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e-Journal

Travel Through Time (pp. 440–441)


Step 1. Questions

You use machines every day. You might even travel to school in a machine, such as a car or a bus. How would you describe a machine? How do machines help people solve problems?

Write a report about how machines help people solve problems. Before you begin writing, you will need to research machines. Here are some questions to guide your research:
  • What are some machines that you use every day?
  • In what ways do machines help people solve problems?
  • How have machines helped people learn about distant places?
Are you ready? Begin by visiting the Web sites in Step 2. Look for answers to the questions above, and write down what you learn in the note-taking boxes.

With teacher supervision, you may use search engines to research other Web sites. You also can research machines at the library. When you are ready, follow Steps 3 and 4 to write your report.


Step 2. Research

Research answers to the questions you were asked in Step 1. Visit these Web sites. Take notes about them on this page, too!


Toolbox Tip: Click here to learn what to do if you receive an error message.


Welcome to Time-Warp
This Web site lets you time-travel into the past! You can see some machines that were used in homes in the past. Enter a year on the time-warp control panel to travel back in time. In different years, you may see clocks, radios, televisions, and computers. Which of the machines from the past do you use today? Think about how the machines have helped people solve problems.
Take Notes:



Innovative Inventions
Visit this ThinkQuest site to learn more about some inventions that have helped people. First, look at some communication machines. Click the name of an invention to read more about it. You may be surprised to learn that televisions and garage door openers are radios! When you have finished reading about communication inventions, click ENTERTAINMENT to see how DVDs and other objects have helped people solve problems.
Take Notes:



Inventors' Hall of Fame
Read about some inventions and the inventors who created them at this Web site. Click an inventor's name to learn about the helpful machine that he or she created. Think about how each machine has helped people solve problems and learn about faraway places.
Take Notes:



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