Civics

Thematic Thread Across U.S. History - Article

Technology and Innovations

Innovations from New Jersey

Summary: In this series of interactive lessons ranging historically from Hamilton’s identification of the Great Falls as a resources for manufacturing, to John Stevens’ Steam engines, Alfred Vail and the telegraph, Thomas Edison, patent and the communications revolution, Selman Waksman and the development of antibiotics, and Bell Labs and the start of the electronic and internet revolution, students will be able to

  • Explain the scientific method and how it was used by New Jersey inventors
  • Define what makes an entrepreneur and identify New Jersey inventors that fit this definition
  • Explain how inventions from New Jersey ushered in the market revolution of the 1820s-60s with John Stevens’ steam transportation
  • Determine how Thomas Edison’s inventions pushed a revolution in communications at the turn of the 19th century
  • Describe how Dr. Waksman developed streptomycin and its impact on deadly diseases such as tuberculosis in the 1950s
  • Analyze the beginnings of the computer age with Bell Lab’s transistor, laser, information theory, UNIX operating system and programming languages in the1970s and 80s
  • Determine how innovations from New Jersey have improved society

Overarching Questions:

  • NEW JERSEY: How have changes in New Jersey during this time period influenced U.S. history?
  • ECONOMICS: How has technology spread ideas and influenced public opinion, the economy and/or the government? DId the changes strengthen or weaken democratic institutions?

NJ Student Learning Standards for Social Studies:

  • 6.1.12.EconEM.2.c: Analyze how technological developments transformed the economy, created international markets, and affected the environment in New Jersey and the nation.
  • 6.1.12.EconGE.3.a: Analyze how technological developments transformed the economy, created international markets, and affected the environment in New Jersey and the nation.
  • 6.1.12.HistoryCC.6.b: Explore factors that promoted innovation, entrepreneurship, and industrialization and determine their impact on New Jersey (i.e. Paterson Silk Strike) and the United States during this period (1870s-1900)
  • 6.1.12.EconNM.11.a: Analyze how scientific advancements, including advancements in agricultural technology, impacted the national and global economies and daily life.
  • 6.1.12.HistoryCA.11.a: Evaluate the role of New Jersey (i.e., defense industries, Seabrook Farms, military installations, and Battleship New Jersey) and prominent New Jersey citizens (i.e., Albert Einstein) in World War II
  • 6.1.12.EconEM.14.a: Relate the changing manufacturing, service, science, and technology industries and educational opportunities to the economy and social dynamics in New Jersey.
  • 6.1.12.EconNE.16.a: Make evidenced-based inferences regarding the impact of technology on the global workforce and on entrepreneurship.
  • 6.1.12.EconNE.16.b: Evaluate the economic, political, and social impact of new and emerging technologies on individuals and nations

Link to lesson:  Innovations from New Jersey