Illustration by Kingsley Nebechi

Into the Poison Cloud

The incredible life of Garrett Morgan, whose inventions have saved countless lives

By Tod Olson

From the February 2023 Issue

Learning Objective: to apply ideas about characteristics of successful inventors to the story of Garrett Morgan

Lexiles: 880L, 740L

Featured Skill: Synthesis,

Other Key Skills: key ideas and details, character, text evidence, inference, vocabulary

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AS YOU READ

Think about what character traits contributed to Garrett Morgan’s success as an inventor.

Into the Poison Cloud

The incredible life of Garrett Morgan, whose inventions have saved countless lives

by Tod Olson

IanDagnall Computing/Alamy Stock Photo

Garrett Morgan

Garrett Morgan must have looked odd. He was standing on a platform in the middle of Lake Erie in his pajamas. A bulky hood was draped over his head and shoulders. Long tubes hung from the front of the hood like elephant trunks.

But Morgan probably wasn’t thinking about how he looked. It was July 25, 1916. Hours earlier, a violent explosion had ripped through a tunnel deep under the lake. Two dozen men lay dying in a cloud of poisonous gas more than 100 feet below the platform on which Morgan stood. Several attempts to rescue them had failed.

Now Morgan was their only hope, and he was counting on his peculiar-looking hood to keep him alive.

The “safety hood,” as he called it, was a breathing device that Morgan had invented. It filtered out smoke and other toxic fumes while protecting the wearer from extreme heat. For years, Morgan had been waiting for the opportunity to show the world once and for all that it worked. This was his chance.

He was going to prove it—or die trying.

But Morgan probably wasn’t thinking about how he looked. It was July 25, 1916. Hours earlier, a violent explosion had ripped through a tunnel. It was deep under the lake. Two dozen men lay dying in a cloud of poisonous gas more than 100 feet below Morgan. Several attempts to rescue them had failed.

Now Morgan was their only hope. He was counting on his strange hood to keep him alive.

He called it the “safety hood.” It was a breathing device that Morgan had invented. It filtered out smoke and other toxic fumes. It also protected the wearer from extreme heat. For years, Morgan had been waiting to show the world that it worked. This was his chance.

He was going to prove it—or die trying.

Leaving Home

Garrett Morgan was born in Paris, Kentucky, in 1877—12 years after the Civil War ended. Both his parents had been born into slavery, and Morgan grew up during a time of great change in America.

After slavery was abolished in the United States in 1865, newly emancipated men, women, and children were hopeful for the future. But in the decades that followed, racism and discrimination remained brutal facts of life. Many Southern states passed laws that denied Black people the right to vote or hold certain jobs. Black people were forced to use separate and inferior public facilities, including hospitals, libraries, and schools. These shameful laws and policies trapped many Black people in poverty—including Morgan’s family.

In fact, although Morgan loved school, he had to quit after sixth grade to earn money for his family. Yet even without teachers or books, he continued to study the world around him. He was always taking things apart and putting them back together—just to figure out how they worked.

Morgan had a gift he didn’t want to waste: insatiable curiosity. But with few opportunities in the South, he knew he would have to leave Kentucky if he wanted to work with his mind.

So as a teen, he said goodbye to his family and headed north, to Ohio.

Garrett Morgan was born in Paris, Kentucky, in 1877—12 years after the Civil War ended. Both his parents had been born into slavery. Morgan grew up during a time of great change in America.

Slavery was abolished in the United States in 1865. Newly emancipated men, women, and children were hopeful for the future. But in the decades that followed, racism and discrimination remained brutal facts of life. Many Southern states passed laws that denied Black people the right to vote or hold certain jobs. Black people were forced to use separate and inferior public facilities, including hospitals, libraries, and schools. These shameful laws and policies trapped many Black people in poverty—including Morgan’s family.

Morgan loved school. But he had to quit after sixth grade to earn money for his family. Yet even without teachers or books, he studied the world around him. He took things apart and put them back together. He did it to figure out how they worked.

Morgan had a gift: insatiable curiosity. But with few opportunities in the South, he knew he would have to leave Kentucky if he wanted to work with his mind.

So as a teen, he said goodbye to his family. He headed north, to Ohio.

