THEINVENTIONCONVENTION INTHECLASSROOM ...

1 THE INVENTION CONVENTIONIN THE CLASSROOM:The Basics of Disciplined Creative Thinkingfor Every Grade LevelLesson PlansHomework AssignmentsBackground InformationWorksheetsBibliographic ResourcesBased on the nationally acclaimed Project XL:The Inventive Thinking Curriculum Project publishedin 1990 by the Patent and Trademark OfficeDearEducator,WelcometotheInventive ThinkingCurriculum! WearepleasedtobeabletosupportcentralOhio areaeduca-torsinthevitaltaskofteachingst udentstothinkindependently,creatively,an dproductively. Weareconvincedthatthefutureofthechildren ,andofourcommunity, , Includedinthispacketyouwillfind: Eightindividuallessonstouseinyourclassro om. Studenthandoutmastersforclassroomexercis es. Feelfreetocopyandusethem. InformationonOhioinventorsincludingfemal e,minority,andchildreninventors.

2 Specialinformationonpatents, ,theymustberegisteredbyyourdistrictcoor- dinator. OFCONTENTSTABLE OF :WhatisanInvention?..2 :YoungInventor :Wheninventors/inventionsreallyCANchange theworld: : :WhatDoYOUKnow?!?:QUIZZES& :WhatdoesitallMEAN?!?!? : :..PatentsinBriefAppendixB:..Trademarksi nBriefAppendixC: ..CopyrightsTHE INVENTION CONVENTIONIN THE CLASSROOM:The Basics of Disciplined Creative Thinkingfor Every Grade LevelLesson PlansHomework AssignmentsBackground InformationWorksheetsBibliographic ResourcesBased on the nationally acclaimed Project XL:The Inventive Thinking Curriculum Project publishedin 1990 by the Patent and Trademark OfficeThe Importance of Inventive ThinkingWhydoesitseemasthoughtheimaginat ionweallstartoutwithfadesaswe growup andgetpractical? Itdoesn thaveto:instead,wecanteachchildrentouset hatimaginationtobuildabetterworld.

3 Tonoticeaproblem, , , sthekindofdisciplinedinventivethinkingth atcreatessuccessforstudents,forcompanies ,andforournation. Itissoimportantthatthegovernment, ,developedathorough,thoughtfulcurriculum toteachInventiveThinkingforuseinschoolsn ation-wide. ProjectXL,producedinconsultationwitheduc ators,inventors,scientists,andotherspeci alists, ,see:Bloom, of Educational Objectives,Handbook 1: Cognitive Domain(1956).Heyn, of , Problem Solving:The Basic Course(1985).Osborn, , and Models for Developing Programsfor the Gifted and Talented,ChapterXIbyCalvinTaylor,andsumm arybyCarolSchlicter(1986).Talents , Search for Satori and Creativity.(1989).1 LESSON ONE:WHAT ISAN INVENTION?LESSON ONE: WHAT IS AN INVENTION?1. Class discussionHowdidsuccessfulinventorsgetth eirideas? Howdidtheymaketheirideasareality?

4 Library workIndependentlyorasaclass,havestudents findbooksaboutcreativity,inventionandinv entors. Information from a direct Class ActivityHavetheclassinspecttheclassroom, andotherpartsofthebuildingifpossible, Onesuchitemisprobablythepen-cilsharpener . (Forolderstudents,see PatentsinBrief inAppendixA.)5. HomeworkHavethestudentscheckouttheirhome s(orotherfamiliarplaces,suchasgrocerysto res,doctors offices,etc.)forinven-tions. Havethemmakealist,andchooseseveraltheyth inkcouldbeimproved. Howwouldtheyimprovethem?2 MEET THEINVENTORSMEET THE INVENTORSH erearesomestoriesaboutthinkersandinvento rswhoseworkhaschangedsomethingaboutourli ves. Noticethatinventorscanbemaleorfemale,old oryoung, THAT SOLVE APROBLEMAn Ear for , ,andwithhisgrandmother shelp, , ,whentheyrealizedthathewasabletostayouts ideskatinglongaftertheyhadgoneinside,fre ez-ing,theystoppedlaughing.

5 Instead,theybegantoaskChestertomakeearco versforthem, , ,Chester sfactorymadeearmuffs,andearmuffsmadeChes terrich!ACut AboveTheFirstBand-Aid Attheturnofthecentury, Shecutandburnedherselfalot!Herhusband,Ea rlDickson,gotalotofpracticeinhandbandag- ing! Luckily,hisjobwaswiththeJohnson&Johnsonc ompany,soheknewsomethingaboutit. Buthewasn talwayshomewhenhiswifecutherself,andhewa ntedhertohaveabandageavail-ableatalltime s. Sohebegantopreparebandagesaheadoftimesot hathiswifecouldapplythembyherself. Bycombiningapieceofsurgicaltapeandapiece ofgauze, Hole-in-OneTheReasonWeHaveLife-Savers Duringthehotsummerof1913,ClarenceCrane,a chocolatecandymanufacturer,foundhimselfi naquandary. Whenhetriedtoshiphischocolatestocandysho psinothercities,theymeltedintogooeyblobs . Toavoiddealingwiththemess,hiscustomersst oppedtheirordersuntilcoolerweather.

