What's the Big Idea?: Inventions that Changed Life on Earth ForeverThis lively book by an award-winning author brings to life the history of human innovation for young readers. "What's the Big Idea?" focuses on those inventions that help fulfill people's six basic needs: food, sleep, security, shelter, companionship, and good health. Main spreads feature a specific invention such as the wheel and axle, paper, bicycles, or the Internet. Each one starts with a "What's the Big Idea?" box that explains the problem the inventors were trying to solve. It answers the pertinent questions: Why this invention and why now? "Fast Facts" and "Big Ideas" sidebars give young readers quick blasts of information reference-style. Twelve special spreads scattered throughout the book highlight either a famous inventor or a specific theme. The "Inventor Biography" spreads profile inventors such as da Vinci, Galileo, and Thomas Edison, and summarize their main inventions. Comic strips deliver an added snippet of information and a humorous punch. Helaine Becker's witty, inventive text and Steve Attoe's wonderfully whimsical art make this a book children can enjoy while they learn. |
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What's the Big Idea?: Inventions that Changed Life on Earth Forever Helaine Becker No preview available - 2009 |
Common terms and phrases
airplane allowed alphabet American ancient Archimedes bacteria batteries became began Bell better Bi Sheng bicycle BIGTHINKERS Inventions Bill Gates bucket built Cai Lun called cars century BCE CHAIN PUMP chemical China Chinese clay clothing coal compass create cylinder Daguerre developed device discovered easier Edison electric current electronic energy engineer named Europe experimenting factory Faraday's fertilizers fibers Greek Hans Christian Oersted holes idea improved innovations internal combustion engine Internet inventor iron learned lenses light bulb machine magnet Marconi material messages metal method Michael Faraday Mike Markkula move MS-DOS MS-DOS MS-DOS needle Nikolaus Otto Nipkow disk numbers OLIVES OLIVES paper Parkesine plastic plow problem pump radio record Revolution scientist sound spinning wheel SPINOFFS steam engine steel Steve Jobs stick telegraph telephone Thomas Edison thousand years ago thread tiny turned U.S. military Vinci vinyl records wanted Wilbur wire writing