Student Activity Packet
Activity #1: Dupont and the Development of Nylon: Reading, Talking,
and Writing About Synthetics
Description
After reading an article written by two eminent historians for a popular history magazine, Invention and Technology, you will discuss the issues and ideas presented in the article and write an essay based on your reading.
What To Do
Read "The Nylon Drama," by David A. Hounshell and John Kenly Smith Jr., which
appeared in Invention and Technology (Fall, 1988): 40-55.
Choose one of the topics listed below and write an essay, in the form
described by your teacher. Refer to the article for evidence for your
point of view.
- You are Carothers. Write a memo to Bolton and Du Pont's Board of
Directors explaining why you think the company should focus only on
fundamental research.
- You are Bolton. Write a letter to Carothers arguing that Du Pont's
research should be more closely tied to practical applications.
- As editor of Life Magazine in 1938, write an article showcasing
Carothers, Du Pont, and the new fiber nylon. Include photos and
interviews as they relate to the story.
- Identify two obstacles Carothers had to overcome. How did he solve
each one? Can you think of alternatives to his solutions?
- Prepare an essay in which you argue for or against the proposition
that scientific developments should be freely available for every
person to use without charge.
- If you have used Unit 2 (Early Industrialization) or Unit 6
(Modernizing Cotton) of this curriculum, compare the "invention" of
nylon with the invention of the cotton gin and/or the invention of the
mechanical cotton picker and the automatic loom.
