January 6, 2020
Dear Students and Parents,
Fifth graders will be participating in a special kind of science fair called the Invention Convention. Its mission is to inspire curiosity, confidence, invention and creative problem solving skills. Our goals are to enhance student performance in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics. Students will invent a new product or develop a new method for doing something. These inventions will be displayed in the upper hallways during Catholic Schools Week (Jan. 26th-Jan. 31st). Please bring your invention to school Friday, Jan. 24th.
Here are some steps to get you started!
Step 1: Finding an Idea
The first step in the actual invention process will be finding an idea for an invention. See if you can find a problem that needs to be solved. There are several ways to find ideas for inventions. One way is to ask people if there is anything they need. Another method is called brainstorming . You can brainstorm alone or with others. Here is an example of how brainstorming works. Name an object such as a lunch box. Take ten minutes to list everything that can go wrong with lunch boxes. Next, find a way to correct some of the problems. Your ideas for solving the problems can be a big step toward inventing a new or improved product.
Keep in mind that your invention does not have to be a product. Instead, it can be a process for doing something. For example, it may be a better way of memorizing a list of objects, or a new card game.
Step 2: Research and Planning
Once you have settled on an idea you can begin the planning stage. Your plan should include all the steps you can think of, from beginning to end. When making your plan, ask yourself questions such as these:
What can I read that will help me with my invention?
Whom can I talk to about solving problems and planning properly?
What materials will I need?
What steps should I follow?
How can I test my invention?
How can I be sure my invention is safe to use?
Don’t be surprised if you have to change your plans along the way. Sometimes a plan will not work as well as you first thought it would. So keep an open mind for change. You may even discover a better way of completing a certain step.
Step Three: Developing, Testing, and Displaying
Now the work begins. Follow your plan step by step. If you have difficulty with a certain part of your invention, talk to an expert. Try different things until you overcome the difficulty. Most of all, don’t give up! As Henry Ford, one of the inventors of the automobile, once said, “Failure is only an opportunity to start again more intelligently.”
If your invention is a new way to do something, describe your process using a display board. Give all the important details of your process. To show your idea works, you should test it. The results of your test can be in writing and/or by taking pictures.
Be sure to make plans for displaying your invention in the upper hallway. Give your invention a name and describe in writing how it works. There will be tables to display your invention and/or display board, or you may use the wall space.
Attached is a rubric for grading. Inventions come in all shapes and sizes. They can be simple or complex. You are encouraged to think like an inventor. Talk to other people about your ideas. Have fun and enjoy the project!
Happy inventing!
Name: Invention:
The Invention Convention Rubric
- The inventor has given his or her invention a name and described in words or pictures how it works.
5 4 3 2 1
Descriptive, easy Adequate name No name or
to understand and description description
- Does this invention identify and address a problem or have a purpose?
5 4 3 2 1
A unique idea Shows insight; Does not
That solves a addresses a real address a
real problem/purpose problem or purpose problem/purpose
- How well is this invention designed and/or constructed?
5 4 3 2 1
Shows much Adequate Poorly designed
attention to design and and/or constructed
detail construction
- How effectively has the inventor displayed the invention?
5 4 3 2 1
Eye-catching, Adequate Little or no
interesting display attempt to
display display product
Comments:
________/20 Total Points