Fifth Grade
Worksheets
Thomas Alva Edison - Bright Ideas
Thomas Alva Edison was an inventor. He held over 1,000 patents for his inventions during his lifetime. It was he who brought us light from a glass bulb. It was he who let people listen to music from a machine. It was he who invented a transmitter that would lead to the invention of the telephone. Thomas Alva Edison didn't just wake up one morning and say, "I want to be an inventor." His curiosity and inventiveness started at a very early age.
Thomas was born on February 11, 1847, in Milan, Ohio. Six brothers and sisters had been born into the Edison family before Thomas made his appearance. Thomas's father was a carpenter. He was skilled at building things from wood. Thomas's mother had been a school teacher.
Thomas's family called him Al when he was growing up. Al started school with other children his age. He didn't stay in school very long, however. Al struggled in school. He didn't pay any attention to what the teacher was saying. His mind wandered to other subjects. Some of the teachers in the school thought that Al just wasn't very smart. They wanted him put into a school for children with learning problems. Al's mother would have none of that. She was a teacher. She would teach him at home herself.
