The Boy

Imagine a boy who was too busy to play, but without his inventions the world would go back in time...

Now use the story to fill in the information in the boxes.

Name: Thomas Alva Edison

Date of Birth:

Place of birth:

His childhood: By his own curiosity he taught himself. He was too busy finding out to play with other children.

His adult life:

• After inventing some office equipment, he made...
• He used the money to acquire... until...
• Later, he bought a small house with a big laboratory for...
• Here, he worked 19 hours a day, eating and resting only when...
• He had shabby work clothes and...
• He hated to be disturbed so...

Interesting details of Thomas’s teenage years:

• His favourite subject was...
• Edison started work selling newspapers on a long distance train and...

There were no limits to his interest in science.

• He experimented with batteries in his fathers cellar until...
• He invented a telegraph repeater to allow him to...
• He loved inventing so much, that he spent all his money on...

Electric light made him money, but it cost him a fortune to perfect as he had to send men all over the world to find the right ....

...was one of the first places to have...

He invented...

Achievements:

• If his inventions were removed, the world would be...
• The secret of his success was...
• ...In 1915 he won...

Re-read the facts about Thomas Edison’s life. Then write a biography of his life. Include some information on his inventions.