The Invention Convention:

Understanding the Design Process Through Invention

Sam Zivin and Erin Close

Overall Goal

To harness the creative potential of 3rd 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.

www.state.ct.us/sde/dtl/curriculum/currkey3.htm

www.iteawww.org/TAA/Publications/RandS/RandSMainPage.htm

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 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5Activity 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 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 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 Conceptualization, 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 TWOFocus: 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 TWOFocus: 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 TWOFocus: 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 TWOFocus: 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.