Example entry: grade 3, written as an 8-year-old would write it.
The survey answers are example data, made up for this model child. No one was surveyed. A real child gives the survey and counts real answers.
The display board
Introduction
I love old movies! My project is about the first moving pictures from the 1880s and 1890s. People everywhere watch movies. Of 20 people I asked, 13 picked Edison. My hypothesis: Edison made them alone, and they are all gone.
How I Found Out
1. Read 9 primary and secondary sources.
2. Wrote facts on cards and checked two sources.
3. Watched the sneeze movie.
4. Made a timeline.
5. Gave a survey.
Hard part: Mom helped me read big words.
My Survey
I asked 20 people in my class and family. 13 picked Edison! 2 named others. Only Edison's name was on my survey, so that may have helped people pick him. A guess is not proof!
Model illustration made with Gemini for this example.
His team built the camera. (Library of Congress)
Edison's team filmed the sneeze movie here. (W. K. L. Dickson)
My Question
Who made the first movies, and what happened to them?
Pictures on paper saved it. (Library of Congress)
Who Made Them?
Edison wrote his idea for a movie machine, but Dickson led the team. The Library of Congress says Dickson probably did most of the work!
What Happened to Them?
Some were saved on paper, like the sneeze movie. Old film crumbles, so some were lost. A lost robot movie was found in rusty reels!
People were working on movies at the same time.
Model illustration made with Gemini for this example.
Edison was not the only one! (Wikimedia Commons)
People paid five cents to watch Edison's movies. (Wikimedia Commons)
My Thinking
Edison wrote his idea in October 1888. Le Prince filmed that same month, so Edison was not the only one! The Library of Congress and Park Service gave two Black Maria years. It started in 1892 and finished in 1893, so both fit.
The Other Idea
Some think Edison made movies alone. The Park Service calls him the "Father of Motion Pictures," but says he "should not get all the credit."
My Answer
Many people made the first movies! I was right that he made movies. He didn't work alone, and they aren't all gone. This matters because Edison gets the credit, but his team and Le Prince worked too. I couldn't find who made the first one. Next, I'll watch old Georgia movies to learn who filmed here.
Flip the 12 pages fast and Fred Ott sneezes.
Model illustration made with Gemini for this example.
The writing (printed, set in front of the board)
Abstract
Project: Lights, Camera, ACHOO! The First Movies
Student Name: Student
County: DeKalb
School: Huntley Hills Elementary School
Grade: 3
Teacher: Ms. Rivera (example name)
My question was: Who made the first movies, and what happened to them? I thought Edison made them alone and they were all gone.
To find out, I read nine sources, watched a sneeze movie, made a timeline, and gave a survey to 20 people. Of the 20 people I asked, 13 picked Edison.
I learned that Edison wrote down the idea for a movie machine, but William Dickson led the team's work. Others made movies too. I also learned that old nitrate film can crumble. Some movies were saved on paper, and one lost movie was found in rusty reels.
My answer is that many people made the first movies. I was wrong that they are all gone, because lost ones get found today.
Bibliography (MLA style)
Project: Lights, Camera, ACHOO! The First Movies
Student Name: Student
P = primary source (made at the time by someone who was there). S = secondary source (made later by someone who studied it).
S. Colby, Jennifer. Silent Films to 3D Movies. Cherry Lake Publishing, 2019. Epic, www.getepic.com/app/read/67404.
How it fits: This book helped me learn how silent movies worked.
P. Dickson, W. K. L., and William Heise. Edison Kinetoscopic Record of a Sneeze, January 7, 1894. Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/item/00694192/.
How it fits: This real movie showed me some first movies got saved.
S. "Early Motion Picture Productions." History of Edison Motion Pictures, Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/collections/edison-company-motion-pictures-and-sound-recordings/articles-and-essays/history-of-edison-motion-pictures/early-motion-picture-productions/.
How it fits: I learned when the Black Maria was built and how paper saved the sneeze movie.
S. "Grand Re-Opening and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for the Black Maria, the World's First Motion Picture Studio." Thomas Edison National Historical Park, National Park Service, 10 Apr. 2024, www.nps.gov/edis/learn/news/black-maria-reopening.htm.