Business Success

Morgan eventually settled in the city of Cleveland with nothing but “a dime in his pocket and determination,” says his granddaughter Sandra Morgan. He took a job sweeping floors at a factory that made clothes, curtains, toys, and other items.

In his spare time, he taught himself how to repair the factory’s sewing machines. Soon he had invented a new way to keep the machines from breaking. His employer was so impressed that he promoted Morgan and paid him $150 for the idea—about $5,000 in today’s money.

By 1910, Morgan had become a successful businessperson, running his own tailoring shop, with dozens of employees. With cash rolling in, he had time to devote to an invention the world desperately needed: a breathing device for firefighters.

Morgan eventually settled in the city of Cleveland. He had nothing but “a dime in his pocket and determination,” says his granddaughter Sandra Morgan. He took a job sweeping floors at a factory. It made clothes, curtains, toys, and other items.

He taught himself how to repair the factory’s sewing machines. Then, he invented a way to keep the machines from breaking. His employer was impressed. He promoted Morgan and paid him $150 for the idea—about $5,000 in today’s money.

By 1910, Morgan was a successful businessperson. He had a tailoring shop, with dozens of employees. With cash rolling in, he had time to work on an invention the world desperately needed: a breathing device for firefighters.

Deadly Fires

In the early 20th century, fires were a deadly menace in the U.S. Millions of people worked in crowded factories and lived in cramped apartment buildings, where a single spark could ignite a raging inferno. Firefighters who attempted to rescue people trapped inside burning buildings could easily suffocate from the smoke and fumes.

Morgan wanted to prevent that—and help firefighters save more lives. In 1912, after several years of tinkering in his workshop, he debuted his safety hood, an ingenious device that had the potential to change the way America fought fires.

The safety hood fit over a firefighter’s head and shoulders. Two breathing tubes stretched from the hood to the floor. During a fire, smoke rises; the tubes enabled firefighters to breathe the cleanest air available, closest to the ground. Water-soaked sponges filtered out fumes.

Morgan knew he had an amazing product that could save many lives. But convincing people to buy it would be difficult. Nearly all his potential customers were White, and many were reluctant to do business with a Black man.

Morgan wasn’t about to let that stop him, though. To market his breathing device, he would have to get creative. He hired White salesmen and organized demonstrations of his invention around the country. Often, he went along, pretending to be an assistant. To show how the mask worked, Morgan and his salesmen would set up a tent and fill it with a toxic brew of burning tar, sulfur, formaldehyde, and manure. Morgan would put on the hood and step inside. Minutes later, he would emerge alive and unharmed.

“The smoke was the thickest and most evil smelling imaginable,” reported one newspaper after a demonstration in New Orleans. Incredibly, however, Morgan “came out as good as new.”

Over time, Morgan continued to improve his invention. He added an air bag that provided a 15-minute supply of oxygen.

Morgan’s demonstrations proved that the mask worked. But could it get someone through a real rescue operation? In 1916, Morgan finally got the chance to find out.

In the early 20th century, fires were a deadly menace. Millions of people worked in crowded factories and lived in cramped apartment buildings. A single spark could ignite a raging fire. Firefighters who tried to rescue people from burning buildings could suffocate from the smoke and fumes.

Morgan wanted to prevent that—and help firefighters save more lives. In 1912, he debuted his safety hood. It was an ingenious device that had the potential to change the way America fought fires.

The safety hood fit over a firefighter’s head and shoulders. Two breathing tubes stretched from the hood to the floor. During a fire, smoke rises. The tubes allowed firefighters to breathe the air closest to the ground, which had less smoke. Water-soaked sponges filtered out fumes.

Morgan knew his product could save many lives. But convincing people to buy it would be difficult. Nearly all his potential customers were White. Many did not want to do business with a Black man.

So Morgan hired White salesmen and organized demonstrations of his invention around the country. Often, he went along, pretending to be an assistant. Morgan and his salesmen would fill a tent with toxic gases. Then Morgan would put on the hood and step inside the tent. Minutes later, he would emerge alive and unharmed.

“The smoke was the thickest and most evil smelling imaginable,” reported one newspaper after a demonstration in New Orleans. Incredibly, however, Morgan “came out as good as new.”

