The Boy Who Invented TV: The Story of Philo Farnsworth

The Boy Who Invented TV: The Story of Philo Farnsworth

By: Kathleen Krull

Illustrated by: Greg Couch

Published by: Alfred A. Knopf

Grade level: 3-5

Fountas and Pinnell: M

Lexile: 860L

Accelerated Reader: 4.5

Suggested Delivery: Read Aloud/Small Group

Author: Kathleen Krull

Illustrator: Greg Couch

Summary:

The Boy Who Invented TV depicts the life and time of young Philo Farnsworth. Philo (or Phil) grows up on a farm with changing technology. While plowing fields one day he gets the idea of how to generate a television. He dedicated the next several years learning and developing his idea. His invention is finally introduced to the public. At the age of 22 Philo has achieved his goal of becoming an inventor.

Key Words/Phrases to Describe the Book:

1. biography 

2. inventor

3. creation of the television

4. determined

5. obsessed with television

Key Vocabulary:

Breakthrough: important advance

Captivated: influence by charm or skill catching your intention

Claimed: declared it as your own

Enthusiastically: act in a way that shows great interest

Envisioned: imagined good things will happen

Patents: papers that give a person or company the right to use or sell invention

Resources:

Students will create a voki as Philo Farnsworth.  Students must include at least 6 pieces of "gossip" that they found when reading the biography of Philo.

This YouTube video of Philo Farnsworth tells his story narrated by his granddaughter and talked about by his wife, Pem.

Teaching Suggestions:

• Teacher's can make anticipation guides for students and have them answer a series of questions about Philo Farnsworth before they read the book.
• Students will create a riddle that describes Philo Farnsworth
• After teacher does a read aloud of the book, students can have collaborative conversations about the Author's Note.  Why does invention and business go hand-and-hand? 

Comprehension Strategies: 

Before: Use adjunct displays by going through the pictures of the text before reading the book. Have students make predictions of what the book will be about by covering the title of the book and before reading the text. 

During: Guide students in direct note taking by providing them with questions as the read aloud or small group reading is taking place.  Such as where did Philo grow up? What was his job as a teenager?

After: Have students write an exit slip after the read aloud answering the question "What was the most interesting or surprising fact to learn about Philo?"

Writing Activity: 

Students will write a short essay summing up the Author's Note and how it plays a central role in Philo's creative life.  Student's should focus on the role of business and how it affected Philo's life.  They should include the word patent in their response and explain what a patent is as it is a vocabulary word.

Bibliography:

Krull, K., & Couch, G. (2009). The boy who invented TV: The story of Philo Farnsworth. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.