Goals
Students will meet these goals in their explorations:
Develop the essential skills of logical thinking, creative problem solving, intellectual risk taking, and communication
Make connections across disciplines
Identify a need
Create an original idea or object that satisfies a need or addresses a problem
Investigate whether or not the innovation already exists
Test the innovation, make modifications, and draw conclusions
Keep records and document progress
Relate scientific methods to real life, including ethics
Identify criteria for an innovation and tell how the innovation meets them
Generalize about innovators and the creative process
In small groups or individually, students will develop an understanding and appreciation of the contribution of innovations by researching an innovator (see Attachment #3—Innovators, for some ideas) and one of his/her innovations. Ask the following questions.
Why was there a need for the innovation? What problems did it solve? Did it create any new problems?
Did the innovator hold any patents or copyrights on the innovation?
How did the innovator communicate his/her ideas to others?
What had happened in the past that enabled the innovator to come up with new ideas/designs/objects? What happened afterwards as a result of the innovator’s work?
What else was going on in the world at the time of the innovation?
If the innovation still exists, how has the invention changed over time?
Record the major world happenings and events of the innovator’s life; Attachment #4— Innovator’s Timeline.
Combine all of the individual timelines into one class timeline. In categories such as agriculture, education, communication, technology, or transportation, note ways that significant innovations changed knowledge in a related field of study.
Which innovations were not accepted at the time of their creation? Why were they not accepted? When did society accept the innovations?
Research process
Before creating an invention or innovation, students will take a survey to determine what they need or would like to see invented. Another option is for students to survey their classmates or members of other classes. Each student will use the Invention Idea Survey (Attachment #5) to help them gather their thoughts and develop their ideas.
Each student will complete The Innovator’s Journal (Attachment #6).
Entry #1. Each student defines a problem and hypothesizes possible solutions.
Entry #2. The student then researches whether other ideas or products have been developed that solve the problem. If he/she finds that something already exists to solve the problem, how can what already exists be improved?
Entry #3. The student builds prototypes or fully explains ideas in order to formalize his/her solutions. Include drawings of prototypes or detailed plans.
Entry #4. Each student tests the prototype or idea and records the results of the tests. He/she should answer questions such as:
If the invention is tested 20 times, how many times did it work?
What were other people’s reactions?
What works? What doesn’t work?
What could improve the innovation? What revisions are necessary?
Then the student makes revisions and retests.
Entry #5. Each student develops a plan for communicating about the innovation. Brainstorm names for the innovation, logos, slogans, packaging ideas, sales price. Develop an advertising campaign or communication plan aimed at a likely consumer for your innovation. Present an advertisement or proposal to the class.
B. The product
Each student completes either the design brief on his/her own invention (Attachment #7) or the innovation description (Attachment #8).
C. Communication
Each student presents to the class an advertisement for his/her invention or a formal proposal for an innovation.
The class may hold an Innovation Celebration in which each student demonstrates his/her invention/innovation to others in the school or community.