Morgan continued to improve his invention. He added an air bag that provided a 15-minute supply of oxygen.

Morgan’s demonstrations proved that the mask worked. But could it help in a real rescue operation? In 1916, Morgan finally got the chance to find out.

Daring Rescue

On July 24, 1916, 11 men were working on a tunnel intended to carry water from Lake Erie into Cleveland. Around 10 p.m., the workers struck a pocket of natural gas. The gas ignited, sending a cloud of poisonous fumes rocketing through the tunnel.

Several groups of rescuers went in after the men. But most of them were soon overcome by the toxic gas. Now, at least 12 rescuers, plus the 11 workers, had passed out—or died—inside the tunnel.

The phone call to Morgan came at 3 a.m.: The fire department needed him. Now. Someone on the site had seen one of Morgan’s safety hood demonstrations and remembered it. Morgan’s invention was the only hope for the trapped men.

If it worked, that is.

Morgan didn’t even have time to change out of his pajamas. He gathered as many safety hoods as he could. Balancing a jumble of tubes, he rushed to his car and drove to the shore. From there, he took a boat to the platform on the lake.

On the platform, he stood surrounded by firefighters, police officers, and workers. Only three of them, including Morgan’s brother, were willing to put on the hoods and go down into the tunnel with him.

Before Morgan got into the elevator, Cleveland’s mayor, Harry Davis, shook his hand. Davis said simply, “Goodbye,” as though he did not expect to see Morgan again.

Then, as the mayor and a small crowd watched anxiously, Morgan and the three volunteers disappeared into the elevator shaft.

Minutes ticked by.

Five. Ten. Fifteen.

There was no sign of anyone. Had the hoods failed? Was everyone in the tunnel dead?

Just when all hope seemed lost, the elevator sprang to life. Morgan and the three helpers stumbled out with two workers—one of whom was still alive.

Morgan lost no time in going back down into the tunnel. It wasn’t until his third trip that more volunteers stepped forward from the crowd. They put on hoods and joined the rescue effort. In the end, they saved two men, who had Morgan’s invention to thank for their lives.

The incredible rescue was widely reported in newspapers, but frustratingly, Morgan did not always get the credit that he deserved. Many articles praised only the White men who had helped him.

Still, Morgan’s safety hood helped change the way fires were fought. Soon, fire departments across the country began reaching out to Morgan to purchase his amazing device.

On July 24, 1916, 11 men were working on a tunnel. It would carry water from Lake Erie to Cleveland. Around 10 p.m., the workers struck a pocket of natural gas. The gas ignited—or caught on fire. It sent a cloud of poisonous fumes rocketing through the tunnel.

Rescuers went in after the men. But most of them were soon overcome by the toxic gas. Now, at least 12 rescuers, plus the 11 workers, had passed out—or died—inside the tunnel.

At 3 a.m., the fire department called Morgan. Someone at the site had seen one of Morgan’s safety hood demonstrations. Morgan’s invention was the only hope for the trapped men.

If it worked, that is.

Morgan had no time to change out of his pajamas. He gathered as many safety hoods and tubes as he could. He rushed to his car and drove to the shore. From there, he took a boat to the platform on the lake.

On the platform, he stood surrounded by firefighters, police officers, and workers. Only three of them, including Morgan’s brother, were willing to put on hoods and go down into the tunnel with him.

Cleveland’s mayor, Harry Davis, was at the site. Before Morgan got into the elevator, he shook Morgan’s hand. Davis only said, “Goodbye,” as though he did not expect to see Morgan again.

Then, Morgan and the three volunteers disappeared into the elevator shaft. The mayor and a small crowd watched anxiously.

Minutes ticked by.

Five. Ten. Fifteen.

There was no sign of anyone. Had the hoods failed? Was everyone in the tunnel dead? But then, the elevator sprang to life! Morgan and the three helpers stumbled out with two workers—one of whom was still alive.

Morgan went right back down into the tunnel. On his third trip, more volunteers stepped forward from the crowd. They put on hoods and joined the rescue effort. In the end, they saved two men. They had Morgan’s invention to thank for their lives.

