School Programs

Park Ranger showing an early Edison cylinder record to a group of students.

Field Trips and Other Programs

UPDATE:

All School Group tours are BOOKED OUT through the remainder of the 2023 school year. We anticipate opening reservations for the 2023-2024 school year in August 2023. Please check back for more information.

Thomas Edison’s Laboratory tours are limited to 1 group on Wednesdays at 10:00 AM Eastern Standerd Time. All groups must have a reservation for a specific date to receive a Laboratory tour. The scheduled tour will accommodate up to a maximum of 30 students and 5 chaperones per reservation. The Park requires one chaperone per fifteen students, with a maximum of four chaperones per reservation (a maximum of Twenty-five students and four chaperones).

When you are ready to book your reservation, you must sign in to Recreation.gov. Then, when visiting the Thomas Edison NHP page on Recreation.gov, please select the 'School Tours' option on the Thomas Edison Group Tours, select the "group sales" option. From the Tour List, choose the "Group Tour of Thomas Edison National Historical Park Laboratory for Educational Institutions" option, where educators will be able to view a calendar displaying school tour availability for selected dates. A $10 reservation fee applies for each tour.

For more information, please e-mail our Group Tour Coordinator

If you have any questions, please call: 973-736-0550 ext. 26. Please note that our hours of availability are Wednesday through Sunday, 10am - 4pm. If no one is able to take your call, please leave a message and a ranger will return your call as soon as possible.

Distance Learning

How would you like to bring the important history of Thomas Alva Edison into YOUR Classroom? We can schedule a virtual tour for most major platforms. These 30 to 45 minute sessions fit into a single class period and can be customized to fit your lesson plans.

If you are interested and would like more information on setting this up, please call the Education and Group Tour Coordinator at 973-736-0550 ext. 26.

Classroom Activities

The Invention Process - From Idea to Product

An Edison Timeline

 

Idea to Product- Edison's Invention Process- Grades 3 - 6

Students spend time exploring Thomas Edison's Laboratory and learning about his invention process. This is a basic program on the life and inventions of Thomas Edison. It explores how Edison and his staff went from a simple idea to a finished product. The program finishes with the students creating their own invention through a hands-on activity. Program lasts 1 1/2 hours.

New Jersey Core Curriculum Standards:

Science Practices

5.1.4.A.2 Connections developed between fundamental concepts are used to explain, interpret, build, and refine explanations, models, and theories. Use outcomes of investigations to build and refine questions, models, and explanations.

5.1.4.C.1 Scientific understanding changes over time as new evidence and updated arguments emerge. Monitor and reflect on one's own knowledge regarding how ideas change over time.

5.1.4.D.2 In order to determine which arguments and explanations are most persuasive, communities of learners work collaboratively to pose, refine, and evaluate questions, investigations, models, and theories (e.g., scientific argumentation and representation). Work collaboratively to pose, refine, and evaluate questions, investigations, models, and theories.

Social Studies

6.1.4.C.12 Creativity and innovation affect lifestyle, access to information, and the creation of new products and services. Evaluate the impact of ideas, inventions, and other contributions of prominent figures who lived New Jersey.

6.1.4.C.16 Creativity and innovation have led to improvements in lifestyle, access to information, and the creation of new products. Explain how creativity and innovation resulted in scientific achievement and inventions in many cultures during different historical periods.

21^st Century Life and Career Skills

9.1 The ability to recognize a problem and apply critical thinking and problem-solving skills to solve the problem is a lifelong skill that develops over time.

4.A.1 Recognize a problem and brainstorm ways to solve the problem individually or collaboratively.

4.A.2 Evaluate available resources that can assist in solving problems.

4.A.5 Apply critical thinking and problem-solving skills in classroom and family settings.

9.1 Brainstorming activities enhance creative and innovative thinking in individual and group goal setting and problem solving.

4.B.1Participate in brainstorming sessions to seek information, ideas, and strategies that foster creative thinking.

9.1 Collaboration and teamwork enable individuals or groups to achieve common goals with greater efficiency.

4.C.1Practice collaborative skills in groups, and explain how these skills assist in completing tasks in different settings (at home, in school, and during play).

9.1 Effective communication skills convey intended meaning to others and assist in preventing misunderstandings.

4.D.1Use effective oral and written communication in face-to-face and online interactions and when presenting to an audience.