Nikola Tesla in Colorado Teachers Guide by Tom Paden and Quinn Rollins

Grades 1-4

Questions:

Where was Nikola Tesla born?

What's a reason he might have moved to the United States?

What was one of his first inventions that the comic had mentioned earned him a lot of money?

What remote controlled toy did Tesla build?

What did Tesla want to do with electricity? How could that be useful?

What happened to the butterflies in Colorado Springs when Tesla turned on his large Experimental Station?

When he heard strange signals while he was working on his research, who did Tesla think he was contacted by?

Activities:

Imagine that you are Nikola Tesla and that you want to invent new and fun technology. What would you invent first? Tell the class about it. Draw a design of your new invention.

Nikola Tesla invented a remote controlled boat and people loved it! Using Play-Doh, LEGO, or other materials, create your own model of a remote controlled boat.

Using Play-Doh, LEGO, or other materials, design your own “Experimental Station”. What would you do experiments on? How would you make people want to come visit your station?

Grades 5-8

Questions:

When Tesla heard wireless communication signals, who were they likely from?

Tesla picked up wireless communication signals that were likely being transmitted by Guglielmo Marconi. Who was Marconi, and what was he most famous for?

What was it about Colorado that made it such a great place for his work? Are there other places in the United States that would have had those same characteristics?

What are some modern day companies that have used Tesla’s research and ideas? What products or inventions are they best known for?

Activities:

Draw the basic schematic for the Tesla Coil. Label the parts and briefly explain how a Tesla Coil works.

Tesla came up with many ideas including plans for Flying Machines, “Death Rays” and “Electrolocation”. Using online resources, describe some of his ideas and how they might work.

Using LEGO, Play-Doh, or other materials, create a model of your own Tesla-inspired invention. Describe how it works and what it is used for.

Tesla invented a “Tesla Coil” to make all sorts of experiments happen. Imagine you want to help him sell it. Using a LEGO template (download it here: http://www.quinnrollins.com/p/lego-templates.html?m=1 ), design a box for the Tesla coil that would make people want to buy it!

Grades 9-12

When Tesla heard distant communication signals, what was the pattern/signal that he heard? What made him think it was intelligent communication as opposed to just random noise?

What were some of the components of Tesla’s Experimental Station in Colorado?

What are some applications for a Tesla coil?

One of Tesla's goals was to develop wireless electrical transmission. What would be a practical application of that technology? What limitations might that technology have?

How did Tesla’s remote controlled boat work?

Activities:

Watch the film “The Prestige”. What was one of the real-life Tesla experiments in the movie? How was Tesla able to do this safely? Discuss with the class

Design your own miniature Tesla Coil.

Draw a blueprint, or simple schematic, for the Tesla Coil and Faraday cage inside the Experimental station.

Imagine you were the mayor of Colorado Springs and Tesla was coming in to build his station. You want to draw tourists in and build your local economy. Using Play-Doh, LEGO, or other materials, design the Experimental Station and attractions, commercial outlets, and other facilities and features that you feel would create a tourism boom.

Tesla–TomPaden&QuinnRollins

NikolaTesla

TomPadenandQuinnRollins

ArtNotes:

We’dliketofocusonTeslahimselfaswellashighlighttheparticularelementsofColoradoincluding

elementssuchashisExperimentalStation,himsittingbyhisTeslaCoilwhilefullyenergized,andwith

Colorado,imagerysuchasthe“WelcometoColorfulColorado”signandthetownofColoradoSprings.

I’dlikeittobebright,colorful,andwhimsical.Teslawassuchanenergeticpersonality(tousean

incrediblycornyplayonwords)andIwanttoshowhimbeingfullofthisenergy,havingitexpressedby

thefoolightsfromthebutterflies,tothelightningleapingaroundhim.

