Thomas

1
Thomas
Edison
2
The times 1847-1931
HOME LIFE
Few people owned their own houses and most rented
them instead.
Sometimes families would only have a one-room
house for the whole family to live and sleep in.
Because factories were able to make goods
cheaply, carpets and curtains became ordinary in
homes.
Most people took baths in metal tubs in front of
the fireplace.
Bathrooms, usually just a toilet, were often
outside and shared by a hundred or more people.
3
The times 1847-1931
FAMILY
Children played with books, trains, dolls, and
puzzles.
Children often would have to work in factories
starting at five years old to make more money for
their family.
In school children were taught reading, writing,
and math. Girls were not always allowed to go to
school, and if they did they learned children,
cooking, and church instead.
4
The times 1847-1931
CLOTHES
Clothes showed how successful a person was
because when people had more money they could buy
much nicer clothes, hats, and even underwear.
Men would wear darker colors and wore trousers,
vests, coats, boots, and hats.
Women would wear bright colors and wore dresses
because pants for women were looked down upon.
5
Toms Childhood
Thomas Alva Edison was born on February 11, 1847
in Milan, Ohio.
He was the youngest of seven children and was
curious about everything, especially electricity.
Tom only went to school for three months, before
he was home-schooled by his mother.
At age 10, Tom and his mother made a lab in a
room underneath their house where he could do
experiments.
When Tom was 12 years old he got a job selling
food and newspapers on a train, where he did
chemical experiments in the baggage carUNTIL he
caused an explosion on the train. OOPS!!
6
Toms Teen Years
By the time he was 15, Tom owned a newspaper
store and a vegetable store. He was also
printing his own newspaper.
Around this time, Tom also learned how to send
and receive telegraph messages and became one of
Western Unions fastest operatorsUNTIL he caused
an explosion at the telegraph office. OOPS
again!!
When Tom was 21 years old he started making and
selling his very own inventions.
With money he made from selling his early
inventions, Tom built his own lab in 1876.
7
Toms Family life

• Tom married Mary Stilwell on December 25, 1871.
• Tom and Mary had three children
• 1872 Marion Estelle
• 1876 Thomas Junior
• 1878 William Leslie
• Mary died on August 9, 1884.

• Tom married Mina Miller on February 24, 1886.
• Tom and Mina had three children
• 1888 Madeline
• 1890 Charles
• 1898 Theodore
• Mina died on August 24, 1947.

8
Extra! Extra! Read all about Tom!
9
Toms Phonograph
In 1877, Tom invented the Phonograph.
A phonograph was a machine that recorded sounds
onto a tinfoil cylinder.
The phonograph had to be cranked by hand.
Years later, Tom improved the phonograph and the
way sounds were recorded by using a disc instead
of the foil cylinder. It even had a diamond
needle!
Click here to hear the first thing Tom ever
recorded. It is something you all know!
10
Toms Light Bulb
In 1879, Tom helped to improve the invention of
the light bulb.
Some people think that Tom invented the light
bulb. This is not true. Instead he figured out
the best way to make it burn longer and brighter.
Before Toms help, a light bulb would burn up
before the night was through.
This is why it was his most important invention
and required the most research.
Click here to see a video about Tom's life and
his most important invention, the light bulb.
11
Toms Kinetoscope
In 1888, Tom invented the kinetoscope.
It was the first machine to make motion pictures.
The kinetoscope used individual pictures and
played them very fast to make a movie out of them.
Later in 1913, Tom put his phonograph and his
kinetoscope together and made the first talking
movies.
12
Toms Other Inventions

• Central Electric Power Station in New York City

• Storage batteries

• Electric pen

• Mimeograph

• Microtasimeter

• Wireless Telegraph Machine

13
lets experiment!
Soyou were wondering how the kinetoscope works?
Here is a simple experiment that shows you how.
Materials Two 2 inch paper circles Two
toothpicks Glue stick Marker
14
lets experiment!
Step One Lay the two toothpicks with ends
touching in the middle of one of the paper
circles.
Step Two Cover the other paper circle with glue.
15
lets experiment!
Step Three Place the circle with the glue on it
on top of the circle and the two toothpicks.
16
lets experiment!
Step Four Using a marker, write 18 on the left
half of the front circle. Write 88 on the right
half of the back circle. Fun Fact 1888 was the
year that Thomas Edison invented the Kinetoscope!
17
lets experiment!
Step Five SPIN the toothpicks between your thumb
and index fingers. Spin it slowly. Spin it
quickly.
18
lets experiment!
1. What happened when you spun it slowly? 2.
What happened when you spun it quickly? 3.
Which way makes the numbers look like they are
all together? Why?
19
Just For Fun!
Try to spell your name in Morse code.
For example, - .... --- -- .- ... /
 . -.. .. ... --- -. spells Thomas Edison!!
20
References
Songs and Sound Clips http//www.pbs.org/wgbh/ame
x/edison/sfeature/songs.html http//www.findsounds
.com/ Video Clip http//www.libraryvideo.com/stre
aming.asp?skuD6824 Information and
Photos http//www.nps.gov/edis/family.htm http//
www.thetimesherald.com/communities/edison/ http//
www.ucsusa.org/clean_energy/renewable_energy/page.
cfm?pageID74 http//www.econogics.com/ev/edison.j
pg http//www.hfmgv.org/exhibits/edison/chrono.asp
http//cnr2.kent.edu/pre-eng/why_be_pre-eng.html
http//www.strandlab.com/slimages2/ http//www.ffr
f.org/freethought/paine/remembered.html http//mem
ory.loc.gov/ammem/edhtml/edtime.html http//www.co
bbles.com/simpp_archive/edison_trust.htm http//ww
w.tvhandbook.com/History/History_film.htm http//e
dison.rutgers.edu/latimer/pioneerx.htm http//www.
dyslexiaonline.com/famous/famous.htm http//www.ap
s.org/apsnews/0201/020106.html http//xroads.virgi
nia.edu/CLASS/am485_98/brady/Edison/tale.html htt
p//www.inquiry.net/outdoor/skills/b-p/signaling.h
tm What Has Wild Tom Done Now?!!! by Robert
Quackenbush Tom Edisons Bright Ideas by Jack
Keller The Nineteenth Century by E.R.
Chamberlin The Thomas Edison Book of Easy and
Incredible Experiments by James G.
Cook Advertisements http//www.sal.ksu.edu/facult
y/gregs/hist231/portfolios/ash/ http//www.npr.org
/programs/lnfsound/gallery/edison/index.html
21
Cast Thomas Edison Crew Leslie Simpson Natalie
Messersmith Jolie Real