Design a Problem-Solving Invention

LESSON PLAN - Design a Problem-Solving Invention Theme – Using Negotiation Skills

CAREER SKILLS – Career Management

KEY SKILLS – Communication, Problem Solving, Improving Own Learning and Performance

WORK RELATED LEARNING – Learning For Work

COMPETENCIES – *ai, *aii, *aiii, *bi, *ci, *cii, *di, **eii, **eiii, **eiv, **evi, ***fiv, ***kiv, ****li, ****mi

SUGGESTED SUBJECT AREA – Science, Personal Development

Learning Outcomes

By completing this task students will be able to:

 Identify a problem that can be solved with a simple invention, and then design the invention.

Preparation and Materials

 Poster paper  Pencils, colored pencils, and colored markers  Rulers  Copies of the Activity Sheet “Design A Problem Solving Invention” for each student.

Method

1. Divide the class into small teams of students and give out the Activity Sheet. Ask each team to brainstorm a list of common, everyday problems that might be solved with simple inventions. Encourage students to list problems they have personally encountered. You may want to use these problems as examples:

 keeping shoelaces tied  trouble giving a pet a bath or a pill  struggling to move a heavy object  keeping wild animals out of a trash can or a vegetable garden.

2. Have the team’s select one particular problem that they think they can solve with a simple invention. Prompt students to be as imaginative as possible when devising their solutions. Then tell them to design their inventions, sketching them on poster paper. Have students give their inventions names and label all the important parts in their sketches. 3. When the sketches are finished, ask the teams to present them to the class. Remind students to describe the problem before they begin pointing out the different features of their inventions. Learning Outcomes: By completing this task you will be able to:

 Identify a problem that can be solved with a simple invention, and then design the invention.

ACTIVITY SHEET – Design a Problem Solving Invention

List at least five common everyday problems that might be solved with simple Write down the Write down the inventions? problem you are going problem you are going to solve with a simple to solve with a simple 1. invention. invention.

Write down the invention you have come up with