Examining an actual artifact is exciting. However, that is difficult at best when the item may be hundreds, if not thousands, of miles away.

LJA upper-grade students are studying about the American Industrial Revolution and notable inventors. One of these inventors was Thomas Edison, entrepreneur and famous developer of the telegraph, phonograph, electric light bulb, alkaline storage batteries & Kinetograph (a camera for motion pictures).

Hayden and Timothy are holding a replica of Edison’s incandescent, electric light. Contrary to popular belief, he didn’t “invent” the light bulb, but rather he improved upon a 50- year-old idea.

While studying about Edison’s electric light bulb, CNN published an article stating that Thomas Edison’s standard incandescent light bulbs will no longer be manufactured in favor of more energy-efficient bulbs. It was humorous to know we had a replica of Edison’s, soon to be extinct, light bulb in our hands.

Learning about social studies and people who made history helps us learn who we are and our identities as American citizens. It certainly is enlightening, isn’t it?

Susan Zimmermann