Classroom Activities
For Older Students
Pick one common invention (the paper clip, glue,
a staple) and research the history behind the invention.
What would the world be like if that had never
been invented? What other inventions would have
been affected if this common invention had never
been made?
Have the students produce an inventor newspaper.
Just the front page of a newspaper may be enough for
a small project. Allow two weeks or more for development of a full paper. This can be a
traditional theme of the life and times of inventors or
descriptions of new inventions.
Pick one invention and work on a campaign
for funding and pursuing that invention. Discuss why
it's necessary. Give its benefits, detriments, etc.
Take the inside of your classroom and find out
who invented everything in it - the chalk, the
electrical outlet, the overhead projector. Give each item to
one child and have him research it. Then do a diorama
of the room with each invention highlighted.
Have each student pick an inventor and write a
short monologue to present to the class. He could also
write a biography of the inventor.
How do you get a patent? Research the whole
patent process.
Find out about one inventor in the world of
technology and computers. What did he contribute that has
made a big impact on America today? Other
examples might include inventors in the world of
automobiles, the world of entertainment, the world of business,
the world of medicine, or the military.
What new technology is currently being invented?
Have your students research the new technology,
and then debate the pros and cons of this breakthrough.
For example, have the class debate the merits of cloning or the space stations.
What denotes success in inventing? Thomas
Edison was not "successful" in his rubber experiments, but
the advancements he made in the field helped lead to
a new generation of rubber and plastics. Have the students research and debate how you weigh
success in various fields of inventing.
Have your students discuss their own persistence.
How many failed inventions would it take before
they quit?
Assign each student to research an industry that one
of Edison's inventions or work has affected. Discuss
how this one man has influenced and affected almost
every aspect of our lives in some way.
Discuss perseverance. Ask the students to write
essays about one time in their life when they had to persevere.
Tell how the experience affected them and how it affected others' views of them. Allow them to
share with the class if they would like.
Ask your students about their favorite sport. Find
out who invented it and a little bit about the history of
the game. Their favorite toy? Their favorite instrument?
Their favorite hobby?
Have your class learn about accidental inventors
individuals who discovered things by accident.
Discuss the problems of being an inventor.
For example, what problems would you face if you
had been the one who invented gun powder? The yo-yo?
The paper clip?
For Younger Students
Have your students imagine a life without inventions.
For example, describe a life without electricity, a life without the telephone, a life without television.
The possibilities are endlessa life without sneakers, a
life without cameras, a life without ball point pens, etc.
Have your students create their own inventions.
These should be real ideas and inventions to solve
real problems. The teacher can hold an "invention
fair" and let the students show off their new creations
for parents and other classes.
Family tree-have your students trace their
family history. Can they find any inventors in their
family tree?
Learn about the inventors from other countries.
For more focus, choose a continent and assign
different countries on this continent to different members
of your class.
Recreate the famous night at Menlo Park when
the light bulb was invented. Have the students write
a short play and present it to other classes.
Take a poll - Make a list describing the ten
best inventions in the world and tell why. Ask ten
other people and compare the results. Have the whole
class compare the results and make a chart.
Discuss perseverance. Talk about what it means
to stick with something to the end. Have your
students write about one time in their lives when they
practiced persistence.
If you could invent something to make your life
easier, what would you invent? To make your parent's
life easier? To make your teacher's life easier?
Work on teamwork. Divide your class into
"teams" and give each group the assignment of creating a
new invention.