Important Inventions of the 20th Century

Lesson Plan - Get It!

Audio:

Airplanes, television, and computers are three of the 20th century's most important inventions. The mini-stool shoe will probably not be at the top of the 21st-century invention list!

As you read the passages below about important inventions, notice the similarities and differences that occur when two authors write about the same topic. Each writer focuses on the facts that seem more important to them.

Before you read the first passage, take a piece of paper and number it 1-10. As you read, write down ten facts that the author shares.

Airplanes

The first invention that allowed humans to fly was a balloon filled with hot air. Hot air is lighter than cool air, so the balloon rose into the sky. The Montgolfier brothers, Joseph-Michel and Jacques-Étienne of France, created the first hot-air balloon in 1783.

The next step toward flight was the glider, the first heavier-than-air aircraft (remember that the hot-air balloon was lighter than air). A glider is like an airplane without a motor. Otto Lilienthal of Germany was the first person to have repeated success flying a glider.

Finally, the Wright brothers, Wilbur and Orville, from Ohio, U.S.A., made the first engine-powered plane. Their first flight lasted 12 seconds and covered only 120 feet, but they could fly as many as 24 miles in a few years.

The invention of the airplane changed the course of history. Planes began to be used for defense in World War I, making it much easier to spot the enemy. Commercial planes were developed to deliver goods and services.

As planes became faster and stronger, people began to test their limits, flying them across the Atlantic Ocean. Two such daring pilots were Charles Lindbergh in 1927 and Amelia Earhart in 1932.

In the 1920s and 1930s, inventors worked on creating planes that ran on jet engines. A jet engine uses heated gas to propel a plane forward rather than propellers to pull it through the air. Once jet engines were used, passenger planes were developed to fly people worldwide.

It took Charles Lindbergh 33 hours to fly across the Atlantic. Now, you can fly from New York to Paris in 7.5 hours!

• Did you write down ten facts?

Good!

Now, number another column of 1-10, and write down ten facts from the second article.

The Invention of the Airplane

What would we do without the invention of the airplane? Airplanes made travel faster and more comfortable. They also allowed us to win wars, respond quickly to emergencies, and explore the world.

In the 1700s, people began to fly in hot air balloons. But they could not direct the balloons' flight. They had to go wherever the wind took them.

American inventors Wilbur and Orville Wright invented the airplane. After high school, the brothers decided to open a bike shop instead of going to college. However, they were always interested in flight and kept track of the new developments in that area.

They started work on building a heavier-than-air plane in 1899. On December 17, 1903, they made their first successful flight.

Otto Lilienthal, a German engineer, inspired the Wright brothers. Lilienthal had successfully piloted hang gliders many times, directing them by swinging his body left or right.

Saddened by his death in a glider accident, the Wright brothers dedicated themselves to designing and building a plane that could be controlled during flight.

The Wright brothers designed a plane with two wings, one above the other, to provide greater lift. The wing tips were slightly arched to create a rolling motion and maintain balance. Their plane had an engine and two propellers.

Wilbur and Orville achieved their dream on December 17, 1903, in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, U.S.A.. The first flight lasted for 59 seconds and reached a height of 120 feet, traveling 852 feet.

Though the Wrights were successful, planes did not become popular until the U.S. government began to deliver mail in them.

Today, we have very sophisticated airplanes, including the Airbus 380, which can carry 853 passengers and travel 560 miles per hour. We also have rocket ships that explore our solar system and may one day go beyond it.

If you've ever flown on a plane or picked up a loved one at an airport, you can thank the Wright brothers for their determination and perseverance!

Analyze

Now, compare your lists of facts.

If you have the same or similar facts on each list, make a checkmark next to them.

The facts that are left without a check mark are the ones that are unique to each writer.

If one writer's fact contradicts the other, check another source to find out which is correct!

You may have noticed that only one article mentions that the Montgolfier brothers invented the hot air balloon.

Both articles mention Otto Lilienthal and his hang gliders and mention that the Wright brothers' first flight occurred on December 17, 1903, at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.

However, the first article said it lasted for 12 seconds and went 120 feet, while the second article says it lasted 59 seconds and went 852 feet!

Check another source for the facts — like 1903-The First Flight from the National Park Service. Scroll down to the December 17, 1903 heading to find the facts. Write them down.

• Are you ready to put these facts together and compare the two articles?

Move to the Got It? section now!