Many newspapers wrote about the incredible rescue. But frustratingly, they did not always give Morgan the credit that he deserved. Many articles praised only the White men who had helped him.

Still, Morgan’s safety hood helped change the way fires were fought. Soon, fire departments across the country bought Morgan’s amazing device.

Morgan’s Legacy

A year later, Morgan found another use for his invention. In 1917, during World War I, U.S. troops were sent overseas to fight Germany, which was using poison gas as a weapon. A version of Morgan’s hood, the gas mask, helped protect American troops from the gas when they went into battle.

Morgan didn’t stop there. He continued dreaming up new ways to solve problems.

One day in Cleveland, he witnessed a girl suffer terrible injuries in a car crash caused by chaotic traffic. Morgan was again determined to help.

Eventually, he came up with a new kind of traffic signal. It briefly stopped vehicles in all directions at busy intersections before the signal changed to Go. The pause reduced the risk of accidents, making streets safer. After patenting his design, Morgan sold it to a major company called General Electric, for $40,000. That’s about $700,000 in today’s money.

By the time Morgan died in 1963, his inventions had helped millions of people. He was proud of everything he had accomplished with just a sixth-grade education.

According to his granddaughter Sandra Morgan, he never stopped learning. He hired tutors to teach him the things he never got to learn in school. He kept a giant stack of National Geographic magazines.

Today, several schools in Cleveland are named after him. He is buried there in a cemetery alongside other important figures from American history, including President James Garfield and famous businessperson John D. Rockefeller.

Says Sandra Morgan, “He knew you had to take the gifts you’re given and use them to be your best.”

A year later, Morgan found another use for his invention. It was 1917. U.S. troops were sent overseas to fight in World War I against Germany, which used poison gas as a weapon. A version of Morgan’s hood—the gas mask—helped protect American troops from the poison gas.

Morgan didn’t stop there. He continued dreaming up new ways to solve problems.

One day in Cleveland, he saw a terrible car crash caused by chaotic traffic. Morgan was again determined to help.

He created a new kind of traffic signal. It briefly stopped vehicles in all directions at busy intersections. Then the signal changed to Go. The pause reduced the risk of accidents. It made streets safer. After patenting his design, Morgan sold it to a major company called General Electric, for $40,000. That’s about $700,000 in today’s money.

Morgan died in 1963. His inventions had helped millions of people. He was proud of everything he had accomplished with just a sixth-grade education.

According to his granddaughter Sandra Morgan, he never stopped learning. He hired tutors to teach him the things he didn’t get to learn in school. And he kept a giant stack of National Geographic magazines.

Today, several schools in Cleveland are named after him. He is buried there in a cemetery alongside other important Americans, including President James Garfield and famous businessperson John D. Rockefeller.

Says Sandra Morgan, “He knew you had to take the gifts you’re given and use them to be your best.”

6 Qualities of a Successful Inventor

Do you have what it takes?

by Mackenzie Carro and Alessandra Potenza

Courtesy of Locker Board

1. Problem Solving

Inventors identify problems and come up with innovative solutions. Take Carson Kropfl, who wanted a skateboard that could fit in his backpack and locker. So he created the Locker Board—a skateboard that’s shorter than regular boards but still easy to ride.

1. Problem Solving

Courtesy of Puttyworld

2. Passion

Inventors must be passionate about their work to help them stick with it. After all, they may need to build many prototypes to create a product that works. It took Aaron Muderick years of testing to make his colorful Thinking Putty. Today, this popular toy and stress reliever is sold around the world.

2. Passion

Horacio Villalobos/Corbis via Getty Images (Melanie Perkins); dennizn/Alamy Stock Photo (Canva)

3. Resilience

Not all ideas work out, and inventors need to be able to accept failure, learn from it, and try again. Melanie Perkins, creator of the online design tool Canva, had her idea rejected more than 100 times before someone agreed to invest in it!

3. Resilience

Emmanuel Dunand/AFP via Getty Images (Kevin Systrom); Shutterstock.com (Instagram)

4. Curiosity

Inventors are always learning new things. Kevin Systrom, co-founder of Instagram, was interested in programming, so he taught himself to code in his spare time. Eventually, he was able to make his own app.

