Innovation and Invention
WebQuest for Grades 9 -12
image from Textural Design
| Home | Introduction | Task | Process | Evaluation | Conclusion | Roles | Credits | Teachers Page |
Introduction
Have you ever
had a great idea that could solve a problem you encountered?
Have you seen a product that you thought you could have designed?
This webquest is designed to introduce you to innovation and invention and walk you through the process to create something completely new and unique.
You will work in teams to come
up with an idea and create a two or three dimensional prototype of your
innovation or invention.
The Internet and the information
you receive in class will provide you with the resources you need to research
and create your invention.
Task
You will work in small teams
(2-4 students) to innovate or invent something by identifying a problem
or challenge in your every day lives and creating a new technological
solution to the problem. You will produce a prototype or graphical design
rendering of your innovation or invention.
You and your team will utilize the Internet to assist you in finding solutions
and to determine if your ideas exist. The final step in the project will
be for your team to present your prototype or design to the class and
relate how it solves a problem.
Process
The introductory session will provide an overview of innovation and invention. A guest speaker who is a working inventor will share the story of their invention process.
Working in small groups you will:
1. Identify a problem or challenge
in their daily lives
2. Brainstorm ideas using technology that can minimize or solve the problem
3. Determine if the solutions are new (an innovation or invention) using
the US patent office website and internet search engines, determine the
best new solution
4. Create a rendering or prototype of their innovation/invention
5. Develop a PowerPoint presentation to demonstrate the innovation process,
including the resources used and unveil the innovation/invention, according
to the written assignment guide
The webquest will be concluded with a class discussion on all of the innovations presented. We will be trying something new for this segment, an online discussion board. (Feel free to try it out during the project as a way to communicate with your group.)
Click on the link to the discussion board to participate:
| Hosted by Runboard.com |
Resources:
Definitions Page This page provides definitions for key terms used throughout this innovation webquest project.
PowerPoint Template for presentation. This provides the minimum slides requirement for your group presentation, formatted for PowerPoint.
Use the following websites, as well as any miscellaneous classroom handouts, to conduct your webquest:
http://www.uspto.gov This is the US government patent office that grants and keeps track of all existing valid patents. You can search here to see what has been invented and if an idea exists already.
http://www.google.com This is an Internet search engine that can give you a quick answer to whether or not a product, idea or innovation exists in the marketplace. Sometimes it's faster to look here before you search the US government patent office website.
http://www.inventionatplay.org/ This Website provides a tremendous amount of information on invention and innovation from the Lemelson Center. It gives stories of inventors, exercises and gets your creativity going.
http://www.cbc.ca/kids/general/the-lab/history-of-invention/default.html This website showcases the history of invention and illustrates how inventions have changed history. For example, the website will tell you why "it's the greatest thing since sliced bread," and who invented sliced bread.
http://www.irnetwork.org/ This is the website for the Innovators Resource Network. It shows you that there are working inventors right in your own back yard, who have an organization that meets monthly. Their mission is "to establish a network for innovators, inventors, entrepreneurs, manufacturers, distributors, service providers, and investors in western Massachusetts and northern Connecticut."
http://library.thinkquest.org/J0111766/index.htm This website is part of the library of websites found at the ThinkQuest Educational Foundation website, sponsored by Oracle.
There are too many resources to list, but if you like this site, go to the ThinkQuest library page here: http://thinkquest.org/library/index.html and search for inventions.
Evaluation
Students will work collaboratively within a team to create a PowerPoint presentation, which documents the innovation/invention process leading to their design/prototype.
Each team member will participate in the presentation.
The presentation will include
slides that demonstrate completion of the following steps:
1. Identify and clearly state the need or problem.
2.Research the need or problem using the internet, the library, interviews
Identify at least five valid sources, properly referenced in ALA format
Examine current state of the issue and current solutions. Explore other
options via the Internet library, interviews, etc., identify five separate
sources
3.Develop and clearly identify possible solution(s). Brainstorm possible
solutions. Draw on mathematics and science. Articulate the possible solutions
in two and three dimensions. Refine the possible solutions
4.Select the best possible measurable solution(s). Determine which solution
(s) best meet(s) the original requirements and how.
5.Construct a prototype. Model the selected solution(s) in two or three
dimensions. The model or drawing must demonstrate how it solves the identified
problem, student will include the validity of the model argument in their
verbal presentation.
The following grading rubric will be used for evaluation. It includes
evaluation for both the process and the presentation.
Conclusion
Now that you've successfully
completed the Innovation and Invention Webquest,
you've seen how you can create a real solution to a problem or challenge
in your life. Congratulations on your creativity!
Here are some things you can
do if you want to keep going with your invention:
1. Create an actual working prototype
2. Learn about an inventors journal and begin one
3. Learn about the patent process
4. Find information on the Innovator's Resource Network and learn how
other inventors bring their products to market.
Roles
Students may elect to assign
roles to the team members when working on the WebQuest. If so, each student
should have the opportunity to try every role or as many as possible.
Suggested roles:
1. Idea person - this is the person who has all the big ideas and will
keep a running list of all the potential problems and solutions.
2. Researcher - this is the person who loves to find the facts. He/she will be responsible for keeping track of the online research to see what out there in terms of needs, problems and possible solutions. They would determine if the ideas are new or already exist.
3. Creative genius - - this is the person who will make the idea come to life through drawing and/or creating a prototype. This person has vision.
4. Business Person - this is the person who can put it all together in a presentation that your team could show to a possible funder for your invention or a business that might want to buy your idea.
Credits/References:
Thanks to my son, Trevor for providing feedback from a young person's point of view.
This WebQuest written by Diane Sabato. Last updated July 6, 2008.