Sunshine State Standard

SC.H.3.2.4

Materials

*various pages of information about different inventions laminated and on colored paper ,actual items if available, Inventors Journal which will be used throughout the unit

What to do

Doing the Activity: 1. Begin by having a discussion that compares what the world is like today versus what the world was like when your parents were your age. Use a “T” chart on an overhead or on the board to record all of the student’s answers. 2. Ask the students if they can determine “What brought about the changes” they mentioned? Try to lead them to the answer of things that were invented. 3. Ask the students “What is an invention”? 4. In small groups, ask the students to brainstorm as many inventions as they can in 3 minutes. Have someone in the group record all their answers. After the 3 minutes are up, have someone from each group stand and share their answers with the class. Record all the answers on the board or overhead. 5. Ask the students to take a look at the list and determine what they feel is necessary to for someone to invent something? (a. a desire or a need, b. imagination, c. materials specific to each situation). Have them record this in their Inventors Journal. 6. Discuss with the students that inventions come into being 3 ways: · Need (to solve a problem) (ear muffs: a 15 year old invented these!)) · Ideas on Improving Something, Imagination (a better mouse trap) · By Accident (Corn Flakes: they cooked their wheat too long!) Have the students record this in their Inventors journal. 7. Pass out the information on inventions and the invention itself if available. Ask the students to read the information as a group. Give them a few minutes to observe their props. Ask one student to report to the class about their invention…. they should assume the role of the inventor! They should tell the class if the invention was a result of need, innovation, or accident. 8. Finish this lesson with the students writing in their journal “What I discovered today.” Assessment: At this point, assessment will be simple teacher observation.

Additional Information

Submitted by

Ali Lowe

Lee County
Lehigh, FL
rascal570@aol.com