4. Curiosity

Thomas S. England/Getty Images (Lonnie Johnson); HEATHER AINSWORTH/The New York Times/Redux (Super Soaker)

5. Creativity

Inventors see how ideas can be applied in many ways. NASA engineer Lonnie Johnson often tinkered with his own inventions at home. One night while working on a heat pump, he saw a new use for the project: play! It led him to dream up a new kind of water gun, the Super Soaker.

5. Creativity

Kim Cook/AP Images for Scholastic, Inc.

6. Courage

It takes guts to try something new. Just ask Gitanjali Rao. She invented Tethys, a device that detects lead in water, which is toxic to humans. “I had never started an invention and stuck with it,” she says. “I was always too afraid my idea wouldn’t end up being successful. Now I’m not afraid to try anymore.”

6. Courage

Writing Prompt

Think about the qualities described above. Which three do you think most contributed to Garrett Morgan’s success? Answer this question in a well-organized essay. Use text evidence.

Writing Prompt

Think about the qualities described above. Which three do you think most contributed to Garrett Morgan’s success? Answer this question in a well-organized essay. Use text evidence.

^{This article was originally published in the February 2023 issue.}

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Activities (13)

Quizzes (1)

Answer Key (1)

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Activities (13)

Quizzes (1)

Answer Key (1)

1. Preparing to Read

2. Reading and Discussing

3. Skill Building and Writing

4. Keep the Learning Going

5. Connected Reading

Essential questions: What drives innovation? How do advances in technology affect our lives? How can we overcome obstacles?

1. PREPARING TO READ (25 MINUTES)

Do-Now: Journal and Discuss (15 minutes)

Journal: Project the prompts below on your whiteboard. Have students choose one prompt to respond to in their journal.

If you could invent one thing that would make your life easier or better, what would it be? Draw a picture of this invention and write a caption that describes it. Be sure to give your invention a name.
What do you think is the greatest invention the world has ever seen? Why?
Pick something you use every day. How would your life be different if this thing had never been invented?
Look around your classroom. List five objects you see. Combine two or more of those objects to create a brand-new invention. Draw a picture of this invention and write a caption that describes it. Be sure to give your invention a name.

Discuss: Have students gather into groups according to which prompt they chose to discuss their responses. Then have a member of each group share highlights from their discussion. To wrap up, ask the class what character traits they think a successful inventor needs to have. Write them on your whiteboard.

Preview Vocabulary (10 minutes)

Project the Vocabulary: Definitions and Practice. Review the definitions and complete the practice activity as a class. Highlighted words, article one: emancipated, ingenious, menace, toxic; article two: innovative, invest, prototypes. Optionally, print or share the interactive link directly to your LMS and have students preview the words and complete the activity before class. Audio pronunciations of the words and a read-aloud are embedded in the interactive slides.

Do-Now: Journal and Discuss (15 minutes)

Journal: Project the prompts below on your whiteboard. Have students choose one prompt to respond to in their journal.
1. If you could invent one thing that would make your life easier or better, what would it be? Draw a picture of this invention and write a caption that describes it. Be sure to give your invention a name.
2. What do you think is the greatest invention the world has ever seen? Why?
3. Pick something you use every day. How would your life be different if this thing had never been invented?
4. Look around your classroom. List five objects you see. Combine two or more of those objects to create a brand-new invention. Draw a picture of this invention and write a caption that describes it. Be sure to give your invention a name.

Discuss: Have students gather into groups according to which prompt they chose to discuss their responses. Then have a member of each group share highlights from their discussion. To wrap up, ask the class what character traits they think a successful inventor needs to have. Write them on your whiteboard.

Preview Vocabulary (10 minutes)

Project the Vocabulary: Definitions and Practice. Review the definitions and complete the practice activity as a class. Highlighted words, article one: emancipated, ingenious, menace, toxic; article two: innovative, invest, prototypes. Optionally, print or share the interactive link directly to your LMS and have students preview the words and complete the activity before class. Audio pronunciations of the words and a read-aloud are embedded in the interactive slides.

2. READING AND DISCUSSING (45 MINUTES)

“Into the Poison Cloud”

Have a volunteer read the As You Read box that appears on page 13 of the magazine or at the top of the digital story page.

