All Classes 11/7

Please refine your questions for your marketing survey. Be sure that the questions are appropriate to ask someone because they are about details you can easily change to make your invention more marketable. Word the questions as if you are talking face-to-face with the respondent. Be sure your questions do NOT include your opinion. Make sure the question asks for the information you really want to know. I shall review your questions next session after your classmates advise you. Then we shall write our final surveys.

All Classes 11/3 and 11/7

Note to Parents: I have my plexiglas bender available for anyone who needs to borrow it. I suspect several students will need it. Also, you might like to read the inventing handbook that is on my Links page on this site. It explains the entire inventing process in detail.

During class this week in our inventing logs we began a page entitled Planning My Invention. Please think carefully about your invention and plan what you need to do to build it. Write your ideas on this page (or more than one if needed). It might help if you picture yourself building the invention. Think about every detail. If you could make your invention out of more than one material, what are the advantages and disadvantages of each? Which one should you choose and why? What supplies will you need? Where will you get the parts? Do you have any parts already? Can you get some donated? If you have to buy pieces, will you be able to get them for a total twenty-five dollars or less? (I may be able to give you the display boards for the science fair.) How large or small should your product be depending on what it does or who uses it? Does it need to be adjustable? What shape is it? How does it function? Do you expect to have any problems? If so, can you think of what they might be and fix them before you start?

Once you do this, please begin to build your invention. This way you will not have to use vacation time to do the work. If you can wait to finish your survey before putting finishing touches on the invention, that is fine.

We also began to plan our marketing surveys and made a planning page for that. You must first plan a description of your invention to explain what you are making. Remember, the people you will survey will not be able to SEE your invention, because it will not be built yet. Next, write possible survey questions. Remember, the people you survey are not supposed to design your invention; that is your job. They are supposed only to advise you about things you can CHANGE about your invention, such as color, patterns, pictures, size(s), textures, without changing the functioning of the invention. In other words, if they saw your invention in a store, what variations could there be that might make them like one model over the other? Those are the details your survey questions should include.

DO NOT survey anyone yet. You have to consult with your classmates about your questions (checking to see if they are appropriate, if they make sense, and if they are grammatically correct). I have then to approve your questions also. You will then rewrite the survey with possible responses to your questions in your log. I shall give you recording sheets and send you out to conduct your surveys.

All Classes 10/28

Most of you have decided on inventions to make, and what a fabulous bunch of ideas you all have! I don't remember ever having so many good inventions in one year. You must have a good invention idea by the next class if you do not have one now. We have to go on with the inventing process.

All Classes 10/18

We started to look for inventions. Continue to use your list of what people do to look for more activities for which you or someone else could have a problem that could be solved by a SIMPLE invention. As before, mark the items and examine each one the way we discussed (which is in your inventing log - the setting the table example) to see if an invention would solve the problem. Make notes as needed in your logs to organize your thoughts. Try to write down important ideas, as you are likely to forget them as quickly as you thought of them. Remember to DATE AND INITIAL the log each day.

All Classes 10/13

We started to look for inventions. Finish your list of what people do if it was too short before. Look for activities for which you or someone else could have a problem. In these might be opportunities for making simple inventions. Mark the items and examine each one the way we discussed (which is in your inventing log - the setting the table example) to see if an invention would solve the problem. You do not have to write down every detail, but you might need to make some notes in your logs to organize your thoughts. Remember to DATE AND INITIAL the log each day.

Remember, the invention that wins the top prize at the state level must be for children. Another top prize is for safety. The invention must really work, be something that could be easily manufactured, and be a product that many people would want to buy. Inventions for handicapped people are also good.

Fox Run B-Day 10/2

We started to look for inventions. Continue your list of what people do, and examine it the way we discussed (which is in your inventing log - the setting the table example) to see if you see opportunities for making simple inventions. Remember, inventions that win the top prize at the state level must be for children. Another top prize is for safety. The invention must really work, be something that could be easily manufactured, and be a product that many people would want to buy. Inventions for handicapped people are also good.

Kendall A-Day 10/1

We had a very short time, but have begun our inventing process. We began to set up our inventing logs. This week, on the FOURTH SHEET OF PAPER, RIGHT HAND SIDE, list every activity you can, either what you do or what anyone else does. Watch carefully and notice what people are doing.

If you add any other pages, such as for inventions you think of out of the clear blue, remember that headings are never written in the white space at the top of the page. Write them in the first TWO spaces between lines and then skip two more spaces before writing the list.

To make your log look a little neater, you may want to write the list fairly small so that you can make two columns on each page. Just fold the right-hand edge of the page over to the red margin line on the left and crease the paper. This will give you a guide for making your second column. I expect that your list will be at least four pages with two columns. Students in the past have had more that that. Single space your list.

We will look at your lists to find an invention.

Jefferson F-Day 9/30

We have begun our inventing process. We identified why people invent; and we began to set up our inventing logs. This week, list every activity you can, either what you do or what anyone else does. Watch carefully and notice what people are doing.

Headings are never written in the white space at the top of the page. Write them in the first TWO spaces between lines and then skip two more spaces before writing the list. On the fourth page write the heading, What People Do or Things I See People Doing, or something that identifies the page having a list of people's activities.

We will look at your lists to find an invention.

Kendall A-Day and Fox Run B-Day 9/24

We have begun our inventing process. We identified what inventions are; Fox Run students discovered why people invent; and we began to set up our inventing logs. I was not able to get the log books to Fox Run this morning, but will be at school first thing Friday morning with the logs.

This week, list every activity you can, either what you do or what anyone else does. Watch carefully and notice what people are doing.

Remember, skip the first two sheets of paper in your log. On the third sheet, write the heading, Why People Invent. Fox Run students can finish that page. Kendall students may leave it blank.

We will look at your lists to find an invention.

Jefferson School Norwalk Public Schools Fox Run School Kendall School