Hubert lived 5,000 years ago in the Mesopotamia Valley, a desert between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. He was a Sumerian. Even though he may not have had all the luxuries of modern life, you might be very surprised at how well you can relate to him and his problems! But, Hubert had a scientific mind at a time when brains weren't particularly admired. It was the strong back and arms like tree trunks that made people sit up and notice! Even Gorp, Hubert's father, didn't appreciate Hubert's creativity. On his way to creating the wheel, he ran into many ... roadblocks, shall we say? Like all work in science, Hubert's inventions didn't always work right the first time, so he had to continue riding the ripples of one hysterical failure after another to try to patch and adapt them to work right. His only goal was to make life easier for his people.

As if getting his inventions fine tuned wasn't enough, he and the other Sumerians were plagued by attacks from Assyrians thugs, cave dwelling louts who were determined to destroy Hubert's people. Will Hubert's inventions be able to bridge the gap between the Sumerians and the Assyrians?

Will this young scientist ever get the attention of the queen as she orders the building of the Ziggurat?

Will his inventions ever get the respect they deserve?

Or, will Hubert have to follow in the footprints of his father and eventually take over the Gorp's Hauling and Towing business, dragging heavy sledges slowly across the desert?

Told in a modern voice with all the modern puns, cliches, idioms, and sportscasters, you will be rolling on the floor with laughter as you go back in time to discover how the wheel really got invented and how it changed the world. Illustrations by Jeff Shelly, former Disney animator, provide even more fun!

Research Links for
Hubert Invents the Wheel
Illustrator Jeff Shelly

Resources to Extend the Unit:
What is an onager?
Map of the World
The Assyrians, History for Kids
Mesopotamia

Ziggurats
What is a Ziggurat?
More Ziggurats
Ziggurats of Mesopotamia

The Invention of the Wheel
History of the Wheel and Axle
Lego Simple Machines

Scientific Predictions

Paint by Idioms

Books About Simple Machines:
Sensational Science Projects with Simple Machines
Science Projects with Simple Machines

Other Hysterical Books about Science:
I Was a Third Grade Science Project by Mary Jane Auch
Regular Guy by Sara Weeks

Books for Scientific Minds:
Tarantula Scientist by Sy Montgomery
Sea Clocks by Louise Borden
Follow the Trail: A Young Person's Guide to the Great Outdoors by Jessica Loy
Spiders and Their Websites by Marjorie Facklam
Arctic Lights, Arctic Nights by Debbie S. Miller
The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins by Barbara Kerley with Kids Wings Unit in Defeating Giants
Mosquito Bite by Alexandra Siy and Dennis Kunkel
Chocolate: Riches of the Rainforest by Robert Burleigh
There's an Owl in the Shower by Jean Craighead George

Hubert Invents the Wheel

A 21-Page Unit for Hubert Invents the Wheel is a part of a collection of 21 units in The Ripple Effect.

The Unit Contains:
Chapter Guides
Crossword Puzzle
2-Page Readers’ Theater Script
Map Study
Vocabulary List
Predict/Confirm Chapter Questions
Multiple Choice Comprehension
Writing Prompts
The Value of Leadership
Ripples Game
Song

and MORE!