Frederick McKinley Jones had a rough life. His mom left when he was young and soon after his father sent him to live with a priest. An inauspicious start for a man who would go on to revolutionize food transport!
Jones was an avid racer and my favorite Fun Fact is that he got fired for racing on company time. Uh, he was a mechanic, how else was he supposed to test the cars out?
This self-taught man got his engineering license at the age of twenty and never looked back.
His most defining invention was a portable air-cooling unit for trucks, which grew exponentially during World War II, helping to preserve blood, medicine and food. He and his partner, Joe Numero, revolutionized food transport. Many of the foods we enjoy today would not be possible without refrigerated transport.
Jones would ultimately patent over 61 inventions
Jones passed away in 1961, but he would not be forgotten. In 1991, Jones and his partner were posthumously awarded the National Medal of Technology, making Jones the first African American to receive the award.
“There are 3 things to do to become successful. First, don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty. Don’t be afraid to work. Try lots of jobs. Work for nothing if you have to, but get the experience. You never know when what you have learned will come in handy. Second, you have to read. Find out what others know. You don’t have to buy books. Use libraries! You can educate yourself by reading. All my life has been study and work. That’s what I get fun out of. And third, you have to believe in yourself. Don’t listen to others tell you you’re wrong. Remember, nothing is impossible. Go ahead and prove you’re right.”
– Frederick Jones, in acceptance speech upon receipt of the Merit Award, Phyllis Wheatley Auxiliary
Learn more
Books And Videos:
Here is a link to a Science A to Z book on Heat!
http://oreschwab.weebly.com/uploads/1/4/2/1/14214010/heat_energy3-4_nfbook_mid.pdf
STEM Lesson Plan
Challenge: Can you keep an ice cube cold?
This activity can be modified for grades 2 – 5.
Construct a container that will keep an ice cube from melting.
Students will have an ice cube, a container ( such as a tupperware or even a section of an egg carton), and no more than three other items to work with. Examples are foil, cotton balls, napkins, newspaper, coffee filters and paper of various colors.
There should be a time constraint to this as well, but will depend on the age of the students, as younger students may need longer. Also think about whether you will have them put their cubes in warm, sunny spots or if they will stay with the students.
Questions to ponder: What materials did you select and why? What would you change if you could? Why? What do you think was the most effective material you used?
Use CLAIM EVIDENCE REASONING for students to make claims about the effectiveness of their insulator (3rd – 5th). This may need scaffolding depending on your class exposure to the CER model.
Example:
Claim:
(materials) keep an ice cube insulated.
Evidence:
Our ice was covered in (…), while another used (…). Our ice cube melted faster/slower than the other. Reasoning: The definition of an insulator is a substance which does not readily allow the passage of heat. By allowing heat to enter, the (…) was shown to be a good/poor insulator.
Reasoning:
The definition of an insulator is a substance which does not readily allow the passage of heat. By allowing heat to enter, the (…) was shown to be a good/poor insulator.