Information Packet

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Gardner STEM

Magnet School2014-2015

www.gardnerstemlab.weebly.comTable of Contents

Contents Page

Timeline 3Guidelines 4

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General Information 5Steps for Inventing 6Naming Your Invention 7Inventor’s Notebook Information

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Display Board 9Preparing for Judging 10Additional Resources 11Permission Form 12Planning and Approval Sheet

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Inventor’s Notebook (separate handout)

Timeline

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Dates AssignmentsMarch 16 –

20*all dates are

tentative*

Review Invention Convention Packet. Intent to Invent and Permission forms will be sent

home.

March 23 – April 3

(two weeks)

Review the Design Process Begin working on your Planning and Approval Sheet.

o ASK: define problemo IMAGINE: research, brainstormo PLAN: diagrams, materials, steps

Complete your Intent to Invent form with signed parent permission.

Start your Inventor’s Notebook.April 3, 2015

Submit Intent to Invent and Permission forms with signed parent permission to Mrs. Bishop! These must be turned in, to ensure your participation!

April 6 – 10 Continue recording in your Inventor’s Notebook. Make sure you are completing all required components of your Inventors Notebook!

April 13 – 24

(two weeks)

Continue the Design Processo CREATE: build your inventiono IMPROVE: test your design and make

necessary modifications Make sure to record all work in your Inventor’s

NotebookApril 27 –

May 1 Begin planning your display board Work to complete all components of your display

boardMay 4 – 8 Add the final touches to your display board

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Check your work and make any changes you need Gather Materials you will need to bring to the

Invention Convention

May 11 – 15 Last week to work on all components!***May 19 Bring Invention and Display Board to School!***May 20 Judging Begins***May 28 Invention Convention Awards to be handed out

during Awards Assembly

Guidelines1.Students may ONLY work in pairs or individually.2.Inventions MUST fit into the following definition:

An invention can be anything that solves a real problem. It is something that no one has ever thought of before. It cannot be purchased in a store or found in a book. Sometimes an invention is an improvement to an object that was already invented. It must serve a purpose (solve a real problem).

3.Please use as many recycled products as possible.4.Each invention must be accompanied by a tri-fold

display board and Inventor’s Notebook.5.Inventors must submit either a model of their invention

or a full-sized prototype. Your model does not need to

DATE CHANGES!

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actually work. However, you are encouraged to produce an invention that does actually work. If you submit a full-sized prototype, it will be expected to work.

6.See Display Board Set-Up for required components.7.See the Inventor’s Notebook for required

components.

General InformationWhat is an Invention? An invention is a new process or device (or

improvement to an existing one) that did not exist before.

Inventions are generally created to

solve a problem or fill a need. Inventions

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almost never work the first time they are created, so inventors should be ready to change their original ideas and keep trying. Always keep in mind that building inventions can be creative, exciting, and lots of FUN!

Rules for Inventing The main goal of these rules is to keep you and those around you safe. We want you to keep inventing for a long time to come!

1. You must make sure a parent or guardian knows the details of your invention before you start any building.

2. You may not use any human or animal subjects in your invention.

3. You may not use any dangerous chemicals or open flames in your invention.

Steps for Inventing

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Step 1: Ask Think about something people need in order to make life better. Identify a problem to solve by brainstorming for ideas in one or more of these ways.

Think about things you do every day at home or at school or on holidays or weekends. Then think about any problems, things that bug you about doing them, or ways to make them better.

Think about all the tools or utensils you use in an ordinary day—fork, knife, toothbrush, shovel, broom, scissors, and so on. What would make them easier to use? Or Better?

Go from room to room in your house. Brainstorm ideas as you look at items in the kitchen, the bathroom, the family room, the bedroom and so on. Could you use an ordinary item for a new purpose? Or make it out of a different material?

A better world: How can you help make the world a better place with an invention? Think about a family member. Is there someone in your family that could benefit from an invention that

would make his/her life easier?

Step 2: Imagine Imagine an item you could create to help solve the problem or improve the situation from Step 1. Use your Inventor’s Notebook to help guide you through the research process.

Imagine several solutions to the problem from Step 1. Research to find out more information. Have you found any evidence that your invention already exists? If

so, how will your invention improve on what already exists? Record your research in your Inventor’s Notebook. Make sure you list where your information came from Select one way to solve the problem!

Step 3: Plan Use your Inventor’s Notebook to help guide you through the planning process. Think carefully about each step, making careful notes about your ideas.

Draw detailed diagrams and sketches with labels Make a list of materials needed to create your invention Make a list of the steps you will take to complete your invention If working with a partner, decide who will do which parts.

Step 4: CreateBuild your invention!

