MassachusettsHISTORY EXPLORERS GRADES 3–8
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Quick glossary
evidence
Information from a source that helps us test a claim.
source
A document, object, image, or account we can examine.
inference
An explanation based on clues; it still needs checking.
migration
Moving from one place to another to live.
immigrant
A person who moves to another country to live.
estimate
An approximate amount, based on available information.
oral history
A recorded interview about someone’s memories and experiences.
community
People connected by a place, relationships, or shared activities.
ancestry
Family origins across generations.
primary source
Evidence created by someone who experienced a time or event.

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Science, inventions & engineering

Percy Spencer

1894–1970

A Raytheon Radarange microwave oven aboard the ship NS Savannah, installed around 1961. Spencer’s work helped make microwave cooking possible.
A Raytheon Radarange microwave oven aboard the ship NS Savannah, installed around 1961. Spencer’s work helped make microwave cooking possible. Image source & credit ↗
Massachusetts connection

Raytheon in Massachusetts

While working on radar equipment, Spencer noticed that microwaves could heat food. He and other Raytheon engineers developed microwave cooking equipment. Their work links a Massachusetts company to a familiar kitchen appliance. Studying an unexpected result can lead to a new question and a new invention.

You can use your device’s reading tools or read with a partner.

Your turn, historian

Find a detail. Build an idea.

  1. What did this person or group do? Point to a detail in the reading.
  2. What problem did this person investigate? Who else helped make progress?
  3. What would you like to find out next? Which kind of source could help?

“Percy Spencer mattered because ___. A detail that supports my idea is ___.”

Follow the evidence.

This short reading is an original classroom summary. Open the source with your teacher to check details and learn more.

Read the source: Smithsonian Institution ↗

Ask: Who made this source? What can it tell us? What might it leave out?

Keep exploring

Robert H. Goddard →Alexander Graham Bell →Thomas A. Watson →Compare two lives →
Explore the six lessons →Image credits & sources →
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