Eureka!: Poems about Inventors

Bibliography

Sidman, J. 2002. Eureka!: Poems about Inventors. Ill. by K. Bennett Chavez. Minneapolis: Millbrook Press. ISBN 978-0761316657.

Review

These sixteen biographical poems are divided into sections titled “The Tapestry of the Past”, “The Age of Invention”, “A Light Interlude”, and “Dawn of the Modern Age”. Celebrating creativity and determination, the poems each tell a short narrative of how an idea was conceived and born. From the first person to mold clay into a bowl to the new age of the World Wide Web, each poem will spark curiosity and encourage students to learn more about the inventors and their life changing inventions. Each illustration that accompanies the poem brings the inventor and his or her invention to life in a detailed portrait. Students can learn more about the inventors by reading the short biographical notes that conclude each section. 

Classroom/Library Connection

Recommended audience: upper elementary to middle school students

Read the poem “Walt Tells it Like it is” about Walter Morrison the inventor of the Frisbee.

It wasn’t a new idea.

People have been tossing lids

around for years.

I just did a little design work.

Aerodynamics.

Before the war, the ex-wife and I

would hit the beach

with a few cake pans and throw ‘em around—

called ‘em Pluto Platters.

We were deadly.

Someone would get between us

& we’d lift their hat off.

One day, a guy from Wham-O comes along,

likes what he sees.

Helps me get a patent.

The rest is history.

Sure, I came up with some other stuff:

a water-filled bowling ball, for one.

Never took off.

But that Frisbee, man!

The dough keeps rolling in.

I’m just sitting back, enjoying it.

When you’re poor, you start thinking of things.

When you don’t need it, you relax.

I’m just like anyone else.

Except I always liked throwing rocks.

After reading: Put students into groups of 3-4. Have several lids, plastic plates, and cake pans available. Have them hypothesize which one they think may go the furthest when thrown. Have them test the hypothesis by throwing each object and measuring the distance. Then after they have found their answer, let students throw Frisbees just to have some fun!