American Centuries

Pocumtuck Valley
Memorial Association

American Centuries > Lessons > History Lessons By Teachers > Early American Lighting

Early American Lighting

Details

Author
Sarah Adolph
Topic/Subject Area
Home Life, Household Items, Furniture; Science, Technology
Historical Era
Colonial settlement, 1620–1762, Revolutionary America, 1763–1783, The New Nation, 1784–1815, National Expansion and Reform, 1816–1860, Civil War and Reconstruction, 1861–1877
Grade Level
Elementary (K–5)
Creation Date
2008
Last Revision Date
2024

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About This Lesson

Summary and Objective

Students will understand the importance of light and how different types of lighting fixtures have changed over time. They will understand that light is a form of energy and comes from different fuels and they will understand why it was more economical to switch from whale oil to kerosene. Students will discuss where energy for lighting comes from today.

Materials & Resources

Collection Items

 

Teaching Plan

  1. The teacher and students will discuss what people used for light before the invention of the light bulb. The teacher will discuss what energy is used to run our modern lights.
  2. Students will be divided into seven groups and each group will examine one of the early American lighting fixtures that the teacher has printed out. Students will brainstorm to try and answer the following question with only the picture: What material was used to make the light? How do you think the object or fixture works to make light?
  3. After brainstorming, each group read the label information about their light, complete the above questions, and answer a few new ones. What is the name of their lighting fixture? What is the approximate date the fixture was used? What type of material was used to produce the light? How did the object work?
  4. Next, each student will draw a picture of how they envision their lighting fixture was used in the past.
  5. Students will present their lighting fixture to the class, answering the above questions. They will discuss what was the best type of lighting and why. Student can also discuss what it would be like today if we were still using these lighting devices.
  6. Extension Activity: Students could make a timeline of lighting devices.