Unit Study of Thomas Edison

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This is a unit study I put together about Thomas Edison, based on the book Thomas Edison by Kay Barnham.


One of the things Thomas Edison invented was the phonograph. Watch From Phonographs to Spotify: A Brief History of the Music Industry. Your children might enjoy this kit which helps your children build an Edison style phonograph.  Your child will be able to record and play back their own recordings.



Thomas Edison also contributed to the invention of the electric light bulb.  Watch this interesting video on Who Invented the Light Bulb?  Read How a Light Bulb Works and then draw your own lightbulb and label it's parts.

Thomas Edison also contributed to the motion picture camera.  You can learn more about that by watching The First Movie Camera: Crash Course History #2.  Watch How Thomas Edison (Accidentally) Created Hollywood.

Thomas Alva Edison was born in Milan, Ohio.  Watch this video about Edison's birthplace which happens to be a museum now that you can visit.

Thomas Edison only went to school for a very short time and the teachers thought he asked too many questions and he ended up being homeschooled.  Watch this dramatized version of how that happened.

Watch Thomas Edison Gets His Wake Up Call to learn about some of his earlier jobs as a teenager.

Thomas Edison got into learning telegraphy.  Watch this video on How does Morse Code Work?  If you are interested in practicing with Morse Code, you can purchase a Morse Code Experiment Kit that will have your children learning how telegraphy works in real life.  Print out this Morse Code Message Worksheet and complete it.


Watch What is a patent? so that you understand what it means when you read about a scientist like Edison being granted a patent for one of his inventions.


The Edison family moved to Menlo Park, New Jersey in 1876.  Watch this video which shows Thomas Edison's Menlo Park Laboratory.  He was known as the Wizard of Menlo Park because he invented so many things in this location in New Jersey.

Download this PDF and read Information about Thomas Edison.

After inventing light bulbs that would glow for many hours,  Thomas Edison opens the first world's power plant.

Watch this video to learn the difference between Alternating Current (AC) vs. Direct Currents (DC).




To recap everything you have learned about Thomas Edison, watch The History of Thomas Edison - a short story.


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