Hi all! I hope you enjoyed last week’s music focus. This week we have an overall focus on invention and design but we will be suggesting other activities for you to have a go at alongside this main project. Make sure you’re still reading and playing Prodigy to practise maths skills. More importantly though, remember to spend time with your family – go for a walk, play a game, share an activity and HAVE FUN TOGETHER!
So… What is an invention? I’ve been having a think and I reckon a good description would be ‘a workable solution to an existing problem.’ An invention doesn’t have to have an engine or whirring wheels and pistons. It could be something small and insignificant. The main thing is that it has an improving effect on people’s lives – it makes a job easier!
Monday 27th April
Here are ten famous inventions. Choose 5 of them, research them and find out a bit about each one. You could think about the following questions:
Who invented it? When?
How did they invent it? Was it deliberate or an accident?
What was the problem that existed before the invention?
How successful was the inventor to begin with? Did the invention work straight away?
What was the original invention like? Big, slow, not very efficient?
How long did it take to develop the invention to a stage where it could be used in everyday life?
Printing press
Light bulb
Airplane
Personal computer
Vaccines
Automobile
Clock
Telephone
Refrigeration
Camera
Tuesday 28th April
Use Espresso to find out about inventions – type ‘invention’ into the search bar in Discovery Education Espresso and away you go! Just read, explore and discover!
Wednesday 29th April
Find out about an invention of your choice. Which invention of the last two days really interested you? Maybe it wasn’t one of those and you want to find out about a different one you haven’t read about yet. It’s up to you! Research the inventor and their invention in lots of detail. Collect your information in your lined booklet.
Thursday 30th April
Now it’s time to create! Think about a problem in your own life. Something that is inefficient or takes a bit too long to do. Every time you do it, you think ‘oh no, not that again – it’s a real pain!’
Design your own invention to make this area of your life a bit easier to manage. Your design can be as true to life or as fantastical as you would like to make it. Draw your design, label it, write some detail about how it will work around your diagram. Where are the problems with your design? Can you come up with a way of ironing out these problems so your invention works more efficiently?
Friday 1st May
Convince your parents through a Dragon’s Den type presentation that your invention is a good idea, that it will indeed work and that it could save other people lots of time in their lives too. If it will, your invention will be worth investing in because it could make someone a lot of money! Here is a clip to watch, where an inventor presents their own idea to the Dragon’s Den team:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whqogxqrWNA
Good luck and remember to let me know how you get on – did they invest in your idea? Good luck and be convincing by including lots of detail. Think of the questions they might ask before they ask them and make sure you respond to them in advance…