Elijah McCoy's work was an integral part of the industrial revolution. Born to fugitive slaves who escaped from Kentucky to Ontario, Canada via the Underground Railroad, Elijah was always a curious kid who was interested in how things worked. He got a mechanical engineering apprenticeship in Edinburgh, Scotland and later on was employed by the Michigan Railroad as a fireman. It was his experience working with trains that inspired his invention, the lubricating cup, along with at least 40 lubricating devices that he patented. These devices were used in trains, ships, and factories, laying the foundation for faster transportation and manufacturing of goods that. 

Along with learning about Elijah McCoy, students will cover the application of constant rates of change, and exponential growth. To complete this lesson, students will need to be familiar with the concept of graphing and will leave with a better understanding of formulating linear and exponential equations.