Lakeland Invention Convention
A step by step guide to supporting your child
Invention Convention Introduction
The Idaho Invention Convention is the premier student invention program that celebrates student creativity and innovation, while teaching the inventive thinking process in an interdisciplinary curriculum.
Not only does the invention convention program teach higher order thinking skills, it asks students to demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and use information and communication technologies to develop innovative products and processes. The Idaho Invention Convention is poised to grow exponentially with the current emphasis in our schools on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education.
COMPETITON REGISTRATION IS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE.
DISTRICT COMPETITION DETAILS:
PLACE: Garwood Elementary
PROJECT DROP OFF: Tuesday, December 15th (7:30am-5pm)
JUDGING: Wednesday, December 16th (8:30am-3pm) **No students present during judging**
PROJECT PICK UP: PLEASE PICK PROJECTS UP BY FRIDAY AT 4pm (any left will be discarded)
Step 1- Problem Finding
The first step in the invention process is identifying problems and brainstorming solutions.
So what can you do at home to help? Go problem searching with your child! Share everyday frustrations that affect your life and even ask friends and neighbors to share things they would like solved. Explore the local newspaper for opportunities to solve problems in our local community. Find out what your child is passionate about and allow them to explore and improve that field. Create a culture where you are looking for opportunities to invent! When your child shares a frustration, or something they wish they could do that isn’t currently possible, respond with questions that lead to innovation. How can you solve that? Can you fix that problem? Could you make that easier for someone? Looking at problems as opportunities for innovation is the first step in thinking like an inventor. Don’t forget to have kids record their ideas in an invention journal, or create a google document to track all of their ideas.
Step 2- Researching
Step 2:
Now that you have found problems, and maybe even began thinking of new innovative ways to solve them, it is time to research your concepts. It is important to not only find out if your invention has already been thought of by someone else, but also to make sure you understand the problem itself in more detail. Research involves more than just the computer, it involves talking to people, even experts in the field. Remember to research more than one problem so you are confident you have chosen your largest area of impact!
What can you do at home to help?
Support networking with experts and consumers: Have conversations with your child about their problem and solution idea. Have them ask adults and/or children who may be affected by this problem about their experiences. Take a moment to research some companies who work in similar fields and help your child send an email to their customer service contact.
Support data research: Can your child prove this is a real problem? Are there charts and graphs online you can share with them and have them write a summary of what they learn. Help your child run an informal survey regarding their problem or solution. This could be as simple as asking 20 people the same questions and tallying the results.
Check if your product is already in production or if the idea has been patented:
Use shopping websites, such as Amazon.com, to analyze other products that are similar to your idea. Identify how some of these are similar to your product as well as how your product is different.
Google Patent Search:- https://www.google.com/?tbm=pts&safe=active&ssui=on
Support your child in searching google patents and describing their inventions in multiple ways for the best search results. Analyze how their idea is similar to those already patented and how it is innovative and new.
Step 3- Designing
Step 3:
Now that you have brainstormed ideas, researched to understand the problem and confirmed it has not been previously invented, you are ready to design! Students now get to think like an engineer and industrial designed and begin making prototype sketches (blueprints). The drawings should give a sense of scale and size, label important parts of the invention, and give views from various angles.
What can you do at home to help?
Look at other invention blueprints and designs: Choose your favorite invention and do an image search for its product blueprint. Share these examples with your child so they have references for the style of drawing.
Remind students to use the appropriate tools for design: Have your child use rulers and other objects to get clean lines in their design. Having them do their blueprint in pencil and then tracing over it for a final copy in black ink makes it more appealing to the eye.
Support your child by encouraging them to try again: Have your child number each of their invention blueprints. When they complete one have them share their creations and give them feedback for improvements.
Feedback ideas:
Does the scale of their picture make sense?
Can you clearly see any important parts that speak to how their invention works?
Do you need a second image from another viewpoint?
Ask questions about how the invention will work so they can make additions and adjustments to the design.
Step 4- Prototype
Step 4:
This is the step where inventors put their plans in action. Prototypes can be created on a 3D printer or in garages and basements using everyday materials, such as cardboard and Legos. Often, inventors wander around hardware stores to inspire their material choices. Prototypes are not usually perfect on the first build, and that gives the inventor the opportunity to make improvements. Remember, you can not spend more the $25 new money, so get creative, recycle and reuse!
What can you do at home to help?
Explore how other machines and toys work with your child: Taking apart old machines and toys is a great way to find out how to make something work! This is a great time to go through old resources you have at home and allow your child to rip it apart, check out how it worked, and reuse any parts they may need!
Visit the local hardware shop: Taking your child on a trip to the hardware store to explore the nuts and bolts and different materials gives them inspiration on how to make things work. Also, have them take a moment to share their idea with workers at the store and ask for materials suggestions. Even if something is too expensive, they can take notes about what they would use in a real working model.
Build, Build, BUILD along side your child: No invention comes to life without a team! We encourage you to build alongside your child, teach them to use tools necessary and have fun redesigning the product as you go! Take pictures of your child working on the prototype (no faces included) to share in their journal.
Step 5- Sharing
LAKELAND INVENTION CONVENTION
Step 5:
Now that your child has researched and created their invention, it is time to market your idea. You will need 3 main components to your project to enter it at the Invention convention:
Product prototype (already done in previous step)
Display board (no student names on front)
Inventors Journal (no student name on front of journal)
What can you do at home to help?
Provide appropriate materials:
Journal- Students need a 3-ring binder or folder that can hold all of their work throughout the process. This can also include pictures of them working on the project and their own log entries. Having kids use talk to text and making a journal entry about what they work on each time and what they learn is a great way to add to your journal.
Display Board- We suggest using a tri-fold board to display project information. This should include a large product title. An explanation of your problem and solution (imagine a shark tank pitch, or commercial pitch). You should add a how it works section, or direction for play if you have created a game or gadget. Also include a finalized blueprint on your display board.
Putting together a display board
LAKELAND INVENTION CONVENTION
Designing Your Display Board
Your display board is an opportunity for you to highlight the most important aspects of your invention process, show off your creativity, and market your product. This is an example of what a Display Board might look like, but you can make it look however you want. This is your invention and your display, so use your creativity to tell the story of your invention the way you want.
Be sure you use:
Fonts that are readable (in style, size, and color)
Colors that look good together
Shapes that are the right size for the board
Correct grammar and spelling
Proper punctuation
Your Display Board should contain the following information on the back of the poster:
Student(s) Name(s)
Project Name
Student(s) Grade(s)
Student(s) School
You might also want to add:
Images showing you building or testing the invention
Information on how the invention was made
How the invention is used
Text that supports and explains any pictures, drawings, charts, etc.
Testimonials from users and/or research results
Any other information about the invention that will help explain it, what it does, or why it is good