level 4 Teacher’s notes Teacher Support Programme

Inventions that Changed the World

David Maule determined political and social history since the invention
of gunpowder in China in the eleventh century. This
chapter points out the terrible results of increasingly
accurate and efficient guns with examples of warfare
from around the world.
Chapter 5: Chapter 5 outlines the development of
engines. Although there is evidence of small and basic
steam engines as early as the first century, the real start of
the modern age was brought about by the development
of the industrial steam engine in the late seventeenth
century. The mechanization of work revolutionized
society in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, just
as the invention of the gasoline and jet engines in the
Summary twentieth century mobilized society and changed the
This book covers the history and development of some of world for ever.
the world’s most important and influential inventions. It is Chapter 6: Chapter 6 tells the story of man’s flight from
arranged thematically in nine chapters which discuss key individuals’ disastrous attempts to fly like a bird (as early
inventions from their earliest beginnings to the present as the year 875), through the development of the hot
day. Information about the inventors, too, makes the text air balloon, airships, the Wright brothers’ early planes,
lively and engaging throughout. jet aircraft and man’s first flights into space. Finally, the
Chapter 1: Chapter 1 tells the history of printing from chapter outlines America’s plans for future manned flights
its roots in China, about one thousand years ago, to to the moon and to Mars.
modern-day desktop printing. The chapter pinpoints Chapter 7: Chapter 7 explains the development of
the most significant developments in the long history of several crucial inventions in the history of communication.
printing, such as the invention of reusable type and the It begins with the development of a signaling system in
development of full-color printing. It also explains the the late eighteenth century and then traces the history of
social consequences of massively increased availability of electronic communication from the telegraph in the early
the printed word around the world. nineteenth century, to the ground-breaking inventions of
Chapter 2: Chapter 2 explains the crucial role of the telephone, radio and television. Finally, it also covers
mathematics in the development of science, engineering instant communication by computer and the Internet.
and technology. It also gives an interesting account of Chapter 8: Chapter 8 follows on from the previous
the changing attitudes towards mathematical science in chapter by describing the development of computers. The
ancient Greece, Rome and the Middle East. These early earliest computers were as big as buildings and needed
developments lead to mathematical theories and methods huge amounts of electricity to work. This chapter explains
which are still used today. the important role that modern computer companies
Chapter 3: Chapter 3 traces the development of (such as Apple, IBM and Microsoft) played in the early
navigation from ancient times until today. The earliest development of computers and highlights the essential
sailors were able to determine their position north or part that computers now play in our everyday lives.
south by observing the sun and stars, and with the help Chapter 9: Chapter 9 outlines eight modern inventions
of simple wooden instruments. But the problem of how devised by ‘ordinary’ people. These people were inspired
to measure east and west troubled sailors for centuries. by simple ideas but they had to work hard to get their
Finally, the chapter covers twentieth century navigation inventions noticed by manufacturing companies. The
methods, such as radar and satellites. inventions are Catseyes™, Post-it™ Notes, Velcro™,
Chapter 4: Chapter 4 tells the fascinating history of Lock-nuts, the sewing machine, the windshield wiper,
guns. In many ways, the development of firepower has Dyson’s vacuum cleaner, and a wind-up radio. They are
all simple ideas that have made people’s lives easier.

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Inventions that Changed the World

Background and themes them: how much, then do you think SXI is? Then ask
them if they think Romans made an important
Humans have been inventing since the earliest contribution to mathematics.
breakthroughs in understanding and application, such as
the first use of tools and the discovery of fire. It is natural After reading
6 Research, group work: Ask the students to search
for humans to want to solve problems and find new ways the Web for Babylonian numerals. In groups, they
of making life easier. The inventors in this book may have can write simple mathematical problems using these
lived centuries apart but they are united by their common numerals and other groups can solve them.
goal of turning their ideas into reality and building 7 Discuss: Tell the students that Pythagoras’s school
upon the knowledge and experiences of the previous thought nature follows mathematical rules. Ask them:
What do you think? Is it possible that the world can be
generations. explained in mathematical terms?
Changes in technology and the invention of new 8 Pair work: Tell the students: You are Romans making
machines do not happen in isolation. This book points calculations for a bridge. It is 32 double steps long and
6 double steps wide. The pieces of wood to make it are
out the effects important innovations have had upon 4 double steps long and 1 foot wide. Write the equation
society and history. The invention of the steam engine, in both Arabic and Roman numbers reducing everything
for example, marked the beginning of the industrial to Roman feet.
revolution in Europe. Society was irrevocably changed 9 Artwork: Tell the students to make an illustrated
by the revolution: class boundaries blurred, traditional map showing the contributions of Babylon, Egypt and
Greece to mathematical knowledge.
women’s roles almost disappeared and the shape of
Europe’s towns and cities changed for ever. The social Chapter 3, pages 11–17
and historical effects of the other inventions in the book Before reading
are no less revolutionary. 10 Guess: Tell the students: Imagine that you are going to
sail a boat across the ocean. You can take either a watch
Risk and danger is a recurring theme in the history of or a compass with you. Which one do you choose? Why?
inventions. Time after time, individual inventors faced
After reading
poverty, failure and even death in order to push the levels 11 Group work, role play: Ask the students to form
of human understanding one step further. groups with a Chinese from the 3rd and a Chinese
from the 11th century, an Italian from the 12th
Discussion activities century, a European from the 16th century, John
Philoponos, John Davis and a journalist, whom they
Chapter 1, pages 1–5 imagine is a time traveler. The journalists interview
Before reading the rest about the methods they used to estimate
1 Guess: Tell students: In this chapter you will read that their position when navigating.
in the 15th century printing borrowed technology from 12 Pair work, write: In pairs, ask the students to
wine-making. What was this technology? read the section ‘East and West’ (pages 15–17) and
design a newspaper notice published by the British
After reading government in 1714.
2 Discuss: Divide the class into groups. Have them 13 Write: Ask the students to imagine that the Queen
discuss whether they think that ‘an early kind of of England decides to pay honor to John Harrison,
Internet’ is an appropriate description of the Aldine whose work was not fully acknowledged in his times.
Press and why. Groups share their ideas. Students then write the speech the Queen makes at
3 Role play: Tell the students to find out who Bill Gates the ceremony.
is. Then, in pairs, they can role play an imaginary
conversation between Gates and Guttenberg. Chapter 4, pages 18–24
4 Artwork: Have students use Jakob Cristof Le Blon’s Before reading
method to print an illustration in three colors for this 14 Guess: Ask the students: Which do you think were the
chapter. They may make their ‘boards’ with carved professions of the inventors of the way of making guns
potato slices. work in all weathers, and of the machine gun? What
makes you think so? Why do you think people might
Chapter 2, pages 6–10 invent ‘killing machines’?
Before reading
5 Guess, discuss: Ask the students if they knew that
Romans represented 1/2 by using the symbol S. Ask

