Good idea

The wheel is a(n) _________________ from a long time ago.

• battery

• invention

• problem

• solution

Kids are great inventors because they have great __________.

• solutions

• imagination

• problems

• inventions

You can solve a(n) ___________ with an invention.

• solution

• invention

• problem

• imagination

Do you think that someone will _________ a time travel machine someday?

• imagination

• solution

• problem

• invent

Inventors use creativity to find _________ to problems.

• ideas

• imagination

• inventions

• solutions

Before there were televisions, people (a)   stories by the fire.

Before there were airplanes, people (a)   by horses, cars or ships.

Before there were cars, people (a)   horses.

The Inventor Thomas Edison

Thomas Edison is often called America's greatest inventor. He created more than 1,000 inventions in his lifetime. His favorite invention was the phonograph. People used to listen to music on phonographs. He also invented the microphone, batteries, an electric pen, and the electric light. Edison did many experiments with electricity, and he thought electric lights were the solution to the problems people had with candles and lamps. Edison thought electricity would be a safer way to give people light. Edison and his team tried many ways to create an electric light. In fact, they tried at least 3,000 ways! They worked on the idea for two years, from 1878 to 1880. At first, the lights only worked for a few hours at a time. Finally, Edison made a light that lasted for 2,000 hours. His idea worked! Edison wasn't the only inventor working to create electric lights. Many other inventors worked on this problem, but Edison was the inventor that found the best solution.

Edison created more than ________ inventions in his lifetime.

• 1,000

• 1,878

• 3,000