Read the article once as a class. Optionally, have students listen to the read-aloud while they follow along. The audio read-aloud is located in the Resources tab in Teacher View and at the top of the story page in Student View.

Divide students into groups to read the article again and respond to the following close-reading questions.

Close-Reading Questions (10 minutes)

In the section “Leaving Home,” Tod Olson writes that Morgan had the gift of “insatiable curiosity.” How does Olson develop this idea throughout the article? (key ideas and details, character) Olson develops the idea of Morgan’s curiosity when he explains that Morgan liked to take things apart and put them back together to see how they worked. Olson further develops the idea when he explains that Morgan taught himself to repair the sewing machines at a factory in Cleveland where he worked. The information that Morgan invented a fire safety hood—which he later adapted for use as a gas mask for troops fighting in World War I—and a traffic signal also develops the idea. In addition, Olson states that Morgan kept a giant stack of National Geographic magazines and hired tutors for himself.

Olson calls Morgan’s safety hood “an invention the world desperately needed.” How is this statement supported? (key ideas and details) Olson supports his statement that Morgan’s gas mask was “desperately needed” by explaining that at the time, firefighters had no way of protecting themselves from smoke and fumes and would suffocate trying to rescue people. The caption “What he did: Protected Firefighters” also supports the statement with an example of how deadly fires could be in cities in the early 1900s, explaining that 146 people died in the Triangle Waist Company factory fire.

How effective did the men gathered on the platform in Lake Erie think Morgan’s safety hood would be? How do you know? (text evidence, inference) It is clear that the men on the platform had little faith that Morgan’s safety hood would be effective. The detail that the mayor shook Morgan’s hand and “said simply, ‘Goodbye,’ as though he did not expect to see Morgan again” and the detail that only three people volunteered to enter the tunnel with Morgan show what little confidence they had in Morgan’s device.

“6 Qualities of a Successful Inventor”

Read the article as a class or independently. Optionally, have students listen to the read-aloud while they follow along. The audio read-aloud is located in the Resources tab in Teacher View and at the top of the story page in Student View. Then have students answer the following close-reading question.

Close-Reading Questions (5 minutes)

Based on what box No. 3 says, define resilience in your own words. How did Morgan show resilience? (vocabulary, synthesis) Resilience is the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness. Morgan showed resilience by continuing to educate himself after he was forced to quit school at the end of sixth grade. Facing racism and discrimination in Kentucky, he showed resilience again by moving to Ohio in search of opportunities. Then, when he faced racism and discrimination again when trying to sell his safety hood, Morgan did not give up but instead hired White salesmen to demonstrate his product all over the country.
As a class, discuss the following critical-thinking questions, the second of which applies to both articles.

Critical-Thinking Questions (5 minutes)

Consider the saying “Necessity is the mother of invention.” What does it mean? How does it apply to the story of Garrett Morgan? This saying means that new ideas or ways of doing things are created when there is a problem that needs to be solved. Morgan saw many problems that inspired him to create solutions. For example, he saw a need for better protection for firefighters and also for increased safety for drivers and pedestrians, and in response, he created two lifesaving devices: a safety hood and a new traffic signal.

What might be rewarding about being an inventor? What might be challenging? Ideas for what might be rewarding: the excitement of starting something new, the satisfaction of seeing your ideas come to life, being your own boss, having a creative and interesting job, the possibility of becoming rich and/or famous, and the opportunity to make a real and important difference in the world. Ideas for what might be challenging: you risk losing a lot of money, you might face a lot of rejection, your job might take over your life, it’s your responsibility to fix anything that goes wrong, and there aren’t any guarantees for success.

As a class, revisit the list of traits of a successful inventor that students named before reading. How does it compare to the list in “6 Qualities of a Successful Inventor”?

“Into the Poison Cloud”

Have a volunteer read the As You Read box that appears on page 13 of the magazine or at the top of the digital story page.
Read the article once as a class. Optionally, have students listen to the read-aloud while they follow along. The audio read-aloud is located in the Resources tab in Teacher View and at the top of the story page in Student View.
Divide students into groups to read the article again and respond to the following close-reading questions.

