Inventors and Inventions



|Lesson Synopsis: |

By participating in the problem solving process and creating their own invention, students will learn that anyone who has an idea for a new product can be an inventor. The students will use a notebook to record ideas and to promote creative thinking.

TEKS:

|1.16 |Science, technology, and society. The student understands how technology affects daily life, past and present. The student is expected|

| |to: |

|1.16A |Describe how technology changes the ways families live. |

|1.16B |Describe how technology changes communication, transportation, and recreation. |

|1.16C |Describe how technology changes the way people work. |

Social Studies Skills TEKS:

|1.18 |Social studies skills. The student communicates in oral, visual, and written forms. The student is expected to: |

|1.18B |Create and interpret visual and written material. |

|1.19 |Social studies skills. The student uses problem-solving and decision-making skills, working independently and with others, in a |

| |variety of settings. The student is expected to: |

|1.19A |Use a problem-solving process to identify a problem, gather information, list and consider options, consider advantages and |

| |disadvantages, choose and implement a solution, and evaluate the effectiveness of the solution. |

|Getting Ready for Instruction |

|Performance Indicator(s): |

• Consider a problem you have that an invention could solve. As the inventor of that invention, write one page of an inventor’s journal that includes a description of the problem to be solved, (realistic) ideas for solving the problem and the advantages and disadvantages of each option. Include a drawing of the invention, and make predictions about how the invention will solve the problem and impact society. (1.16A, 1.16B, 1.16C; 1.18B; 1.19A)

[pic] 1E

|Key Understandings and Guiding Questions: |

• Una persona común y corriente pueden ser creativa y buscar mejores maneras de hacer las cosas.

— ¿Qué efectos tendrán mis ideas?

— ¿Qué cualidades necesita un inventor?

— ¿Cómo la tecnología cambia nuestras vidas?

— ¿Por la tecnología es importante para nosotros?

|Vocabulary of Instruction: |

• tecnología

• inventiva

• resolución de problemas

|Materials: |

• Refer to Notes for Teacher section for materials.

(Appropriate materials may be substituted as needed to incorporate district resources and availability.)

Attachments:

• Handout: Cover for Notebook (1 notebook per student)

• Teacher Resource: A Page from an Inventor’s Notebook KEY

• Teacher Resource: Recent Inventions KEY

• Handout: My Inventor’s Journal (1 per student)

• Teacher Resource: Performance Indicators Instructions PI

|Resources and References: |

• None identified

|Advance Preparation: |

1. Become familiar with content and procedures for the lesson, including the idea that ordinary people can be inventors.

2. Refer to the Instructional Focus Document for specific content to include in the lesson.

3. Select appropriate sections of the textbook and other classroom materials that support the learning for this lesson.

4. Duplicate student handouts and teacher resources needed for the lesson.

5. Using the attached Handout: Cover for Notebook, staple four or five sheets of drawing paper so they resemble a notebook. As an option, you may provide small notebooks (one per child).

6. Gather a box of junk such as: yarn, wire, buttons, cloth, broken cell phones, and parts from machines: nuts, bolts, plastic bottles, macaroni, and scissors.

7. Gather these items: a pencil, a shoe, a cup, and a piece of paper.

8. Prepare to display the Teacher Resource: A Page from an Inventor’s Notebook KEY.

|Background Information: |

Technology – anything invented by humans to solve a problem. Technology is the application of processes, methods, or knowledge to achieve a specific purpose. Scientists and engineers develop technology with positive outcomes in mind such as increasing production and improving communication. Products of technology including computers, telephones, radios, and scientific equipment affect human conditions. Many believe the influences are positive, but some have concerns about the possible negative ramifications of technology. For example, citizens differ in their viewpoints of nuclear energy. Does it provide safe fuel, or do the risks of disaster override its potential?

Invention – a new device, process, or item, something new that a person makes or thinks of to solve a problem or meet a need

At this early level, it is important that students understand that everyday people can search for better ways to do things and create solutions for problems. Two important concepts are: (1) an inventor is someone who thinks up a new product or idea that helps make something easier to do or solves a problem; (2) anyone who has an idea for a new product or device can be an inventor. Inventors have to be willing to work hard and fail many times.

