Introduction
Put on your thinking caps! You are curious about inventions and want to someday make your own. (You secretly want to be as rich as Bill Gates) You have had some great ideas in the past but nothing seems right when you start to create your own. What is it that has made some of the greatest inventions great? Do they use other inventions to create new inventions? Who were some of the greatest inventors? There have also been some pretty dumb inventions. What are they and why would someone want to create such a goofy thing? It's time to use the internet and other research tools to get some answers to these perplexing questions. Oh yeah, what does perplexing mean anyway?
Task
Part 1: Invention 4-Square Research
You will be researching 10 different inventions.
Complete the Invention 4-Square Research document here.
- Something invented by a woman
- Something invented before the year 5 BC
- A Chinese invention
- Something related to food
- An everyday item used around the house
- Something related to the world of communication
- Something of great significance that has been invented in the last 200 years (1 of 2)
- Something of great significance that has been invented in the last 200 years (2 of 2)
- Something that seems really weird or dumb (1 of 2)
- Something that seems really weird or dumb (2 of 2)
Part 2: Visual Presentation - Presenting this to the class will earn BONUS points!
When you are finished with your research, you will pick 5 of these inventions and complete a 8-slide Power Point or Sway Presentation. *NOTE: You may only pick 1 of #7-8 and 1 of #9-10.
- Title Slide with YOUR NAME and a creative title for your presentation
- Invention #1 - include 4-Square Research Info, picture of inventor, picture/video of invention (videos must be short)
- Invention #2 - include 4-Square Research Info, picture of inventor, picture/video of invention (videos must be short)
- Invention #3 - include 4-Square Research Info, picture of inventor, picture/video of invention (videos must be short)
- Invention #4 - include 4-Square Research Info, picture of inventor, picture/video of invention (videos must be short)
- Invention #5 - include 4-Square Research Info, picture of inventor, picture/video of invention (videos must be short)
- Explain which of the 5 inventions you chose is the most important and why. What impact does this invention still have on today's world that the other inventions do not?
- Works Cited of all of the websites you used for your research. You do not need to cite your photos.
Process
Part 1: Invention 4-Square Research
You will be researching 10 different inventions. The following links may help you find the information you need. REMEMBER - NO WIKIPEDIA! Keep a list of your sources for your Works Cited slide in your presentation.
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http://inventors.about.com/library/bl_by_state_inventors.htm
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A timeline of inventions - including everything from little to big.
A timeline of inventions -
Twentieth Century Inventions
20th Century Inventions -
Timeline inventions from Ancient BC to today.
Another timeline of inventions -
A site that explains some Chinese inventions
Long list of Chinese Inventions
Top 18 Chinese inventions
Greatest Chinese Inventions -
A list of links to food related inventions
Food Inventions -
The history of communication.
Communication Inventions -
Check out these modern inventions.
Modern Inventions
Part 2: Visual Presentation
When you are finished with your research, you will pick 5 of these inventions and complete a 8-slide Power Point Presentation.
- You will need to use Power Point Online through Office 365.
- Click THIS LINK to access your Office 365 account through Clever.
- Your login info is your school email address (firstandlastname@moorestudents.com) and your ID/Lunch # as your password.
- Using Power Point Online will allow you to save your work automatically and access it from any device connected to the internet.
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Other Helpful Resources
Inventors List
Inventions list
Evaluation
You will be graded on the following criteria:
- Using your time wisely. You will earn a 10 point PARTICIPATION GRADE every day. If you are off task, you will lose points. This score will be part of your Daily Grade as well as factored into your Project Grade.
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Your Inventor 4-Square Research is COMPLETE and THOROUGH.
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Your Visual Presentation is COMPLETE, THOROUGH, and CREATIVE.
- You can earn BONUS POINTS by presenting your Visual Presentation to the class.