INVENTING AND INNOVATION IN THE CLASSROOM...

.:: DATABASE OF LESSON PLANS

• Invent Iowa K-8 Guide - Invention lessons and activities
• Inventive Thinking Curriculum Packet - PDF document from US Patent Office; contains material suitable for K-12
• Inventors and Invention - Eduplace from Houghton Mifflin; Lessons and activities for K-8
• Hands On Plastics - Lessons & Activities from American Chemical Council
• Franklin Institute - Curricular companions from the History of Science and Technology
• Invention at Play Educator's Manual - Cross-curricular PDF guide for all ages on the importance of innovation, creative thinking and invention; 36 pages from Lemelson MIT
• Invention at Play Family Guide - PDF document with many activities to do at home on invention and creative thinking; 8 pages from Lemelson MIT
• Women Inventors: She's Got It! Teacher's Manual - 11 page PDF document with companion materials to this Smithsonian Invention website; brief biographies of a few women; discussion questions, more.
• How to Hold a Local Invention Convention - tips, overview, guidelines on a classroom or school event
• Apple Educator - Young Inventors Unit - grades 2-6

.:: WEBQUESTS

Elementary and Middle School Students:

• Edison: Entrepreneur or Inventor?
• US History: Inventors and Entrepreneurs
• Invention of the Millennium - Industrial Revolution
• Inventors of the Industrial Revolution - online interactive lessons; 19 pages of activities
• Who Invented the Light Bulb and Other Famous Inventions? - grades K-5
• Ben Invents Again - grades 4-6 (Teacher's Guide here!)
• Greatest Inventors of All Time - grades 4-8
• Chinese Inventions investigated by the "Technology Spies" - grades 6-8

High School students:

• Innovation and Invention - grades 9-12
• Biotechnology Timeline - grades 9-12

.:: ONLINE INTERACTIVE RESOURCES FOR CLASSROOM LESSONS

• Nanotechnology - What is nanotechnology? And how will it impact our future? Thinkquest; excellent
• Simple Machines - COSI - interactive flash segment explaining simple machines
• Interactive Table of Elements
• Scientific Calculator & Unit Conversion

OTHER SCHOLARSHIP & AWARD PROGRAMS

REFERENCE MATERIALS ABOUT INVENTION AND INNOVATION

• Inventor's Handbook for Students - Lemelson MIT
• IdeaTango - step-by-step articles from brainstorming to entrepreneurship
• IPFrontline Online Magazine - Intellectual Property information; technical and detailed
• Patent Cafe - patent searches
• 100 Years of Innovation - Business Week article & videos; suitable for grades 9-12 and adult
• World Intellectual Property Organization - detailed reference site
• Science Cheerleader - Diane Cavalier's site to inspire teamwork in science

RECOMMENDED BOOKS

• Inventucation™ Curriculum
• Inventucation™ Modules for Classroom (DVD)
• Educator to Inventucator™ Training Sessions (DVD)
• "I Can Fly" - One Act Play on Wright Brothers (H.S. Version)
• "I Can Fly" - One Act Play on Wright Brothers for Readers Theater (K-6 Version)
• Science Demonstrations for Classroom (DVD)