How it fits: This told me the Black Maria was finished in February 1893.
S. IEN Magazine. "Technicians Restore Lost Film Believed to Depict Cinema's First Robot." YouTube, 6 Mar. 2026, www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGrTJZlCSN0.
How it fits: This video showed me how workers fixed the crumbling robot movie.
P. Le Prince, Louis. "Two Frames from 'Roundhay Garden Scene.'" Circa 1890, from a movie filmed in Oct. 1888. Science Museum Group Collection, collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/objects/co8466253/two-frames-from-roundhay-garden-scene-photograph.
How it fits: These pictures prove Louis Le Prince filmed a movie in England.
S. "Motion Pictures." Thomas Edison National Historical Park, National Park Service, 26 Feb. 2015, www.nps.gov/edis/learn/kidsyouth/motion-pictures.htm.
How it fits: This taught me about Edison's team and said he "should not get all the credit."
S. "Origins of Motion Pictures." History of Edison Motion Pictures, Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/collections/edison-company-motion-pictures-and-sound-recordings/articles-and-essays/history-of-edison-motion-pictures/origins-of-motion-pictures/.
How it fits: This told me Dickson probably did most of the work on the team.
P. Student. "First Movies Survey." Survey of 20 classmates and family members, Nov. 2026.
How it fits: My survey showed that 13 of the 20 people I asked think Edison made the first movie.
S. Veltman, Chloe. "Found: The 19th Century Silent Film That First Captured a Robot Attack." GPB News, from NPR, 28 Feb. 2026, www.gpb.org/news/2026/02/28/found-the-19th-century-silent-film-first-captured-robot-attack.
How it fits: This news story told me how a lost 1897 robot movie was found in 2025.
Pictures on my board
Dickson, W. K. L. Black Maria. 1890s. National Park Service, Thomas Edison National Historical Park, via Wikimedia Commons, commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Black_Maria.jpg.
Edison Kinetoscopic Record of a Sneeze. 1894. Library of Congress, via Wikimedia Commons, commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Edison_kinetoscopic_record_of_a_sneeze.png.
Handy, L. C. Thomas Edison. 1877. Library of Congress, via Wikimedia Commons, commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Thomas_Edison_by_LC_Handy_in_1877_-_crop.jpg.
Kinetoscope Parlor. San Francisco, ca. 1894-95. National Park Service, via Wikimedia Commons, commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:KinetoscopeParlorbis.jpg.
Le Prince, Louis. Roundhay Garden Scene. 1888. Via Wikimedia Commons, commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Roundhay_Garden_Scene_(1888).webm.
Source Reflection Worksheet
Student Name(s): Student
Project Title: Lights, Camera, ACHOO! The First Movies
County Name: DeKalb
School Name: Huntley Hills Elementary School
Grade Level: 3
Directing Teacher Name: Ms. Rivera (example name)
Source #1
1) Name of Source:
Edison Kinetoscopic Record of a Sneeze, January 7, 1894 (a movie, and its page at the Library of Congress)
2) Primary or Secondary Source?
Primary
For the next 3 questions, a maximum of 200 words may be used.
3) Quote or Example:
This movie has no words, so my quote is from the Library of Congress page about it: "Filmed January 7, 1894, in Edison's Black Maria studio in West Orange, New Jersey."
4) How I Used This Source in My Project:
I put pictures of the sneeze movie on my board and put the date on my timeline. It proves some old movies were saved! I also drew a flip book of Fred Ott sneezing.
5) What I Learned From This Source:
I found out the first movies were very short. This one is only about 5 seconds long and has no sound. It was saved as pictures on paper, and later they turned it back into a movie. It is a primary source because Edison's team filmed it right then in 1894.
I verify that these materials, typed by Mrs. Lee, my mom (example name), is exactly as I prepared it.