Close-Reading Questions (10 minutes)

In the section “Leaving Home,” Tod Olson writes that Morgan had the gift of “insatiable curiosity.” How does Olson develop this idea throughout the article? (key ideas and details, character) Olson develops the idea of Morgan’s curiosity when he explains that Morgan liked to take things apart and put them back together to see how they worked. Olson further develops the idea when he explains that Morgan taught himself to repair the sewing machines at a factory in Cleveland where he worked. The information that Morgan invented a fire safety hood—which he later adapted for use as a gas mask for troops fighting in World War I—and a traffic signal also develops the idea. In addition, Olson states that Morgan kept a giant stack of National Geographic magazines and hired tutors for himself.

Olson calls Morgan’s safety hood “an invention the world desperately needed.” How is this statement supported? (key ideas and details) Olson supports his statement that Morgan’s gas mask was “desperately needed” by explaining that at the time, firefighters had no way of protecting themselves from smoke and fumes and would suffocate trying to rescue people. The caption “What he did: Protected Firefighters” also supports the statement with an example of how deadly fires could be in cities in the early 1900s, explaining that 146 people died in the Triangle Waist Company factory fire.

How effective did the men gathered on the platform in Lake Erie think Morgan’s safety hood would be? How do you know? (text evidence, inference) It is clear that the men on the platform had little faith that Morgan’s safety hood would be effective. The detail that the mayor shook Morgan’s hand and “said simply, ‘Goodbye,’ as though he did not expect to see Morgan again” and the detail that only three people volunteered to enter the tunnel with Morgan show what little confidence they had in Morgan’s device.

“6 Qualities of a Successful Inventor”

Read the article as a class or independently. Optionally, have students listen to the read-aloud while they follow along. The audio read-aloud is located in the Resources tab in Teacher View and at the top of the story page in Student View. Then have students answer the following close-reading question.

Close-Reading Questions (5 minutes)

Based on what box No. 3 says, define resilience in your own words. How did Morgan show resilience? (vocabulary, synthesis) Resilience is the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness. Morgan showed resilience by continuing to educate himself after he was forced to quit school at the end of sixth grade. Facing racism and discrimination in Kentucky, he showed resilience again by moving to Ohio in search of opportunities. Then, when he faced racism and discrimination again when trying to sell his safety hood, Morgan did not give up but instead hired White salesmen to demonstrate his product all over the country.
As a class, discuss the following critical-thinking questions, the second of which applies to both articles.

Critical-Thinking Questions (5 minutes)

Consider the saying “Necessity is the mother of invention.” What does it mean? How does it apply to the story of Garrett Morgan? This saying means that new ideas or ways of doing things are created when there is a problem that needs to be solved. Morgan saw many problems that inspired him to create solutions. For example, he saw a need for better protection for firefighters and also for increased safety for drivers and pedestrians, and in response, he created two lifesaving devices: a safety hood and a new traffic signal.

What might be rewarding about being an inventor? What might be challenging? Ideas for what might be rewarding: the excitement of starting something new, the satisfaction of seeing your ideas come to life, being your own boss, having a creative and interesting job, the possibility of becoming rich and/or famous, and the opportunity to make a real and important difference in the world. Ideas for what might be challenging: you risk losing a lot of money, you might face a lot of rejection, your job might take over your life, it’s your responsibility to fix anything that goes wrong, and there aren’t any guarantees for success.

As a class, revisit the list of traits of a successful inventor that students named before reading. How does it compare to the list in “6 Qualities of a Successful Inventor”?

3. SKILL BUILDING AND WRITING (20 MINUTES)

Have students complete the Writing Planner: Garrett Morgan’s Success. This activity will help them organize their ideas in preparation for the prompt on page 17 in the printed magazine and at the bottom of the digital story page.
Alternatively, have students choose a culminating task from the Choice Board, a menu of differentiated activities.

Have students complete the Writing Planner: Garrett Morgan’s Success. This activity will help them organize their ideas in preparation for the prompt on page 17 in the printed magazine and at the bottom of the digital story page.
Alternatively, have students choose a culminating task from the Choice Board, a menu of differentiated activities.

4. KEEP THE LEARNING GOING

Watch a Video

Watch the Beyond the Story video, which highlights five inventions that changed the world. Have students respond to the Video Discussion Questions (available in your Resources tab) in small groups or as a class.

