Invention Lesson Plans for Grades K-12
Form InVenture Groups
Now that you are fired up and ready to start InVenture Prize, it’s time to form groups!
Teachers: Click here to view suggested methods for forming groups.
For the past several weeks , you have been thinking about problems you would like to solve and recording them on your Lesson 1 Problem Log. Today you will share the problems and probing questions you have been compiling with your newly formed group, then brainstorm to come up with more ideas. Before we start, let's review our rules for brainstorming...
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Group Activity
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Using your individual Problem Log, each team member will share the problems and probing questions they have recorded.
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Teams should discuss and brainstorm as each person shares, taking notes on the ideas that arise.
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After sharing, your group will select 1-3 problems that they would like to consider trying to solve. They don’t have to be problems that were initially listed - sometimes the initial problems can lead to other ideas as you are brainstorming. Record your 1-3 problems on the Lesson 3 Group Problem Evaluation.
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The first step is coming up with a problem that affects many people and that actually could be solved with an invention.
You are not trying to come up with an invention or solution at this point!
Continue to research the problem or problems your team selected by learning about current solutions. If your group has more than one problem to research, each team member can be assigned a problem to research. As you learn about the current solutions, additional or sub problems associated with your topic will become evident. List these on the other side of the organizer. The more you research, the more you will learn, and it will help you to identify the specific problem your team would like to solve (note - it can be different from their initial problem).
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Using the Problem & Current Solutions Mind Map, you will do the following:
​1. Identify a specific problem or problems your team would like to solve.
2. Research this problem to identify 4 current solutions. Google and Amazon are a good place to start.
3. Continue researching and writing down what solutions are already invented to solve the specific problem.
Note: The final problem will likely be a combination or a modification of an existing solution.
Teen Inventor Alexis Lewis
Complete your Problem & Current Solutions Mind Map by conducting an internet search to find at least 4 current solutions. Be sure to note any new problems or sub problems on the back of the handout.