Inventions and Innovations Are these two words defined the same or differently? ©2012, TESCC Grade 6 Unit 7, Lesson 3

Analyzing a Primary Source ©2012, TESCC

They are weaving silk. Where does silk come from? Is it expensive? Why? ©2012, TESCC

What is the difference? InventionInnovation ©2012, TESCC

What is the difference? Phone Wireless cell phone iPhoneiPhone 5 ©2012, TESCC

What is the difference? InventionInnovation ©2012, TESCC

This map shows the Silk Road (Trade Routes) ©2012, TESCC

Learning Station Cards ©2012, TESCC

Learning Station 1 Abacus: China (around 1000 AD) A mathematical device used for counting. The rods above are worth 5 units and the rods below are worth 1 unit. ©2012, TESCC

Learning Station 2 Magnetic Compass On or about 300 BC (China) Originally its purpose was not for navigation. Chinese philosophical traditions required knowledge of the directions (north-south) to live a life of harmony. By about the 700s AD, Chinese scientists had improved the compass by making it smaller and with pointed needles. These were used for navigation at sea. ©2012, TESCC

Learning Station 3 Paper The Egyptians first invented papyrus about 5000 years ago. The word “paper” comes from the word papyrus. Papyrus is made from the flattened reed of the papyrus plant. It is not real paper, which is derived from wood pulp. Other cultures around the same time period used wet clay tablets to record information by using a carving instrument called a “stylus.” Chinese inventors about 100 AD made paper using bark from the mulberry tree and bamboo fibers. These were pounded and mixed with water to make paper. ©2012, TESCC

Learning Station 4 Printing with carved wooden blocks. Before, when people wanted to make copies of a letter or a book, they had to rewrite it by hand. It could take years to make a copy of one book. By about 500 AD, the Chinese had invented a wooden block printing press and by about 700 AD the first newspapers were printed and available in Beijing Why did the written languages of China make printing complicated? How has printing and making copies improved now? ©2012, TESCC

Learning Station 5 Paper Money The Chinese invented paper money at about 800 AD. In the 1200s people in Southwest Asia began to use paper money and by the 1400s banks in Europe (Italy) began to use paper money as a rate of exchange. Why use paper money over coins? What is required of a culture to use paper money? ©2012, TESCC

Learning Station 6 Gunpowder By about 1000 AD, the Chinese had invented gunpowder. It was originally used as a medicine, though caused accidents and was termed “fire medicine” Chinese innovators applied it to weapons, first as an explosive, then in projectile weapons in the late 1200s Gunpowder was also used as fireworks displays. ©2012, TESCC

Learning Station 7 The first collapsible umbrella was invented in China. It was first invented to protect from the sun and were often attached to carriages. Most umbrellas were made out of paper. It was not until about 1270 AD that Chinese innovators improved the umbrella to protect from the sun and the rain. ©2012, TESCC