Design a Solution

In “Into the Poison Cloud,” you learned how Garrett Morgan noticed problems around him and got to work trying to fix them. What problems do you see around you that might be fixed with a new invention? In this activity, think like an inventor to come up with a solution to a tricky problem.

First, make a list of problems you’d like to solve. To do this, observe the world around you for one day and take notes in a notebook when you notice a problem. You could jot down things as simple as “the line at the cafeteria is too long” or “my sneakers get wet when it rains.”
Then, pick one problem that might be solved with the creation of something new—a gadget, an app, or a new feature added to something that already exists (as Morgan did with the traffic signal).
Describe the solution. How is it designed? What materials are needed? Who will use it, and how? You can include an illustration with your description, make a model, or build a prototype of your invention.

Research an Invention/Inventor

In the articles and video, you met many inventors and inventions past and present. Choose one of the research paths below to keep the learning going:

Choose an invention/inventor mentioned in the video or the second article to research further. Write an article about that invention/inventor.
Research an invention NOT mentioned in the articles or video. Who invented it? What problem did this invention solve? In what ways has it changed people’s lives? Present your findings in a slideshow.

Watch a Video

Watch the Beyond the Story video, which highlights five inventions that changed the world. Have students respond to the Video Discussion Questions (available in your Resources tab) in small groups or as a class.

Design a Solution

First, make a list of problems you’d like to solve. To do this, observe the world around you for one day and take notes in a notebook when you notice a problem. You could jot down things as simple as “the line at the cafeteria is too long” or “my sneakers get wet when it rains.”
Then, pick one problem that might be solved with the creation of something new—a gadget, an app, or a new feature added to something that already exists (as Morgan did with the traffic signal).
Describe the solution. How is it designed? What materials are needed? Who will use it, and how? You can include an illustration with your description, make a model, or build a prototype of your invention.

Research an Invention/Inventor

In the articles and video, you met many inventors and inventions past and present. Choose one of the research paths below to keep the learning going:

Choose an invention/inventor mentioned in the video or the second article to research further. Write an article about that invention/inventor.
Research an invention NOT mentioned in the articles or video. Who invented it? What problem did this invention solve? In what ways has it changed people’s lives? Present your findings in a slideshow.

5. CONNECTED READING

Connected readings from the Scope archives about innovation and inventions:

Special Collection: Amazing Histories

Connected readings from the Scope archives about innovation and inventions:

Special Collection: Amazing Histories

Text-to-Speech

Into the Poison Cloud

Into the Poison Cloud

The incredible life of Garrett Morgan, whose inventions have saved countless lives

by Tod Olson

6 Qualities of a Successful Inventor

Do you have what it takes?

by Mackenzie Carro and Alessandra Potenza

Close Reading, Critical Thinking, Skill Building

Table of Contents

1. Preparing to Read

2. Reading and Discussing

3. Skill Building and Writing

4. Keep the Learning Going

5. Connected Reading

1. PREPARING TO READ (25 MINUTES)

2. READING AND DISCUSSING (45 MINUTES)

3. SKILL BUILDING AND WRITING (20 MINUTES)

4. KEEP THE LEARNING GOING

5. CONNECTED READING

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Into the Poison Cloud

Into the Poison Cloud

The incredible life of Garrett Morgan, whose inventions have saved countless lives

by Tod Olson

6 Qualities of a Successful Inventor

Do you have what it takes?

by Mackenzie Carro and Alessandra Potenza

Close Reading, Critical Thinking, Skill Building

Table of Contents

1. Preparing to Read 2. Reading and Discussing 3. Skill Building and Writing 4. Keep the Learning Going 5. Connected Reading

1. PREPARING TO READ (25 MINUTES)

2. READING AND DISCUSSING (45 MINUTES)

3. SKILL BUILDING AND WRITING (20 MINUTES)

4. KEEP THE LEARNING GOING

5. CONNECTED READING

Help/Support

Help/Support

About Us

Subscriber Information

Connect with Us

1. Preparing to Read

2. Reading and Discussing

3. Skill Building and Writing

4. Keep the Learning Going

5. Connected Reading