we created this unit, why we love it, and where it might fit into your curriculum.

Preparing for the Unit
What you need to get ready before you begin teaching the lessons.

Lesson One:  What is an Invention?
This lesson helps students develop a common understanding of the word invention and innovation. It also helps them see how integral they are to their daily lives. 

Lesson Two:  Invention Predictions- Part One
Students look at real photographs of Edison's inventions and innovations. They have to first predict what Edison's inventions and support their thinking with evidence from the photographs. 

Lesson Two:  Invention Predictions- Part Two
Students examine photographs of Ford's car model. They look carefully at the pictures, looking for innovations, things that made each model better than the last. They put the cars in the order in which they think they were made. 

 

Join the Teach-a-long for our integrated unit:  

 The Inventor's Secret

 

 

 

Next Post:   Introduction to the Unit