What Is the Time Machine?
The Black Innovators Time Machine is an interactive educational game that combines time-telling skills, typing practice, and Black History Month learning. Students master reading and setting analog clocks while traveling through time to meet ten extraordinary Black scientists, inventors, and engineers whose innovations shaped the modern world.
🎯 Learning Objectives
- Reading & Typing Practice: Students read dates and times, then type them accurately using a keyboard
- Digital-to-Analog Translation: Convert digital time displays into correct analog clock positions
- Fine Motor Skills: Precisely drag hour and minute hands to set the correct time
- Timeline Understanding: Work chronologically (1882→1995) to build historical sequence, or skip around to explore freely
- Time Format Fluency: Practice with both 12-hour and 24-hour time formats
- History & STEM: Discover Black innovators' contributions to science, technology, and engineering
- Growth Mindset: Learn about perseverance, problem-solving, and breaking barriers through real role models
How It Works
- Read the Date & Time: Students see a historical date and time displayed digitally (e.g., "March 15, 1882 at 3:30")
- Type the Information: Using the keyboard, students enter the date and time to program the time machine
- Translate to Analog: Convert the digital time into analog format by dragging clock hands to the correct positions
- Launch the Rocket: When the clock is set correctly, the time machine "travels" to meet an innovator
- Watch & Learn: Video introduces the inventor and their breakthrough achievement
- Choose Your Path: Continue chronologically through all ten missions, or jump to any inventor that interests you
⚙️ Customizable Difficulty Levels
- Hour Only: Students set only the hour (minute hand stays at 12)
- Hour + :30: Times on the hour or half-hour only
- Any Time: Full clock precision with 5-minute intervals
Meet the Innovators
Students will travel through time from 1882 to 2012, meeting pioneers whose brilliance and persistence changed history:
Lewis Howard Latimer
Improved the carbon filament in light bulbs, making electric lighting affordable and long-lasting for homes everywhere.
Granville T. Woods
The "Black Edison" invented the railway telegraph, allowing moving trains to communicate and prevent collisions.
George Washington Carver
Agricultural scientist who discovered over 300 uses for peanuts, revolutionizing Southern farming.
Garrett Morgan
Invented the three-position traffic signal, making streets safer for drivers and pedestrians alike.
Katherine Johnson
NASA mathematician whose calculations were critical to the success of the first U.S. manned spaceflight.
Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson
Physicist whose research led to the development of caller ID, call waiting, and fiber optic cables.
Lonnie G. Johnson
NASA engineer who invented the Super Soaker water gun while working on spacecraft cooling systems.
Guy Bluford
First African American astronaut in space, flying on the Space Shuttle Challenger mission STS-8.
Dr. Marian R. Croak
Pioneer of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), making online voice and video calls possible worldwide.
Dr. Arlyne Simon
Biomedical engineer who invented a blood test to detect bone marrow transplant rejection, designed medical imaging equipment at Intel, and inspires young inventors through her "Abby Invents" book series.
A Timeline of Innovation
From the late 1800s to the digital age, these inventors broke barriers and created technologies we use every day:
Industrial Revolution Era: Latimer, Woods, Carver, and Morgan solved critical infrastructure challenges—lighting, transportation safety, agriculture, and traffic control.
Space Age & Scientific Breakthroughs: Johnson's calculations sent astronauts safely to space, while Jackson's physics research laid groundwork for telecommunications.
Modern Technology Era: Johnson, Bluford, and Croak advanced space exploration, engineering innovation, and digital communication that powers today's internet.
Biomedical Innovation: Dr. Simon invented a life-saving blood test that helps doctors know if a patient's body is rejecting a bone marrow transplant. She also writes books to inspire kids—especially girls—to see themselves as future inventors. What will YOU invent next?
Why This Matters
This Time Machine does more than teach time-telling—it reveals the profound impact of Black innovators on modern life. Students discover that:
- Innovation comes from diverse minds: Breakthrough solutions arise when people from all backgrounds contribute their unique perspectives
- Persistence pays off: These inventors faced significant obstacles yet continued pursuing their visions
- STEM is everywhere: From traffic lights to video calls, innovations improve daily life for everyone
- History is ongoing: Today's students can be tomorrow's inventors, building on this legacy
🌟 Representation Matters
For many students, this may be their first introduction to Black scientists and inventors beyond a few well-known figures. Seeing diverse role models in STEM fields helps all students envision themselves as future innovators and problem-solvers.
How to Use This Activity
🖥️ Technical Setup
- Device: Works on computers, tablets, and interactive whiteboards
- Browser: Any modern web browser (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge)
- Internet: Required for video streaming
- Sound: Videos include narration and music—headphones optional for individual work
📋 Suggested Implementation
Whole Class Introduction (15 minutes)
- Project the Time Machine on your classroom screen
- Demonstrate how to read the digital time and date
- Show keyboard typing to enter the information
- Model dragging clock hands to match the digital time (hour hand first, then minute hand)
- Complete the first mission together (Lewis Latimer - March 15, 1882 at 3:30)
- Discuss: "How did Latimer's invention change people's lives?"
Independent/Partner Practice (20-30 minutes)
- Students work individually or in pairs at devices
- Choose appropriate difficulty level for each student's needs
- Option 1 - Chronological: Progress through all ten innovators in historical order to build timeline understanding
- Option 2 - Student Choice: Allow students to "jump" to inventors that interest them most
- Encourage students to watch videos fully and discuss innovations
- Circulate to check keyboard typing accuracy and clock-setting skills
- Celebrate successes and support students who need help with digital-to-analog translation
Reflection & Extension (10-15 minutes)
- Class discussion: Which inventor inspired you most? Why?
- Writing prompt: "If I could travel back in time, I would ask [inventor]..."
- STEM connection: "What problem would you like to solve with an invention?"
♿ Accessibility Features
- Visual: High-contrast clock face, large numbers, bright color coding
- Motor: Forgiving click tolerance (±15 degrees), works with mouse or touch, keyboard typing practice
- Cognitive: Three difficulty levels, visual feedback, unlimited attempts, choice of chronological or free exploration
- Audio: Videos include captions (enable in video player controls)
- Typing Support: Students can use on-screen keyboards or physical keyboards; date/time format is clearly displayed
📚 Extension Activities
- Chronological Challenge: Race to complete all inventors in order from 1882-1995, discussing how technology built upon itself
- Research Project: Students choose an innovator and create a presentation about their life and inventions
- Timeline Creation: Build a visual timeline showing all ten innovators and their contributions in historical context
- Invention Challenge: Design a solution to a problem in your school or community
- Biography Writing: Write a "day in the life" story from an inventor's perspective
- STEM Fair: Create working models or demonstrations of the inventions featured
- Math Extension: Calculate time differences between invention dates, years between inventors, create word problems
- Typing Practice: Create additional date/time cards for students to practice reading and typing historical information