An inventor’s notebook will help students develop their idea and record it. In addition to providing a place for ideas, an inventor’s journal also helps to protect an inventor’s idea. Alexander Graham Bell filed a patent application for the telephone in 1875. Daniel Drawbaugh claimed to have invented the telephone before Bell; however, he had no journal or record, and the Supreme Court rejected his claim. Bell had excellent records.

Definitions courtesy of the Social Studies Center [defunct]. (2000). Glossary. Austin: Texas Education Agency.

|Getting Ready for Instruction Supplemental Planning Document |

Instructors are encouraged to supplement and substitute resources, materials, and activities to differentiate instruction to address the needs of learners. The Exemplar Lessons are one approach to teaching and reaching the Performance Indicators and Specificity in the Instructional Focus Document for this unit. Instructors are encouraged to create original lessons using the Content Creator in the Tools Tab located at the top of the page. All originally authored lessons can be saved in the “My CSCOPE” Tab within the “My Content” area.

|Instructional Procedures |

|Instructional Procedures |Notes for Teacher |

|ENGAGE – Box of Junk |NOTE: 1 Day = 30 minutes |

| |Suggested Day 1 – 15 minutes |

|Display a box of random items. Inform students that you have been cleaning and these |Materials: |

|are the items you have decided to discard. |Box with a variety of items such as: yarn, wire, buttons, cloth, broken |

| |cell phones, parts from machines, nuts, bolts, plastic bottles, macaroni, |

|Ask what possibly could be done with these things. Hold up one of the items and ask: Can|scissors |

|you think of anything we could do with any of this? Students brainstorm ideas. Record | |

|student responses on chart paper or the board. |Purpose: |

| |The purpose for this section of the lesson is to think about common |

|Tell students you have also been thinking about some problems that you are having. One |objects and their uses in new and unusual ways. |

|problem is that the back door keeps blowing open. | |

|Can you think of anything I could do to solve this problem? |TEKS: 1.18B; 1.19A |

|Is there anything in this box that might help? Possible responses might include: use the| |

|yarn to tie the door shut, or put something in front of it. | |

| | |

|Ask questions about students’ suggestions, such as: | |

|How would you use the door if it was tied shut? How would you use the door if something | |

|was in front of it? Responses will vary. | |

| | |

|What are some other everyday problems that we have? Students brainstorm some everyday | |

|problems. Record their responses on the board or chart paper. | |

|EXPLORE – What is technology? |Suggested Day 1 (continued) – 15 minutes |

|We have been learning about inventors including Thomas Edison and Alexander Graham Bell.|Materials: |

|Some of their inventions were created to make tasks easier and to solve problems. |Pencil |

| |Shoe |

|Display a pencil, a shoe, a cup, and a piece of paper. Ask students if they think these |Cup |

|are examples of technology. They are examples of technology. The items were invented to|Piece of paper |

|solve a problem. | |

| |Purpose: |

|Divide students into groups of four. Distribute one of the above mentioned items to each|The purpose for this section of the lesson it to understand that common |

|group. Students will decide what problem their item solved and in what ways it helped |objects from everyday life can be considered technology if they make tasks|

|people. |easier. |

|Ask these or similar questions: | |

|What do you think this invention was created to do? |TEKS: 1.16A, 1.16B, 1.16C; 1.18B; 1.19A |

|In what ways do you think it has helped people? | |

| | |

|Instruct each group to share with the class. | |

| | |

|Explain that anything that makes a task easier or improves something is an example of | |

|technology. Shoes are better than bare feet, so shoes are technology. A cup is better | |

|than using your hands, so a cup is an example of technology. A car is a better way to | |

|travel a long distance, so a car is an example of technology. A jet ski is a way to have| |

|fun and enjoy a recreational activity, so a jet ski is technology. | |

| | |

|Explain that inventions like the pencil, the shoe, the light bulb, and the telephone | |

|were created by everyday people to solve a problem. Those inventors identified a problem| |

|and then came up with a new or better idea. | |

|Ask: | |

|What kinds of things did the inventor have to think about before creating their | |