Follow your design diagrams and sketches Follow your plan from Step 3 Add details to your invention. (GET CREATIVE) Test your invention. Make sure it works and is safe to use. Remember to keep track of everything in your

Notebook. You must decide whether you will produce a small model or a full-size prototype of your invention.

Step 4: Improve

Improve on your design Make your design better Improve on any mistakes you made Test it again and if you need to, re-design! DON’T FORGET TO NAME YOUR INVENTION! (see Naming Tips)

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Naming Your InventionMany inventors like to name their inventions as soon as they choose an idea. Others wait until later. Whenever you name your invention, you should like the name, and it should help you describe your invention. There are many ways to name your invention. Look at the ways others have come up with names for their inventions to help you get started!

Some inventions have names that tell how they work or what they do:dog house, can opener, hide-a-bed, rocking chair, seat belt, surfboard, toothbrush, sunglasses

Some inventions are named after their inventor:Braille Alphabet, Heinz Ketchup, Sousaphone, Ferris Wheel, Jacuzzi, Ford, Levi's Jeans, Frisbee,

Some inventions are named after what they are made of:aluminum foil, rubber cement, waxed paper, tin can, cotton ball

Some inventions are named after initials or acronyms:Laser, VCR, CD, SCUBA

Some inventions are named by combining funny, clever rhyming or repeating words or word sounds together:Hula Hoop, Weed Wacker, Cracker Jacks, Slinky, yo-yo, Piggly-Wiggly, Kit-Kat, Silly String, flip-flops

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Make a list of some ideas in your Inventor’s Notebook. Then ask your friends and family which names they like to help you decide on the best name for your invention!

Inventor’s NotebookThe Purpose of the Inventor’s NotebookAn inventor's notebook is used

by inventors, scientists and engineers to record their ideas, invention process, experimental tests and results and observations. Your inventor’s notebook will be used to tell the entire story of your invention. You will record your thoughts, actions, sketches, and decisions during every step in the process of creating your invention.

The inventor’s notebook is like an ongoing journal of your work. As you follow the steps for inventing, you will complete the pages in your notebook.

Einstein’s Notebook

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Make sure your name and the date is on every single page. I have allowed for extra pages throughout the notebook, however, if you need any additional pages, you are welcome to use blank paper. We can staple it in the correct order when you have completed your invention.

You will show off your Inventor’s Notebook at the Invention Convention in May. Don’t worry if you don’t fill in every section of your Notebook. It is intended to help you through the process, not scare you away from it.

Display BoardDisplay Board Set-up Required Components:

Da Vinci’s Notebook

Invention TitleName:Grade:Teacher:

ImproveHow did you improve your

invention?

CreatePlan

What steps did you take to plan your invention?

ImagineWhat is your

solution?

AskWhat is the

Describe the problem and the purpose for your

invention. Why was the problem/purpose important to you?

Describe your process for discovering possible

solutions. Explain how your invention solves the

problem.

Include a description of how your invention was made and how it works.

Describe any problems you had and improvements you made to your invention? Why were they

necessary?

Include any sketches or diagrams of

problems

Include any photographs

of failed attempts.

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Optional Components: Photographs, testimonials of people who have tried your invention, acknowledgements thanking people who have helped you

This is your invention and your display, so use creativity to tell the story of your invention!Be sure to use:

Fonts that are readable (size, color, style)

Colors that go well together

Shapes that are the right size

Correct grammar Proper punctuation Correct spelling

Preparing for JudgingWhen you finish your invention, ask yourself these questions that the judges may be asking when they look at your invention.I. Originality of Invention Idea

Is the invention a new idea? How did you come up with the idea for this invention? How did you discover your solution to the problem? How do you know that no one else has this idea? Did you try to find out by asking an expert or going to a store or

looking in catalogues and the internet?

II. Need for the Invention Why did you decide on this invention?

Labeled Diagrams

ProcessList the

steps you took.

Materials List the

materials you used

ResearchList all books,

websites, and people

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What need or problem does your invention solve? Is the invention useful? How does it help us? Who is helped by it - the general public? -elderly people? -children? -people who are disabled? -or only YOU? Is it better for the environment than things we use now?

III. Inventing Process How well did you keep track of the steps in your invention? What did you use to learn about and make your invention? Did you show all the steps from your first idea to your completed invention? Where did you get the materials for the invention? Are there other materials that you could use that are better? Who helped you build the invention and what did they help you do?

IV.Invention Effectiveness Does your invention do what it is supposed to do? Does it work? How does it work? Does the invention work even better than anticipated? Does it solve other problems too?

V. Problem Solving What was the biggest problem you faced while working on your invention? Did you have to make any changes to your original idea? What changes might you want to make to your invention?

Additional Resources Helpful BooksStudents can be encouraged and stimulated by reading about inventors and inventions. The books listed below contain many illustrations and ideas that can help to get students started on their way toward inventing a new product or process.