Iamexpectingeachpagetohave6panels,

HereareafewphotographsofNikolaTeslaforreference

Tesla–TomPaden&QuinnRollins

Panel1:

ThispanelwilljustbeaprofileshotofTesla,holdingalightbulbswitchedon,exampleofhiswireless

electricity.ItcouldbefuntohaveTeslainB&Wbutthelightningorlightbulb(whichevertheartist

prefers)avividyellowwithblueishglow/aura.

CAP:NikolaTeslawasaninventorwholovedelectricity.Welloveracenturylater,wearestillworking

onhisconceptsandtryingtounderstandhisgenius.

TESLA:“Iwillturnmagicintoscience!’

Panel2:

HerewecanshowTeslaworkingonblueprints.Hehadsomanyideasandblueprintsforthem,sowe

couldshowoneofthem.Somethinglikethese.Thiswouldbeawaytofocusonhis“newandexciting

inventions”.Basic“blueprint”colourschemehere.

Tesla–TomPaden&QuinnRollins

CAP:Teslawasbornin1856inCroatiaandmovedtotheUSin1884.Hebecameverywealthyby

patentingtheAlternatingCurrent(AC)motoranddecidedtousehiswealthtocreatenewandexciting

inventions.

Panel3:

HerewecanshowTeslademonstratinghisexperimentstoacrowd.Heinventedaremotecontrolled

boatwhichpeopleabsolutelyloved.Theythoughtitwas“Magic”.Deepbluesforthewater,andI’dlove

thepeopleinthebackgroundtobeavarietyofethnicities.Itmaynotbeanaccuraterepresentationof

thepeoplethereatthetime,butI’dlikeallofthechildrenreadingthis2-pagertofeelincluded.

CAP:Whenhedemonstratedhisnewideashewasverypopularandatotalshowman.Peoplelovedhis

inventionssuchasthefirstremotecontrolledboat.

CROWDMEMBER:“Amazing!”

Panel4:

ThisshouldhavearenderingofhisTeslaCoil,perhapsTeslaworkingoveraminiatureversionand

showingitsbasicdesign.I’dloveforthistobethesameidea,aB&WTeslaoverlookingavibrantblue,

yellow,chromeandwhitecolourscheme.

Tesla–TomPaden&QuinnRollins

CAP:HebuiltanewdevicehecalledtheTeslaCoil.Thisnewinventionallowedhimtocreateaformof

wirelesselectricity!

Panel5:

“WelcometoColorfulColorado”.Anartistrenderingoftheiconicsignwouldbeperfecthere.Maybe

withathunderstormandsomelightninginthebackground?Ireallylovethe“ColorfulColorado”colour

paletteusedonthisPopCultureClassroomwebsite.Modelingthedesignexactlythatwaywouldbe

fantastic.

CAP:Teslarealizedhisexperimentswouldbebetterinanareathatwashigheraltitudeandlower

pressure.HefoundjusttheplaceinColoradoSprings!

Panel6:

AnimageofTeslaoutsideofhisfamous“ExperimentalStation,perhapssurroundedbyafewonlookers

marvelingatthesightwithinquisitiveexpressions.Thepeoplewouldbefromafar,sonodistinct

personalities.

CAP:InMayof1899,TeslabeganworkonhisexperimentalstationatthetopofNobHill.Hewassoon

thetalkofthesmalltown.

Tesla–TomPaden&QuinnRollins

Panel7:

TheimageryofTeslacalmlysittingbyhiscoilandtheFaradaycageisprettypowerful,asevidencedfrom

thefollowingphotographs.Somethingalongtheselineswouldbeperfect!IamstillpartialtoTesla

beingB&Wbutvibrantcolourssurroundinghim.

CAP:Teslabuilthislargestcoilyetinsidetheexperimentalstation.Hesatcalmlyaslightningleapt

aroundhim.

TESLA:”Thisisnothing.JustseewhatIdonext!”

