Lewis Latimer and the Lightbulb

Race & EthnicityScience & Innovation1800-1899Middle School
Written By Stephanie Brizee

Summary

This lesson looks at the life and work of Lewis Latimer as a way to teach scientific principles about electricity and to showcase the important work this African American scientist played in furthering the development of electricity.

Lewis Lattimer, 1848-1928

Source: Public Domain

Grades

  • Middle School (6-8)

Topics

  • Race & Ethnicity

  • Science & Innovation

Time Period

  • 1800-1899

Overview

  • NGSS STANDARD(S)

    SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING PRACTICES

    Engaging in Argument from Evidence

    • Engaging in argument from evidence in 6–8 builds on K–5 experiences and progresses to constructing a convincing argument that supports or refutes claims for either explanations or solutions about the natural and designed worlds.

    • Construct, use, and present oral and written arguments supported by empirical evidence and scientific reasoning to support or refute an explanation or a model for a phenomenon. (MS-PS3-5)

    DISCIPLINARY CORE IDEAS

    PS3.A Definitions of Energy

    • Motion energy is properly called kinetic energy; it is proportional to the mass of the moving object and grows with the square of its speed. (MS-PS3-1)

    • A system of objects may also contain stored (potential) energy, depending on their relative positions. (MS-PS3-2)

    • Temperature is a measure of the average kinetic energy of particles of matter. The relationship between the temperature and the total energy of a system depends on the types, states, and amounts of matter present. (MS-PS3-3),(MS-PS3-4)

    CROSSCUTTING CONCEPTS

    Energy and Matter

    • Energy may take different forms (e.g. energy in fields, thermal energy, energy of motion). (MS-PS3-5)

    • The transfer of energy can be tracked as energy flows through a designed or natural system. (MS-PS3-3)

    CCSS

    CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.1

    • Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts.

    CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.2

    • Determine the central ideas or conclusions of a text; provide an accurate summary of the text distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.

    CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.9

    • Compare and contrast the information gained from experiments, simulations, video, or multimedia sources with that gained from reading a text on the same topic.

    1. Students will learn about the life and contributions of Lewis Howard Latimer by watching a video and an engaging in a reading about his life, which will culminate in the writing of an argumentative essay.

    2. Students will know how much force is needed to light up an incandescent light by engaging in a laboratory experiment.

  • ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

    • How did America’s racist views impact Lewis Howard Latimer and his family?

    • How did Lewis Howard Latimer’s improvement of Thomas Edison’s light change the world?

    UNDERSTANDINGS

    • What is force?

    • What is wattage?

    • What is luminescence?

    • How much force is needed to light up an incandescent light?

  • TEACHER RESOURCES

    • Company Origins: Baltimore Gas and Electric Company dates back to 1816, when Rembrandt Peale, William Gwynn, and three other partners formed the Gas Light Company of Baltimore. Peale was the son of the painter Charles Willson Peale, and was himself a well-known painter of portraits and historical scenes. Gwynn was a local businessman. Another of the partners was a wealthy merchant, William Lorman. Within a week of a successful demonstration of gas lighting in what is now the Peale Museum, the new company secured a franchise to light the streets and homes of Baltimore, Maryland, with gas. The Gas Light Company was the first gas utility in the United States. Lorman was the company's first president, serving from 1816 to 1832. The Gas Light Company set to work laying pipes throughout Baltimore, bringing the new method of lighting to more neighborhoods. http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/baltimore-gas-and-electric-company-history/

    • Biography: Lewis Latimer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxAWgKFgT_Q

    • Lewis Howard Latimer, Biography https://www.biography.com/inventor/lewis-howard-latimer

    • Lewis Howard Latimer https://www.lewislatimerhouse.org/about

    • Six to Celebrate - Cultural Landmarks - Lewis H. Latimer House, Queens https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFSfm_7ty8Q

    LESSON RESOURCES

    • Baltimore Gas and Electric Company History: http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/baltimore-gas-and-electric-company-history/

    • Biography: Lewis Latimer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxAWgKFgT_Q

    • Lewis Howard Latimer, Biography: https://www.biography.com/inventor/lewis-howard-latimer

    • Lewis Howard Latimer: https://www.lewislatimerhouse.org/about

    • Six to Celebrate - Cultural Landmarks - Lewis H. Latimer House, Queens: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFSfm_7ty8Q

    • Using a Generator To Light It Up! Laboratory Experiment: https://teaching.betterlesson.com/lesson/resource/3160187/generator-lab

    • Science CER Rubric: https://docs.google.com/document/d/12_QqTx-xNuu3dqeM9GGtFLCjz0QZpWqSjSlNtjM1t2I/edit

  • The aim of the Baltimore Story lesson plans is to provide teachers and their students with historical figures and/or events that include representation connecting to Baltimore which have historically been missing in K-12 curriculum.

