Invention

We talked again today about our central idea ' The form and material of an object affects its use' and discussed our understanding of it so far. We watched several videos that showed inventions, many by children. (The videos we viewed are on the right of this blog in 'Websites Worth Visiting'). Some inventions have been manufactured, some are for play, but all show that children have thought 'outside the box'.

In addition we watched a team from the BBC use a variety of objects to create a tool for switching on a kettle. We watched a video that showed them getting it wrong and trying again. We also watched a video that shared tips for invention:

1. Planning is essential.
2. Testing is paramount.
3. Double check everything.

The children are about to embark on invention through experimentiation, use of trial and error, collaboration and higher order thinking (such as analysis, evaluation, logic, judgement, problem solving and creative thinking). As they work through the process they will be expected to link their understanding to the central idea.

The children are very excited, as are we! We look forward to sharing inventions with you on the blog.

Here are a few initial ideas:

An alarm clock to wake a person who finds it hard to wake up!

A hairbrush/toothbrush/toothpaste/flossing device for a hand bag.

A contraption to turn a tap on and off remotely.

A model for an I-Touch holder.

A device to press the switch for the blinds remotely.

A box for keeping books under the bed.

An item to wipe your hands on without using a tap (when hands are messy).

A waterproof skirt for use on the climbing bars on wet days.



This  is a trial to make an alarm clock that will wake up a sleepy Dad!

Other inventions will follow! I think you will agree the class have made a good start and have shown some very creative thinking.

Why not post some comments here? We would love to hear some ideas or suggestions.