Panel8:

Theimageryhereofbutterfliesinthetownnearbythatarechargedbytheelectricityis(Icouldn’tfind

animagequiteshowingthis,buthere’sanexamplewecouldworkwith,perhapsnottheactualcatching

fire?).Ablueishglowsurroundingmulticolouredbutterfliesastheycircletheheadofayoungchild,who

reachesuptotowardonetotouchit,mesmerized.

CAP:Thecoilcaused“thunder”tobeheardformanymiles,andbutterfliesintheareabecamesohighly

chargedthattheyglowedblueandcaughtfire.

Tesla–TomPaden&QuinnRollins

Panel9:

HerewecanshowTeslaonaflatsurfaceoutside,surroundedbylightbulbsonthegroundin

variousstates(“pluggedintothemud”aswellaslyingflat/ontheirsides)litup.Theyshowed

thisfantasticallyinthemovie“ThePrestige”.That’swheretheaboveimageisfrom.Ifyou

haven’thadachancetowatchit,do!It’samazingandshowssomegreatTeslaactioncourtesy

ofthelate,great,DavidBowie.Iabsolutelylovethemutedcoloursofthisgraphic.I’dloveforit

tobesimilar,butabitless“creepy”wouldbejustfine.I’dlikeTeslatobemoreprominently

showninthemiddlethanheishere.

CAP:Healsocreatedanimpressivedemonstrationoflightbulbsoutside,standingontheground,being

litwirelessly.

Panel10:

HerewecanshowTeslahavingan“Aha!”momentwhilsthearingwirelesscommunicationsignals.He

wasoriginallysurehehadcontactedaliens,butitisalmostguaranteeditwasatestbeingconductedby

Marconi.Thisimagemightbeagreatillustrationtobaseanideafrom.Itmaynotbesogreatto

highlightanyactualspacealiens/”Martians”,butthecommunicationsignalsreachingfromTeslato

“beyondthestars”maybeappropriate.

Tesla–TomPaden&QuinnRollins

CAP:Whileexperimenting,heheardcommunicationhebelievedtobefromanotherplanet.This

excitedmanypeople!HelaterfoundoutitwaslikelyawirelesscommunicationtestbyGuglielmo

MarconiinEurope.

TESLA:“IhavespokentoMartians!Well…maybe?”

Panel11:

AnimageofTesla’sWardenclyffeTowerorperhapsTeslahimselflookingupatthestructure,possiblyan

imageofhimwithathoughtbubbleofthetowerwithlightningshootingfromit,andobjectslike

illuminatedlightbulbs,mobilephones,andradiosallsurroundingthetower,encompassedbythe

lightning.

CAP:TeslaeventuallyleftColoradoaftergoingbankrupt,buthelearnedmuchwhilehere.Hisresearch

inspiredhimtobuildtheWardenclyffeTowerandcomeupwithmanynewideas!

Panel12:

TheimageshereshouldrepresentTesla’slegacy.PossiblyTeslacars,possiblyotherinventions.Hehad

somanyideasincludingsomeyetunfoundpatentsthatarestillnotaccountedfor.Perhapsafiling

Tesla–TomPaden&QuinnRollins

cabinetwithsuchbylinesas“DEATHRAYPatent”,“ELECTROLOCATION”,andthentothesideyoucouldshowtheTeslacarlogo,andthestatueofTesla

TESLASTATUE:“Icontinuetoinspire!”

CAP:Today,Tesla’sworkcontinuestointrigueandinspireus.Someofhispatentsarestillbeing

discovered,andtothisdayhisnamecontinuestobeassociatedwithinnovation,discoveryanda

pioneeringspiritallacrosstheworld.

Bibliography:

http://mentalfloss.com/article/78127/10-electrifying-facts-about-nikola-tesla

https://welweb.org/ThenandNow/tesla.html

http://www.pbs.org/tesla/ll/ll_colspr.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tesla_Experimental_Station

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikola_Tesla

http://www.teslasciencecenter.org/