Thomas Midgely

Thomas Midgely

Story

Thomas Midegly was a star scientist and chemist who solved problems by inventing new chemicals.  Although he solved the target problems, he usually created even larger ones. Read the Full Story here:  Thomas Midgely

Explorations

There are many potential explorations to consider after reading the story. Depending on the grade level and the intended goals, any or all of the following could be considered:

• The Dangers of Scientific and Technological Inquiry. Students research scientific and technological advancements to debate cautions around new developments. 

• The Periodic Table.  Students examine the characteristics of each family of elements on the periodic table. See http://www.theodoregray.com/Periodictable/Elements/FunExperiments/index.s7.html

• Pulleys and Ropes.  Thomas Midgely designed a system of ropes and pulleys to move his paralyzed body from the bed to a wheelchair.  Students can experiment with pulleys to develop a system to move someone from the side of a pool into or out of the pool, or move a load onto a truck bed.  

• The Ozone Layer. What is ozone? What good is it?  Click here  

• Heat and Fuel Calorimetry.  How are fuels rated in terms of how much energy they contain? How can one explore this?