    Teachers using this/these lesson(s) should modify it to bring cultural relevancy to their own classrooms through the insertion of current topical events and/or relevant revisions that link more closely to their particular student population or context.

  • Company Origins: Baltimore Gas and Electric Company dates back to 1816, when Rembrandt Peale, William Gwynn, and three other partners formed the Gas Light Company of Baltimore. Peale was the son of the painter Charles Willson Peale, and was himself a well-known painter of portraits and historical scenes. Gwynn was a local businessman. Another of the partners was a wealthy merchant, William Lorman. Within a week of a successful demonstration of gas lighting in what is now the Peale Museum, the new company secured a franchise to light the streets and homes of Baltimore, Maryland, with gas. The Gas Light Company was the first gas utility in the United States. Lorman was the company's first president, serving from 1816 to 1832. The Gas Light Company set to work laying pipes throughout Baltimore, bringing the new method of lighting to more neighborhoods. http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/baltimore-gas-and-electric-company-history/

    THE BALTIMORE STORY CONNECTIONS

    • History: 1800-1899: A Divided Nation

    • Biography: Lewis Howard Latimer

Learning Plan

  • Bring in an incandescent light bulb, put it in a socket, and show it to the students. Ask the students, “Did you know an African-American man helped to perfect the lightbulb a couple of hundred years ago?”. We all have fixtures at home that use incandescent light bulbs. Students should write down one to three specific places in their homes where incandescent lighting is used.

    What is the name of our utility company that supplies our gas and electric to run our homes? (Baltimore Connection: Oldest utility company in the USA.)

  • Students will watch a video on Lewis Howard Latimer. As the students watch the video, they should write three things they learned from watching the video. The teacher should ask the class, why do you think very few 8th graders have heard of Lewis Howard Latimer in school?

  • Students will read (Article #1 [proficient and highly effective readers] and Article #2 [developing readers]) more about Lewis Howard Latimer’s life and how he contributed to the perfection of the standard incandescent light bulb. The teacher should incorporate the equity questions into the discussion.

    What argument did the Southern slaveholders make about African American character to justify the perpetuation of slavery? How is this argument similar to (or different from) arguments made about African Americans today? Would you have made the same decision Lewis Latimer’s father made to relocate to Boston, Massachusetts?

    Name three obstacles Lewis Latimer, as a Black man in America, had to overcome in adult life.

    Where did the first Underground Railroad run, and why was it important for enslaved persons in the United States to flee up North, like Lewis Latimer’s father did?

  • The teacher might ask the class, "Who has a bike?" The teacher can ask the class, “What does a bike, a light bulb and Lewis Latimer have to do with one another?” Students can share out what they think is a connection between all three.

    The students will test the Bike and work to keep the light on. They literally feel the energy difference. Students use the Generator Lab sheet to record data. The data is qualitative. Developing the elements of an actual investigation, and practicing data collection, an additional purpose of this investigation is to make a real world, as well as an emotional connection, to energy use.

    Source of the lab: https://teaching.betterlesson.com/lesson/resource/3160187/generator-lab

  • Have students work in groups of 2 - 4 to brainstorm 3-5 ways that Latimer’s perfected the incandescent light bulb and how his version of the incandescent light bulb revolutionized the way we live. The groups can put their thoughts on poster paper throughout the classroom. [Good for students who may be hesitant to write, who need help beginning to write their essay or are weak writers.]

    FURTHERING THE DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

    What argument did the Southern slaveholders make about African American character to justify the perpetuation of slavery? How is this argument similar to (or different from) arguments made about African Americans today? Would you have made the same decision Lewis Latimer’s father made to relocate to Boston, Massachusetts?

    Name three obstacles Lewis Latimer, as a Black man in America, had to overcome in adult life.

    Where did the first Underground Railroad run, and why was it important for enslaved persons in the United States to flee up North, like Lewis Latimer’s father did?

  • Students will convert their brainstorming ideas into argumentative essays where they dive deeper to explain why Lewis Latimer was a great inventor who had to overcome hurdles and obstacles of the time and why we owe him a debt of gratitude for perfecting the incandescent light bulb.

    Students will write a 6-9 sentence science CER-based paragraph to explain how much force is needed to light up an incandescent light bulb.