Caney, Steven. Steven Caney's Invention Book. New York: Workman Publishing Co., 1985. Dunn, Susan and Rob Larson. Design Technology: Children's Engineering. Falmer Press, 1990. (Grades K-6) Eichelberger, Barbara and Connie Larson. Constructions for Children: Projects in Design Technology. Available from Dale

Seymour Publications. (Grades 1-4) Jones, Foltz Charlotte. Mistakes That Worked: 40 Familiar Inventions and How They Came to Be. New York: Doubleday,

1991. Karnes, Francis, Suzanne H. Bean, and Rose Mary Wallner.Girls and Young Women Inventing: Twenty True Stories About

Inventors Plus How You Can Be One Yourself. Free Spirit, 1995. (Grades 3-6) Kramer, Stephen P. How to Think Like a Scientist: Answering Questions by the Scientific Method. New York: Thomas Y.

Crowell, 1987. (Grades 2-4) McCormack, Alan J. Inventor's Workshop. Belmont, CA: Pitman Learning, Inc. 1981. (Grades 2-6) McKissack, Pat and Frederick L. McKissack. African-American Inventors. Millbrook Press, 1994. (Grades 4-7)

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Rasmussen, Greta. WakerUppers: A Spirited Collection of Thinking Activities. Available from Dale Seymour Publications. (Grades 2-6)

Rowland, Dr. Elizabeth and Dr. Leonard Molotsky. Resource of Creative and Inventive Activities. Richardson, TX: National Inventive Thinking Association, 1994. (For teachers)

Sobey, Ed. Inventing Stuff. Available from Dale Seymour Publications. (Grades 5 and up) Stanish, Bob. The Unconventional Invention Book. Carthage, IL: Good Apple, Inc., 1981. Striker, Susan. Build a Better Mousetrap. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1983. Taylor, Barbara. Be an Inventor. New York: Harcourt Brace, 1987. (Grades 3 and up) Tucker, Tom and Richard Loehle. Brainstorm: The Stories of Twenty American Kid Inventors. Farrar Straus & Giroux, 1995.

(Grades 4-7) Yenne, Bill. 100 Inventions That Shaped World History.Bluewood Books, 1993. (Grades 3-6) Macaulay, David. The Way Things Work. Dorling Kindersley Publishing. Available from Dale Seymour Publications. (Grades 5

and up)

Helpful websitesInventions by Kids - http://www.cnbc.com/id/42497934/Inventions_By_KidsScience Spot Kid Zone Invention Links - http://sciencespot.net/Pages/kdzinvent.htmlKids Inventor Resources - http://www.inventored.org/k-12/Invention Convention Resources - http://libraries.risd.org/LessonPages/inventionconvention.htmhttp://invent.org/http://lemelson.mit.edu/www.inventionconvention.org/studentinfo.html www.inventionconvention.org/successstories.html www.inventionconvention.org/parentstestimonial.html www.inventionconvention.org/kidstestimonial.html www.inventionconvention.org/greatstudents.html

Permission FormAll 3rd-4th grade students at Gardner S.T.E.M.

Magnet School are invited to participate in the Gardner S.T.E.M. Invention Convention.

The Invention Convention is your chance to demonstrate problem solving and creative

thinking skills as you apply S.T.E.M. skills in a productive manner.

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If you plan to participate in the Invention Convention, please return this form to Mrs. Bishop by March 31, 2015.

Student Information:Student Name: _____________________________________Grade: ______ Teacher: ___________________________

Project Information:Name of Invention (if known): _____________________________

Will you be working with a partner?

Yes ___ No ___

If yes, please fill out the information below.Name of Partner: ____________________________________

Grade: ______ Teacher: ___________________________

Parent Permission:Will you need a display board?

Yes ___ No ___

Parent Name: _________________

Phone Number: ___________

Parent Email: ______________________________________Parent Signature: ____________________________________

Intent to InventInvention Title:_______________________________________________________

Student Name(s):_____________________________________________________

Grade: ___________ Teacher(s):_________________________________________

1. The problem I intend to solve is:

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_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

2. A brief description of my invention:

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

3. I have determined to the best of my ability that my invention will be original. I took the following steps to ensure it is original.

Books I found on this problem/invention are:Title: Author:_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

Intent to Invent continuedInternet sites I found on this problem/invention are:

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

People I talked to about this problem/invention are:

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_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

REMEMBER - Document your research in your Inventor’s Notebook

4. Materials I might use are:

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

5. Safety Validation (Check all that apply):

My invention is safe.

I can get materials to create the invention.

I have enough time to build my invention.

My invention will not harm anyone or

anything.

Draw a rough sketch of your invention.

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