Students become acquainted with three of America’s main inventors of radio: Lee de Forest, Howard Armstrong, and David Sarnoff. These scientist-entrepreneurs of the 1920s and ‘30s demonstrated many aspects of the American character, from dreaming big to perseverance. They also embodied some of the downsides of the American character, negatively affecting themselves and those around them. In this lesson, students analyze these traits and their outcome. Optional follow-up activities invite students to explore some of today’s more controversial celebrities and how their embodiment of the American character impacts their success.

About the Author:

Jessica Leader is a teacher and author. She has taught middle and high school English and social studies for 13 years in New York, Kentucky, and Washington, DC and has authored curriculum materials for several Ken Burns films. Her middle-grade novel, Nice and Mean, was published by Simon and Schuster. She believes in the power of great stories.