|invention? Identify the problem, ways to solve the problem, how to use the invention, | |

|and how much it would cost to make it, etc. | |

|(Use questions to prompt for these responses.) | |

|Before Edison or Bell invented something, do you think they thought about how it would | |

|affect people’s lives? What things do you think they considered? How it would change | |

|people’s lives, how to market it or sell it to other people, how much it would cost. | |

|EXPLAIN – Inventor’s Notebooks |Suggested Day 2 – 20 minutes |

|Distribute the notebooks prepared prior to the lesson to each student (see Advanced |Materials: |

|Preparation.) Display the picture of Alexander Graham Bell’s drawing from the Teacher |Notebooks (1 per student, see Advanced Preperation) |

|Resource: A Page from an Inventor’s Notebook KEY. | |

| |Attachments: |

|Explain that inventors do a lot of thinking about what they are going to invent. It |Handout: Cover for Notebook (1 per student) |

|usually starts as an idea about how to solve a problem. They make drawings and revise |Teacher Resource: A Page from an Inventor’s Notebook KEY |

|their ideas. They often use notebooks to keep track of their ideas and what things | |

|worked and what things didn’t work. Instruct student to look at this drawing by |Purpose: |

|Alexander Graham Bell. |The purpose for this section of the lesson is to use Inventor’s Notebooks |

|Ask: |to record ideas, drawings, and make notes to keep track of the process of |

|What do you see? Student responses may vary. Encourage the students to recognize that |inventing. |

|the drawing is not complex. | |

| |TEKS: 1.18B; 1.19A |

|Tell students that they are going to use their notebooks to record ideas. Instruct | |

|students to brainstorm problems and possible solutions. Tell them to add drawings and | |

|sketches. Remind them to put a date on each page. | |

| | |

|Students brainstorm some ideas of things they could invent to solve a problem. | |

|Ask these or similar questions: | |

|What is something you find hard to do? | |

|Can you think of something that would make it easier? | |

|Could your idea be built? | |

|How might it help people? | |

| | |

|Students write their ideas, draw pictures, and describe solutions in their notebooks. | |

| | |

|Circulate and encourage students who are having difficulty thinking of ideas. | |

|ELABORATE – Inventions Change Our World |Suggested Day 2 (continued) – 10 minutes |

|Display pictures of recent inventions from the Teacher Resource: Recent Inventions KEY |Materials: |

|or bring in examples of recent inventions such as Post-It Notes or Velcro. |Post-it notes |

| |Velcro |

|Facilitate a discussion about these inventions and how they have affected society. | |

|Ask: |Attachments: |

|What are some other examples of current technology? |Teacher Resource: Recent Inventions KEY |

|How does technology change the ways families live? | |

|How does technology change the way we talk to one another and communicate? |Purpose: |

|How does technology change the way we get from one place to another? |The purpose for this section of the lesson is to understand that even |

|How does technology change the way we have fun? |small inventions can have a major impact on the lives of people. |

|How does technology change the way we work? | |

| |TEKS: 1.16A, 1.16B, 1.16C; 1.18B; 1.19A |

|EVALUATE – Performance Indicator |Suggested Day 3 (continued) – 25 minutes |

|Consider a problem you have that an invention could solve. As the inventor of that |Attachments: |

|invention, write one page of an inventor’s journal that includes a description of the |Handout: My Inventor’s Journal (1 per student) |

|problem to be solved, (realistic) ideas for solving the problem, and the advantages and |Teacher Resource: Performance Indicators Instructions PI |

|disadvantages of each option. Include a drawing of the invention, and make predictions | |

|about how the invention will solve the problem and impact society. (1.16A, 1.16B, 1.16C;|Purpose: |

|1.18B; 1.19A) |The purpose of this section of the lesson is to demonstrate an |

|[pic] 1E |understanding of the process of solving a problem by thinking of an idea |

| |for an invention and listing the advantages and disadvantages of the idea.|

|Use the Teacher Resource: Performance Indicators Instructions PI to assist students in | |

|completeint the Performance Indicator. |TEKS: 1.16A, 1.16B, 1.16C; 1.18B; 1.19A |

| | |

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