Student's Signature: ____________________
Source Reflection Worksheet
Student Name(s): Student
Project Title: Lights, Camera, ACHOO! The First Movies
County Name: DeKalb
School Name: Huntley Hills Elementary School
Grade Level: 3
Directing Teacher Name: Ms. Rivera (example name)
Source #2
1) Name of Source:
"Motion Pictures," Thomas Edison National Historical Park (a website for kids, National Park Service)
2) Primary or Secondary Source?
Secondary
For the next 3 questions, a maximum of 200 words may be used.
3) Quote or Example:
"Edison was one of the inventors of motion pictures, but he should not get all the credit."
4) How I Used This Source in My Project:
I put this cool quote on my board. I used this page to write about Edison's team. I also put the fact that people paid five cents to watch a movie under my parlor picture.
5) What I Learned From This Source:
I learned Edison's lab workers had a nickname called muckers, and William Dickson led the movie team. I trust this page because the National Park Service runs Edison's old lab. It said the Black Maria was built in 1893. The Library of Congress said December 1892, but another Park Service page said it finished in February 1893. Now I know both years fit!
I verify that these materials, typed by Mrs. Lee, my mom (example name), is exactly as I prepared it.
Student's Signature: ____________________
Source Reflection Worksheet
Student Name(s): Student
Project Title: Lights, Camera, ACHOO! The First Movies
County Name: DeKalb
School Name: Huntley Hills Elementary School
Grade Level: 3
Directing Teacher Name: Ms. Rivera (example name)
Source #3
1) Name of Source:
"Found: The 19th Century Silent Film That First Captured a Robot Attack," by Chloe Veltman (a news story from NPR on GPB News, February 28, 2026)
2) Primary or Secondary Source?
Secondary
For the next 3 questions, a maximum of 200 words may be used.
3) Quote or Example:
"The nitrate film stock had crumbled to bits on some; other strips were stuck together."
4) How I Used This Source in My Project:
I used this news story to show that lost movies can get found again. I put the robot movie on my timeline. This helped me answer what happened to the old movies.
5) What I Learned From This Source:
I learned that in 2025, Bill McFarland brought 10 rusty reels to the Library of Congress. An expert there said Bill's great-grandfather probably drove a buggy around to show movies. One reel was a lost 1897 robot movie made in France by Georges Méliès! I trust this story because the reporter talked to the experts who have the film.
I verify that these materials, typed by Mrs. Lee, my mom (example name), is exactly as I prepared it.
Student's Signature: ____________________
The survey (the child's own data, given outside class)
Example data: the child writes the questions after the three Source Reflections, the teacher checks them, and the child gives the survey outside class, then tallies the answers and writes a finding with a number in it. The answers below were made up for this model child.
First Movies Survey
Hi! I am doing a Social Studies Fair project about the first movies. Please circle one answer for each question. Thank you!
1. Who do you think made the first movie?
Thomas Edison / Someone else: __________ / I don't know
2. Have you ever watched a movie with no sound?
Yes / No
3. Do you think one person or a team made the first movies?
One person / A team / I don't know
4. Do you think old movies can get lost?
Yes / No / I don't know
5. Would you like to see a sneeze movie from 1894?
Yes / No
My teacher checked these questions first.
My Survey Results
1. Who do you think made the first movie?
Thomas Edison: 13
Someone else: 2 (Walt Disney, the Lumiere brothers)
I don't know: 5
2. Have you ever watched a movie with no sound?
Yes: 6
No: 14
3. Do you think one person or a team made the first movies?
One person: 11
A team: 6
I don't know: 3
4. Do you think old movies can get lost?
Yes: 9
No: 4
I don't know: 7
5. Would you like to see a sneeze movie from 1894?
Yes: 18
No: 2
My Survey Finding
I asked 20 people who made the first movie. 13 of them picked Edison, and only 2 named someone else. I also found out 11 people thought one person made the movies, not a team. But I only asked my class and my family, not everyone! Edison was the only name printed on the survey, which maybe helped them pick him. My survey only shows what my class and family guessed, and a guess is not proof of who made the movies!
Interview practice notes (kept by the child, not shown to the judges)
Interview Practice Notes (8 minutes with the judges)
These are notes to practice with a grown-up, not a script to learn by heart. Say it a new way each time.
