Garrett Morgan LEVELED BOOK • J

and the Traffic Signal

A Reading A–Z Level J Leveled Book Garrett Morgan
Word Count: 232
and the Traffic Signal

Written by Annette Carruthers

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Garrett Morgan
Photo Credits:
Front cover, pages 6, 14 (left): Courtesy of Special Collections, Cleveland State
University Library; back cover, page 5 (bottom): © Jupiterimages Corporation; title
page, pages 6, 13: © AP Images; page 3: © Kadel & Herbert/National Geographic

and the Traffic Signal

Stock; page 4: © The Granger Collection, NYC; page 5: Courtesy of Library of
Congress, P&P Div [LC-USZ62-73834]; page 7: Courtesy of Library of Congress,
P&P Div [LC-DIG-ggbain-09748]; pages 8, 14 (right): Courtesy the United States
Patent & Trademark Office; pages 10, 11: © ClassicStock.com/SuperStock; page 12:
© SuperStock/SuperStock; page 15: © Nigel Francis/Robert Harding Picture Library/
age fotostock

Title page: A crowd looks at new traffic signals in New York City in 1929.

Garrett Morgan and the Traffic Signal

Level J Leveled Book
© Learning A–Z Correlation
Written by Annette Carruthers Written by Annette Carruthers
Illustrated by Cende Hill
LEVEL J
Fountas & Pinnell J
All rights reserved. Reading Recovery 17
www.readinga-z.com www.readinga-z.com
DRA 18
 Table of Contents

Traffic Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Making a Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Cars and buggies shared streets in many cities.

The Traffic Signal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Traffic Problems

In the 1920s, the streets were
The Man with the Plan . . . . . . . . . . 13
getting very busy.
Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Many things shared the streets.

Garrett Morgan and the Traffic Signal • Level J 3 4

 Cleveland

Garrett Morgan in 1931

A man named Garrett Morgan lived

Cars were on the streets. in Cleveland, Ohio.
Horses and buggies were He saw a car on the street hit
on the streets. a horse and buggy.
People and bikes were He saw that the streets
on the streets, too. were not safe.
Garrett Morgan and the Traffic Signal • Level J 5 6
A police officer tries to keep traffic moving.
Making a Plan
Each day more traffic was
on the streets.
Mr. Morgan knew there would
be more traffic problems.
He thought about how to solve
these problems.
Garrett Morgan and the Traffic Signal • Level J
The patent, or plan,
for a traffic signal
Mr. Morgan knew Cleveland
needed a way to help the traffic.
He thought about how to do this.
He made a plan for a traffic signal.
7 8
This drawing shows how the traffic signal worked.

The Traffic Signal Later, traffic signals used lights.

The traffic signal had arms. The lights told traffic when to stop
The arms went up and down. and when to go.
Garrett Morgan and the Traffic Signal • Level J 9 10
 New York’s busy 34th Street

People walk across the street when traffic is stopped by a signal.

The traffic signal was put
Mr. Morgan’s traffic signal could on street corners.
also stop all traffic. It was easy to make traffic stop
Then it was safe for people and go at corners.
to cross the street. Mr. Morgan’s plan worked!
Garrett Morgan and the Traffic Signal • Level J 11 12
 Garrett Morgan’s patent, or plan, for a firefighter’s mask
Garrett Morgan in 1945

Mr. Morgan also made other things.

The Man with the Plan He made a mask to help keep
Garrett Morgan made the streets firefighters safe.
safe for people, cars, and horses He also started a newspaper
and buggies. in Cleveland.
Garrett Morgan and the Traffic Signal • Level J 13 14
 Glossary
buggies carts with wheels, pulled
by one horse, that can
carry a person (p. 5)

busy full of activity (p. 4)

corners the places where two

streets meet (p. 12)

plan a way of making or

doing something (p. 8)

problems things that are hard to

work out or solve (p. 7)

signal an action, sound, or

object used to send
Today, city streets are busier than ever.
a message (p. 8)

Mr. Morgan was a problem solver. traffic the movement of people

He saw a problem. or things along a street
He looked for a way to solve it. (p. 7)

Garrett Morgan and the Traffic Signal • Level J 15 16

 Level J
Quick Check Garrett Morgan and the Traffic Signal

Name Date
Instructions: Read each question carefully and choose the best answer.

1. What problem was there on the 4. What did Garrett Morgan

streets in Cleveland? want to do?
a There were too many a invent a safe car
horses and no cars.
b make streets safer
b People did not know to drive on
how to drive cars.
c get people to use
c The streets were not safe. more horses
2. Where were Mr. Morgan’s traffic 5. What are buggies?
signals first put?
a a way to get people
a on street corners to be safe on streets
b on the top of buildings b something to ride in
pulled by a horse
c in the middle of streets
3. How did Mr. Morgan’s traffic c a thing that tells people
to stop or go
signal work?
6. Extended Response: Explain one
a It had arms that went way that Garrett Morgan’s traffic
up and down.
signal was different from the
b It made a loud noise traffic signals you see today.
to stop people.
c It had only a red light.

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