6 Inordertoretainhiscustomersyearround, Heexperimentedwithhardcandy,whichwouldn tmeltduringshipment. Usingamachinedesignedformakingmedicinepi lls,Craneproducedasmall,circularcandywit haholeinthemiddle. AndthatwasthebirthofLifeSavers!The Cutting EdgeHowtheFrisbee FirstFlewTheterm Frisbee didnotalwaysrefertothefamiliarplasticdis kwelovetosendflyingthroughtheair. Morethan100yearsagoinBridgeport,Connecti cut,WilliamRussellFrisbieownedtheFrisbie PieCompany. Hispiesallwerebakedina10-inchroundpietin witharaisededge,widebrim,sixsmallholesin thebot-tom,andthewords FrisbiePies ,soplayingcatchwiththemsoonbecameapopula rsport, ,thetinswereslightlydangerouswhenatosswa smissed,soitbecameacustomatYaleUniversit y,innearbyNewHaven,toyell Frisbie ,inthe1940s,whentheemergenceofplasticsma deasafe Frisbie possible. Today,Frisbee ,Ohio, THEINVENTORSTHOMAS EDISON AND OTHER YOUNG INVENTORSIfIweretotellyouthatThomasAlvaE disonhadshownsignsofinventivegeniusatane arlyage,youprobablywouldnotbesurprised.

7 Hereceivedthefirstofhis1, ofGenius,authorErnestHeynreportsonaremar kablyresourcefulyoungEdison ,ThomasEdison ,itisreportedthatyoungEdisontriedtolaunc hthefirsthumanballoonbyper-suadinganothe ryouthtoswallowlargequantitiesofefferves centpowderstoinflatehimselfwithgas. Ofcourse,theexperimentsbroughtquiteunexp ectedresults!Chemistryandelectricityheld greatfascinationforthischild, ,hehaddesignedandperfectedhisfirstrealin vention, , ;butasachildwithacurious,problem-solving nature, inventivechildren wehavegrowntoknowandappreciate: Atage14,oneschoolboyinventedarotarybrush devicetoremovehusksfromwheatintheflourmi llrunbyhisfriend sname?AlexanderGrahamBell. At16, , ,CharlesHallreceivedapatentonhisrevoluti onaryelectrolyticprocess. Whileonly19yearsold, , , ,093patents.(Photo:actorDrewWilsonasThom asEdison)MEET THEINVENTORSS coresofveryyoungchildhoodproblem-solvers abound: Fourteen-yearoldRobertFultoninventedthem anuallyoperat-edpaddlewheel; LOCALCHILDREN S INVENTIONS Eggerrific Eggerrific combinedapost(tobreakeggsagainst)andames hclothbelow(tocatchthebrokenbitsofeggshe ll-andstrainthemout).

8 S Christmas Tree Watering Can s Key Band inyourhand. ATM Glove Automatic Timer Telephone , ,JUSTHAVEFUN, andJUST THINK!!!6 MEET THEINVENTORSGREAT WOMEN INVENTORSI nventionstellussomethingaboutthesocietyi nwhichtheinventorlived, ,wecanoftendeducewhatproblemstheinventor faced,andwhatskillsheorshehad. Itisnotsurprisingthatupuntilthemiddleoft hiscentury,women sinventionswereoftenrelatedtochildcare,h ousework,andhealthcare ,withaccesstospecializedtrainingandbroad erjobopportunities,womenhavebeenapplying theircre-ativitytomanynewkindsofproblems , ,theyhavenotalwaysreceivedcreditfortheir ideas. Somestoriesaboutearlywomeninventorsshowt hatwomenoftenrecognizedthattheywereenter inga man sworld, andshieldedtheirworkfromthepubliceyebyal lowingmentopatenttheirinventions. Herearesomeexamples: MargaretKnight,rememberedasthe femaleEdison, receivedsome26patentsforsuchdiverseitems asawindowframeandsash,machineryforcuttin gshoesoles, , gtheequip-mentbecause, afterall,whatdoesawomanknowaboutmachines ?

9 SarahBreedloveWalker,thedaughterofformer slaves,wasorphanedatsevenandwidowedby20. MadameWalkeriscreditedwithinventinghairl otions,creams, ,whichincludedabroadofferingofcosmetics, licensedWalkeragents,andWalkerschools,wh ichprovidedmeaningfulemploymentandperson algrowthtothousandsofWalkeragents, BetteGrahamhopedtobeanartist, ,however, ,sherecalledthatartistscouldcorrecttheir mis-takesbypaintingoverthemwithgesso,sos heinventedaquick-drying paint ,usingahand-mixer, THEINVENTORSIn1980,theLiquidPaperCorpora tionwhichBetteGrahambuiltwassoldformoret han$47million. StephanieKwolek,oneofDupont sleadingchemists,discoveredthe miraclefiber Kevlar, ,includingropesandcablesforoil-drillingr igs,canoehulls,boatsails,automobilebodie sandtires, ,KevlarwaschosenasthematerialfortheGossa merAlbatross,apedalairplaneflownacrossth eEnglishChannel.

10 ,1988 NobelLaureateinmedicine,andScientistEmer ituswithBurroughsWellcomeCompany,iscredi tedwiththesynthesisoftwoofthefirstsucces sfuldrugsforleukemia,aswellasImuron,anag enttopreventtherejec-tionofkidneytranspl ants,andZovirax, ,abreakthroughtreatmentforAIDS,usedElion : WindshieldwiperswerepatentedbyMaryAnders onin1903. DandruffshampoowaspatentedbyJosieStuarti n1903. AdishwasherwaspatentedbyJosephineCochran ein1914. ThefirstdisposablediaperwaspatentedbyMar ionDonovanin1951. Adoughproductforfrozenpizzawaspatentedby RoseTotinoin1979. THEINVENTORSGREAT MINORITY INVENTORSB etween1863and1913,approximately1, ,youcanobtainthefilmFrom Dreams to Reality: a Tribute to MinorityInventors,atnocharge, ,orbywritingto:TheOfficeofEqualEmploymen tPrograms, ,CrystalPark1,Room600,Washington, (703) : ElijahMcCoymaywellhavebeenthereal realMcCoy.