Great Inventions and How They Happened Chris Lundberg, Mathematics & Science Center clundberg@mathsciencecenter.info

Why Learn About Inventions? It’s fun! It relates science to student’s daily lives. They’re unique; we remember the strange and different… … so we can tie methods of inquiry, and creative and critical thinking strategies to the study of inventions!

Some Inventors and their Inventions… Note how each happened Think about the characteristics of each inventor Think how the scientific method and experimental design relate to the process of invention

Friedrich Kekule’ 1858 Wanted to be an architect, not a chemist! Kekule’ Structures Instead of H2O, H – O -- H

Galileo 1564 - 1642 17 years old Saw swinging lamp in church The Pendulum

Thomas Edison 1876 Simply worked all the time (Genius is 1 % inspiration and 99 % perspiration) By accident – and keen observation --invented phonograph!

Albert Einstein 1905 Used pencil, paper, & his mind – NO LABS! Knew by “feeling” General Theory of Relativity “Ugly” equations

Elijah McCoy 1872 Mechanical Engineer and Train “Oilman” Invented the automatic lubricator for engines “The Real McCoy”

Alexander Graham Bell 1876 Interested in “Visible Speech” & the deaf Knew little about electricity – so he invented telephone Founded the National Geographic Society

Art Fry 1974 3M Scientist… … & choir member Developed the Post-it Note!

Chester Carlson 1938 Invented electrostatic photocopying method IBM, RCA, GE, and other companies turned him down XEROX

Cassidy Goldstein 2004 The Crayon Holder!

Inventions: are PRODUCTS created which are… Unusual Appropriate for a job Transformed from something else Condensed (refined after testing)

How do Inventions Happen? Close observation Sheer dumb luck – timing Motivation -- $ ? Search for an answer to a problem Creative approaches and strategies By asking, “what if?” Brainstorming Using “models” … followed by a period of testing or scientific analysis.

Traits of Inventors Unique – different individuals Risk-takers Ask questions -- & pay attention to answers Inspired – passion about subject Follow instinct Task commitment - persistence

The Process of Invention and Science An idea (or problem) = hypothesis Develop a “bug” list = observe/describe Build/design = testing “Back to the drawing board” = rethink hypothesis and try a new variable Establish criteria to evaluate = analysis of results Will the public buy it? = conclusion

Activities for Students Creative and Critical Thinking Strategies Learn about Learning Styles Conduct Experiments Inventions! Competitions! Study of Famous Inventors and Inventions

Creative Thinking Strategies Synectics Direct analogies Personal analogies Compressed conflicts SCAMPER (Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Magnify Minify, Put to other uses, Reverse, Rearrange)

Learning Styles & Problem-Solving Use Sensing Get the facts & pay attention to details Use Thinking Apply Logic and cause and effect Use Intuition Think of possibilities and options Use Feeling Trust your feelings and your values

More Invention Strategies Change your perspective Work problems backwards Break your own rules for past success Develop new reading habits Be a “risk-taker” Combine opposites Listen! Listen! Listen!

Once begun is half-done! “If I have a thousand ideas a year, and only one turns out to be good, I’m satisfied.” Alfred Nobel Add the study of inventions to your teaching bag of tricks! Here is your lesson plan for inventions….