Invention Study in Eighth Grade Reading

In 8th grade reading class, students have been studying the unit on Invention. Students read about many examples of inventions. Students had to ask themselves the following questions: How do people invent? Does the idea come to you, or are you trying to figure out a solution to a problem? Keeping the questions in mind, students were broken into small groups and given a ziplock baggie of materials to use to create something with. Included into the baggie were the following materials: straws, string, 1 piece of felt, pipe cleaners, two balloons, notecards, a glue stick, construction paper, scissors, tape, mini clothespins, and two plastic cups. Students talked to peers in their groups about ideas, and then one student sketched out an idea for their invention. Students worked on their inventions for a week. One person from each group wrote a description of their group’s invention. The final step in the invention process is to present their inventions to the whole class.