The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Yesterday I went to the nearby elementary school and presented a "mystery object" mini-lesson to the four 5th Grade classes.
After the students wrote in their journals the words "mystery object" (an Edison Blue Amberol Record) They wrote a few given clues such as:

1. the object is about a hundred years old
2. it is a blue colored cylinder shaped object

Questions from the students were carefully answered. They listened to each other's questions and the responses. They wrote added notes in their journals. I told them that on Monday, the 11th, I would return to show them how the object was used. A few students began to understand, but lacked the ultimate conclusion that it was a record to be played on a phonograph. On Monday, they will find out more! A photo or two will be posted Monday showing my Edison Fireside in action at school. Hopefully other forum members can play Edison records for others on February 11 and make it a day of discovery for young people.

Don (a retired elementary school teacher who still volunteers occasionally at school)

That's great volunteer work you are doing! I'm surprised that the teacher would even let you visit the class though. I'm a retired teacher in California, and here the only reason to present any lesson to a class is 1. Are you teaching a to written objective that is in the state's curriculum, and 2. Is what you are teaching tested on the the annual school achievement tests that rank a school's academic standing. Principals are graded on how far they have raised a school's academic scores, so they frown on anything that gets in the way of these objectives. But I worked mostly in middle and high schools, so maybe elementary school is a little more lax in following these rules.

The 5th Grade is studying inventions and inventors as a unit so it does fit in the curriculum at this time of year. I am a former 5th Grade teacher and do understand the need to teach the curriculum that complies with guidelines.

Super cool approach Don.

During the span of years when my kids attended elementary school, I used to do an annual presentation to the 5th graders on Edison and the phonograph (and incandescent lighting). In comparing cylinders and discs I asked them to see whether they could figure out why discs "won" by having them pass an unboxed (very moldy and unsalvageable) black wax cylinder around from student to student for close examination.

Almost every time, it got dropped. And bingo!

I sometimes wonder whether any of those kids were permanently traumatized by that - they usually looked completely mortified.

Oh, one more thing: the name of the school. Edison Elementary!

Your presentation was a good one too. Thanks for sharing it. I will also bring in a Diamond Disc for comparison. The more we share the hobby with young people the hobby interest will continue!

I salute your work with the 5th graders. I believe in making learning fun and you are! marc.

I can't even imagine what kids learn in classes anymore... 85% of current Americans do not even know their own American history and would fail a common history test..

)

Tony K.

Edison Collector/Restorer

Great job Don. I'm looking forward to the follow up tomorrow.

The lessons went very well. Each class had a student act as an assistant. They were taught how to operate the phonograph. We sang the chorus to "Hail Hail The Gang's All Here" and I prepared a worksheet for review at the end of the lesson. The Edison Fireside did a great job sharing some history on Thomas Edison"s birthday.

That's fantastic! I love the idea of beginning the lesson with the "mystery object" and slowly revealing its purpose while they have time to wrap their minds around it. I still have a hard time explaining how a cylinder record to some adults, even while it's playing. Getting these kids to think outside the norm, really, and it's great. I couldn't think of a better machine to use than a Fireside, either.