The Invention Convention: Understanding the Design Process Through Invention Sam Zivin and Erin Close

Overall Goal To harness the creative potential of 3 rd graders while also following the State of Connecticut technology education objectives.

Objectives Students will broaden their definitions of who an inventor is and what an invention can be. Students will develop an understanding of the design process by considering inventions which they use and see in their everyday lives. Students will design their own invention. Students will create a three-dimensional model of their invention by working one on one with Trinity College engineering students.

Justification of Objectives Our objectives reflect suggested curricular goals and standards set forth by the State of Connecticut Department of Education’s Division of Teaching and Learning, as well as by the International Technology Education Association’s Technology for All American’s program.  

Additional Goals Give students the opportunity to… Work in groups Learn through ‘hands-on’ education Interact with more mature learners (Trinity College engineering students) Increase parental involvement in the classroom

Activity Planner Day 1Day 2Day 3Day 4Day 5 Activity 1. Brainstorming Who is an inventor? What is an invention? List 10 inventions you see in the room. Activity 2. Poem Illustration, Each student will be assigned a poem and asked to illustrate it with pictures that show the process that the inventor went through Activity 3. Introduce Invention Project Guidelines will be handed out, sample blueprints will be shown, and the contents of the crafts closet will be displayed. Activity 1. Inventor Worksheet, Students will be broken into groups, each group will be assigned an inventor biography to read and a worksheet to fill out Activity 2. Inventor Presentations Each group will teach the class about the inventor they studied Activity 3. Invention Conceptualization, What has been discussed about the design process will be reiterated with a flow chart Activity 4. Start Blueprints (Rough Draft of Blueprint due the following week) Activity 1. Invention Worksheet, Students will be broken into groups, each group will be assigned an invention history to read and a worksheet to fill out Activity 2. Invention Presentations Each group will teach the class about the inventor they studied Activity 3. Hand Back Rough Draft The students will receive back their blueprints, which will have been checked for appropriateness Activity 4. Start Blueprint Final Draft (Final Draft of Blueprint due the following week) Activity 1. Invention Creation Students will have access to the crafts closet and work one-on- one with Trinity Engineering students in order to build a three- dimensional model of their invention. Activity 2. Guidelines for Final Product put forth to remind students what they should have prepared for the convention Activity 1. The Invention Convention, Students will briefly present their inventions to the class and parents, explaining the process they used to arrive at the finished product. After each student presents students will display their inventions, giving a chance for parents to see all their creations up close

Day 1 Activity 1. Brainstorming on Invention Who is an inventor? What is an invention? List 10 inventions you see in the room. Activity 2. Poem Illustration, Each student will be assigned a poem and asked to illustrate it with pictures that show the process that the inventor went through Activity 3. Introduce Invention Project Guidelines will be handed out, sample blueprints will be shown, and the contents of the crafts closet will be displayed

Day 2 Activity 1. Inventor Worksheet, Students will be broken into groups, each group will be assigned an inventor biography to read and a worksheet to fill out Activity 2. Inventor Presentations Each group will teach the class about the inventor they studied Activity 3. Invention Conceptualization, What has been discussed about the design process will be reiterated with a flow chart Activity 4. Start Blueprints (Rough Draft of Blueprint due the following week)

Day 3 Activity 1. Invention Worksheet, Students will be broken into groups, each group will be assigned an invention history to read and a worksheet to fill out Activity 2. Invention Presentations Each group will teach the class about the inventor they studied Activity 3. Hand Back Rough Draft The students will receive back their blueprints, which will have been checked for appropriateness Activity 4. Start Blueprint Final Draft (Final Draft of Blueprint due the following week)

Day 4 Activity 1. Invention Creation Students will have access to the crafts closet and work one-on-one with Trinity Engineering students in order to build a three- dimensional model of their invention. Activity 2. Guidelines for Final Product put forth to remind students what they should have prepared for the convention

Day 5 Activity 1. The Invention Convention, Students will briefly present their inventions to the class and parents, explaining the process they used to arrive at the finished product. After each student presents students will display their inventions, giving a chance for parents to see all their creations up close

Zoom to Day 2 Day 2 Activity 1. Inventor Worksheet, Students will be broken into groups, each group will be assigned an inventor biography to read and a worksheet to fill out Activity 2. Inventor Presentations Each group will teach the class about the inventor they studied Activity 3. Invention Conceptualization, What has been discussed about the design process will be reiterated with a flow chart Activity 4. Start Blueprints Day 1Day 2Day 3Day 4Day 5 Activity 1. Brainstorming on what it means to be an inventor, who is an inventor? What is an invention? List 10 inventions you see in the room. Activity 2. Poem Illustration, assign each student a poem, read and re-illustrate so it incorporates the process of the invention. Activity 3. Introduce Invention Project explain guidelines, blueprint, and show closet. Activity 1. Inventor Worksheet, break students into groups and assign inventor to learn about, fill out worksheet. Activity 2. Inventor Presentations the inventor they learned about in their groups. Activity 3. Invention Conceptualiz ation, show sample blueprints. Activity 4. Start Blueprints HOMEWORK: Rough Draft of Blueprint Activity 1. Invention Worksheet, break students into groups and assign inventor to learn about, fill out worksheet. Activity 2. Invention Presentations the inventions they learned about in their groups. Activity 3. Hand Back Rough Draft, teacher will give individual feedback. Activity 4. Start Blueprint Final Draft HOMEWORK: Final Draft of Blueprint Activity 1. Build Invention with Trinity College engineering students. Activity 2. Guidelines for Final Product Activity 1. The Invention Convention, students will present their inventions to the class and parents, show the process they used to arrive at the finished product. After each student presents the convention with a science-fair atmosphere, each student will have a booth set up for parents to view.

DAY TWO Focus: The Invention Process 1st ACTIVITY – 40 Minutes – Inventor Worksheet Students will be broken up into small groups Each group will be assigned an inventor  EX: Mary Anderson The group will read a short biography on the inventor, the biography will emphasize the process which the inventor followed when creating his or her invention In order to guide them in their reading and presentation, each student will fill out a worksheet with the following questions (which emphasize the design process)  Who is the inventor/What did he or she invent?  How did he or she get the idea for their invention?  After he or she had an idea for their invention in mind, what process did they follow in order to make it a reality? Then each group will put together a brief presentation on the inventor which they will present to their classmates

DAY TWO Focus: The Invention Process 2nd ACTIVITY – 30 minutes – Inventor Presentations Each group will have five to seven minutes to teach the class about their inventor and the process he or she followed when making their idea into a reality.

DAY TWO Focus: The Invention Process 3rd ACTIVITY – 10 Minutes – Invention Conceptualization Students are asked to start thinking about their own invention Sample blueprints will be shown to the students again to make sure they understand what their final drafts will look like Rough Drafts of their blueprints are due at beginning of the next class so they can be evaluated for appropriateness and the given back so changes can be made for next week

DAY TWO Focus: The Invention Process 4th ACTIVITY – Remaining Time Free time for the students to start work on the rough draft of their blueprints DUE for Next Week: Rough Draft of Blueprint

Evaluation Methods Each final project will include… A blueprint A three-dimensional model A write-up of the steps each student took in coming up with their idea and turning it into an actual invention.

The End.