What do a folding iron board, lawn sprinklers, and a device for oiling engines on trains all have in common? They were all invented by Elijah McCoy, an African American inventor with 57 patents to his credit. McCoy is the subject of a comprehension instructional activity that asks readers to respond to five-text-based questions.

Concepts

black history month, reading comprehension, american inventors, inventors

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Additional Tags

social studies

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Instructional Ideas

• Have groups investigate the inventors in the series in greater depth and develop presentations about these individuals

Classroom Considerations

• Part of a series of resources that feature African American inventors
• The resource assumes readers have prior knowledge of patents and the patent process

Pros

• The resource includes an answer sheet

Cons

• None

Common Core

RI.3.1 RI.4.1 RI.5.1