  • Light bulbs

    Timers

    Bicycle Apparatus to test the force to illuminate the bulb

    Laptops

    All readings for each group (Develop, Proficient, and Highly Effective)

    Sticky Notes

    Chart Paper

    Markers

    Science CER Rubric

Learners

  • Warm-Up: Developing learners will write one specific place in the home where an incandescent light bulb is used.

    Engage: Students will work in whole group along with the teacher to think about why very few 8th graders have heard of Lewis Howard Latimer in school.

    Explore: Developing learners will have the article on Lewis Howard Latimer read to them by the teacher.

    Explain: Developing learners will work in groups of 4 to complete the lab. They will in a group with a highly effective reader who will read the lab directions. Developing readers will receive sentence starters and highlighters to help them write their answers to the lab questions and to the essential questions.

    Extension: Developing learners will work in groups of 4 to brainstorm 3 ways that Latimer’s perfected the incandescent light bulb and how his version of the incandescent light bulb revolutionize the way we live. The groups can put their thoughts on poster paper throughout the classroom.

    Evaluate: Developing learners will convert their brainstorming ideas into argumentative essays where they dive deeper to explain why Lewis Latimer was a great inventor who had to overcome hurdles and obstacles of the time and why we owe him a debt of gratitude for perfecting the incandescent light bulb.

    Students will write a 6 sentence science CER-based paragraph to explain how much force is needed to light up an incandescent light bulb.

    *Use the science CER rubric to grade their paragraphs. https://docs.google.com/document/d/12_QqTx-xNuu3dqeM9GGtFLCjz0QZpWqSjSlNtjM1t2I/edit

  • Warm-Up: Proficient learners will write two specific places in the home where an incandescent light bulb is used.

    Engage: Students will work in groups of four to think about why very few 8th graders have heard of Lewis Howard Latimer in school.

    Explore: Proficient learners will have the article on Lewis Howard Latimer given to them, so they can read the article independently.

    Explain: Proficient learners will work in groups of 3 to complete the lab. As proficient learners complete the lab and essential questions, they can write their answers on sticky notes.

    Extension: Proficient learners will work in groups of 3 to brainstorm 4 ways that Latimer’s perfected the incandescent light bulb and how his version of the incandescent light bulb revolutionize the way we live. The groups can put their thoughts on poster paper throughout the classroom.

    Evaluate: Proficient learners will convert their brainstorming ideas into argumentative essays where they dive deeper to explain why Lewis Latimer was a great inventor who had to overcome hurdles and obstacles of the time and why we owe him a debt of gratitude for perfecting the incandescent light bulb.

    Students will write a 7-8 sentence science CER-based paragraph to explain how much force is needed to light up an incandescent light bulb.

    *Use the science CER rubric to grade their paragraphs. https://docs.google.com/document/d/12_QqTx-xNuu3dqeM9GGtFLCjz0QZpWqSjSlNtjM1t2I/edit

  • Warm-Up: Highly effective learners will write down three specific places in the home where an incandescent light bulb is used

    Engage: Students will work individually to think about why very few 8th graders have heard of Lewis Howard Latimer in school.

    Explore: Highly effective learners will have the article on Lewis Howard Latimer given to them, so they can read the article independently.

    Explain: Highly effective learners will work pairs of 2 to complete the lab. As highly effective learners complete the lab and essential questions, they can write their answers on sticky notes.

    Extension: Highly effective learners will work in pairs of 2 to brainstorm 5 ways that Latimer’s perfected the incandescent light bulb and how his version of the incandescent light bulb revolutionize the way we live. The groups can put their thoughts on poster paper throughout the classroom.

    Evaluate: Highly effective learners will convert their brainstorming ideas into argumentative essays where they dive deeper to explain why Lewis Latimer was a great inventor who had to overcome hurdles and obstacles of the time and why we owe him a debt of gratitude for perfecting the incandescent light bulb.

    Students will write a 9 sentence science CER-based paragraph to explain how much force is needed to light up an incandescent light bulb.

    *Use the science CER rubric to grade their paragraphs. https://docs.google.com/document/d/12_QqTx-xNuu3dqeM9GGtFLCjz0QZpWqSjSlNtjM1t2I/edit

  • Preferential seating/strategic seating to encourage focus, Graphic organizers to increase engagement and  improve understanding, Monitor/encourage work initiation and  completion, Provide extended time if needed (monitor need for extended time, set limits to prevent getting behind in instruction), Graphic organizers, frequent breaks, Chunking of assignments, Science Constructed Response to Speech, Human Signer, and Science Constructed Response External Assistive Technology Device

Stephanie Brizee
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