My 1-minute overview
- title: Lights, Camera, ACHOO!
- question: who made first movies? what happened to them?
- why: love old movies
- my guess: Edison alone; all gone
- found out: Dickson led Edison's team
- Le Prince in England, 1888
- sneeze movie saved on paper (point to board)
- old film crumbles
- lost robot movie found in 2025
- survey showed 13 of 20 picked Edison
- my answer: many people made them
Why did you pick this question?
- love old movies
- family guessed Edison
Why does your question matter?
- people everywhere watch movies
- 13 of the 20 people I asked picked Edison
- his team and Le Prince should get credit too
Which source or method helped you most, and why?
- the Park Service "Motion Pictures" page
- it said he "should not get all the credit"
- checking dates in two sources showed both Black Maria years fit
What is a primary source? Can you show me one?
- made by someone who was there
- show sneeze movie
- secondary: made later by someone who studied the old things
What other words did you learn?
- hypothesis = my first guess
- nitrate = a kind of old film that can crumble or burn
- muckers = Edison's workers
What is your best proof?
- Library of Congress: Dickson "apparently" did most of the work
- Park Service: "should not get all the credit"
What is the other idea, and why does your proof not support it?
- other idea: Edison alone, "Father of Motion Pictures"
- survey showed 13 of 20 picked Edison
- but he had a team
- Le Prince filmed in 1888
How did you choose your survey questions? How many people answered?
- wrote them after reading
- teacher checked them
- 20 people (12 kids, 8 grown-ups)
- made tally marks
- only my class and family; only Edison's name was on it
Did anything surprise you?
- his idea for a movie machine in October 1888
- Le Prince filmed that same month
Was anything hard?
- big words (Mom helped)
- Black Maria years (started 1892, finished 1893)
- finding the very first movie maker
If you had more time, what would you do next?
- look for old Georgia movies, to learn who made movies here
- read a book about Le Prince, to learn how he filmed
If a judge asks something I don't know
- "I don't know that yet."
- ask a librarian
Picture credits
The Sneeze Movie, 1894: Paper print of "Edison Kinetoscopic Record of a Sneeze," January 7, 1894. Library of Congress (cph.3g04861), via Wikimedia Commons, File:Edison_kinetoscopic_record_of_a_sneeze.png. Public domain. Cropped to the frames.
Thomas Edison, 1877: L. C. Handy, 1877, Brady-Handy Collection, Library of Congress (cwpbh.04326), via Wikimedia Commons, File:Thomas_Edison_by_LC_Handy_in_1877_-_crop.jpg. No known restrictions.
The Black Maria: W. K. L. Dickson, 1890s, National Park Service, Thomas Edison National Historical Park, via Wikimedia Commons, File:Black_Maria.jpg. Public domain.
A Kinetoscope Parlor: Kinetoscope parlor, San Francisco, about 1894-95, via Wikimedia Commons, File:KinetoscopeParlorbis.jpg. Public domain.
Le Prince's Garden Movie, 1888: Louis Le Prince, "Roundhay Garden Scene," October 14, 1888, one frame at 0.8 s of the restored film, via Wikimedia Commons, File:Roundhay_Garden_Scene_(1888).webm. Public domain.
My Timeline: Model illustration standing in for the child's hand-made timeline strip, made with Nano Banana 2 (gemini-3.1-flash-image, AI Studio). A real entry shows the child's own strip.
My Sneeze Flip Book: Model illustration standing in for the child's hand-made flip book, made with Nano Banana Pro (gemini-3-pro-image-preview, AI Studio). A real entry shows the child's own flip book.
My Survey (bar chart): Model illustration standing in for the child's hand-drawn bar chart, made with Nano Banana Pro (gemini-3-pro-image-preview, AI Studio). A real entry shows the child's own chart.
Made by: Claude Opus 5.5 draft, fact check and build; Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview (AI Studio, High) final wording; Nano Banana Pro (gemini-3-pro-image-preview, AI Studio) flip book and bar chart; Nano Banana 2 (gemini-3.1-flash-image, AI Studio) timeline.