INVENTION CONVENTION AN OUTLINE

IMPORTANT INFO Scheduled for March 25 We would love for K-2 to do one group project and 3-5 will complete individual projects Theme- How Can We Help the Environment Materials Cost- No More than $20

But I don’t know anything about inventing... Really it’s all scientific- and there are some steps to follow!

STEPS TO CREATING AN INVENTION Introduction- What is an invention? Come up with Problems Look at possible Solutions Draw a Plan Resources needed to create your invention Receive a patent Build/create your invention or a model Present the Invention Reflect and Evaluate

Now to the good part... Lessons to guide you through the process of invention convention

Step 1: Introduction- Possible Lesson Plans Meet the Inventors (Copies of stories about inventors) Draw a picture of an inventor Read books about Inventions Play Invention Boggle Biography Poster Invite a local inventor Have students go on a tour and find inventions

STEP 2- What’s the Problem? Do Class Brainstorming Model how to find a problem Tour the school or grounds to look for problems that need to be addressed

Step 3- Solutions SCAMPER- this is based on questions that students answer Substitute? Combine? Adapt? Minify? Magnify? Put to new uses? Eliminate? Reverse/Rearrange

Step 3 (continued) Scamper Activities- Use objects around the classroom to see how many new things students can discover Using literature ask students to change the ending Put a list of items on the board and ask students to combine them to make a new product Brainstorm Solutions

STEP 4- DRAW A PLAN Once students have had an opportunity to narrow the solution- it is time to draw a plan of the invention Model Show examples

Step 5- Make a list of Resources and Materials Model Make a list of materials Bring in old non-working machines and think about how to use those The price cannot exceed $20

Receive a patent There is a patent application Have students think through process and apply for a patent

Step 6- Build the Invention Guiding Questions- What could you name it? How will you use it? How many people use it at one time? Does your invention need instructions? What does it look like? How does it operate?

STEP 7- Present the Invention This will be done on the 25 th of March Older students will be presenting the “blueprint” and the finished project only- they will not have display boards

Step 8- Reflect and Evaluate Have students reflect on what went well and what they had difficulty with