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Inventions that Changed the World

After reading Chapter 7, pages 39–46
15 Role play, write: Ask the students to take the roles Before reading
of Roger Bacon and an officer of the British Army. 25 Discuss: In what ways have computers and the
Bacon explains what he read in Arabic writing and Internet changed the way we communicate in recent
the potential uses for attacking cities and ships that years?
this may have. The British Officer makes a report to
inform the King. After reading
16 Debate: Remind students of the saying ‘Abraham 26 Game: In groups, students use their arms to send
Lincoln made men free. Sam Colt made them equal.’ messages to one another using Chappe’s code
Have them debate whether carrying guns helps (page 40).
society become fairer. In two groups, students find 27 Research: Ask the students to search the Internet
arguments that are for and against the use of guns. for the Morse Code. Then they read the following
message, which is instructions for their homework:
Chapter 5, pages 25–31 ..-. .. -. -.. / .. -. ..-. --- .-. -- .- - .. --- -. / .- -... --
Before reading - ..- - / ... -- --- -.- . / ... .. --. -. .- .-.. ... / .- -. -.. /
17 Discuss: Ask the students to imagine living their lives .--. .-. . .--. .- .-. . / .- / .--. .-. . ... . -. - .- - .. --- -.
without gasoline, cars or jet engines. In what ways
would life be different? Do they think there is a Chapter 8, pages 47–51
connection between the development of engines and Before reading
the need to learn other languages? 28 Guess: Ask the students: How long ago do you think
the first programmable computer was designed?
After reading
18 Discuss: Ask the students to give their opinion of After reading
Watt’s behavior and discuss whether an inventor 29 Discuss: Tell the students: On page 49 we read that
should earn a percentage of the savings his invention somebody said that ‘the problem with machines is
produces. people’. Explain what this means. Do you agree?
19 Artwork: In groups, ask the students to prepare a 30 Write: Ask the students to write a brief report on
poster advertising the Stockton-Darlington train trip. IBM’s mistakes and make an approximate estimate
20 Write: In pairs, ask the students to make a memory of the amount of money that Microsoft has received
quiz game. On pairs of cards they write the name of for the use of their system in the personal computers
an inventor, his nationality and year of the invention, in the market today.
and a brief description of the invention. They play the
game: All cards are placed face down on the table. In Chapter 9, pages 52–56
turn, students uncover pairs. If the pairs don’t match Before reading
it is the next person’s turn. If the pair matches, they 31 Discuss: Tell the students that good inventions are
have another turn. The one who gets the most pairs sometimes referred to as ‘the greatest invention since
wins. sliced bread’. Have them think of every-day objects
and decide which they would refer to with this
Chapter 6, pages 32–38 expression.
Before reading
21 Guess: Tell the students: In 1638 a man managed to After reading
complete a short flight. What do you think the reaction 32 Role play: Ask the students to imagine they are on
of this government was? Why? TV in a contest to find the best inventor. They play
the roles of the host, a jury and an inventor for each
After reading of the inventions in this chapter. They role play the
22 Discuss: Ask students: Do you think development would program.
occur if courageous men did not risk their lives? Would 33 Research, artwork: Ask the students to search the
you do the same? For example, be the first to go to Internet for images of the inventions described in this
another galaxy? chapter and make an illustrated map.
23 Read carefully, debate: Ask the students to read the 34 Group work: Put students in groups. Ask them to
second half of page 35 and debate if the British think of a device that they would like to have but has
government was right not to give their pilots not been invented yet. The class decides which would
parachutes. be the most useful.
24 Artwork: In pairs, ask the students to design a
stamp that the post office will issue in honor of the
development of aviation.

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