Innovation of Our Generation

Innovations In Our Lives

1 Engage

Can You Live Without It?

[pencil]

[backpack]

[student desk]

[student chair]

Can You Live Without It?

What did you miss most about not having use of your group’s object?Could you spend more than one day without the object?How would your life be different if the object had never been invented?What do you think people used before the object was invented?Would you agree or disagree that the object is important in your life? What about your friends’ lives?Which of the objects would be most difficult for you to not have in your life?

Discuss your experience of living without your object with your group.

2 Explore

What’s In a Word?

Innovation

Everyday Innovations

Why do you think this object was invented?Does this object affect your life? If so, how?How does it solve a problem or make life better?Has it had more, less, or the same impact on your parents’ lives?Would you be willing to go one day without this object? One week? One month? One year?How would your life be different if this had never been invented?

Discuss the object shown using the questions below.

[bicycle]

Everyday Innovations

Why do you think this object was invented?Does this object affect your life? If so, how?How does it solve a problem or make life better?Has it had more, less, or the same impact on your parents’ lives?Would you be willing to go one day without this object? One week? One month? One year?How would your life be different if this had never been invented?

Discuss the object shown using the questions below.

Everyday Innovations

Why do you think this object was invented?Does this object affect your life? If so, how?How does it solve a problem or make life better?Has it had more, less, or the same impact on your parents’ lives?Would you be willing to go one day without this object? One week? One month? One year?How would your life be different if this had never been invented?

Discuss the object shown using the questions below.

Everyday Innovations

Why do you think this object was invented?Does this object affect your life? If so, how?How does it solve a problem or make life better?Has it had more, less, or the same impact on your parents’ lives?Would you be willing to go one day without this object? One week? One month? One year?How would your life be different if this had never been invented?

Discuss the object shown using the questions below.

[plastic water bottle]

Everyday Innovations

Why do you think this object was invented?Does this object affect your life? If so, how?How does it solve a problem or make life better?Has it had more, less, or the same impact on your parents’ lives?Would you be willing to go one day without this object? One week? One month? One year?How would your life be different if this had never been invented?

Discuss the object shown using the questions below.

[computer mouse]

Exploring Innovations

Launch Student Module

3 Explain

Small-Group Brainstorm

Start with the question: Which innovations have most improved the lives of people in my generation? Consider all aspects of society: health, entertainment, education, communication, etc. Think about news stories you’ve heard or read in the past year: Is there an innovation that doesn’t affect you directly but is still important to society? Write down all the innovations that your group comes up with.

Here are the guidelines for your small-group brainstorm.

Brainstorming Results

Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 Group 4 Group 5

The Innovation Process

Recall the steps in the innovation process. The stages in red represent those of the process that are iterative and may need to be repeated several times before building.

Identify BrainstormResearch Design Plan

PrototypeTestEvaluateBuildName

4 Extend

Innovation of Our Generation

Who designed or invented your innovation?When was it designed?What did people do before it was designed?What problem does it solve?How does it make life better for kids your age?How many kids use it?How do they use it?How does it work? What is the science behind it?What challenges did the innovators face? How did the overcome them?How has the innovation changed people’s lives?

Choose an innovation that you think should be the “Innovation of our Generation.” Use these questions to guide your research and develop an argument supported by evidence.

5 Evaluate

Rubric

Use the rubric to evaluate a student’s work. Evaluations include both a teacher and peer review.

Possible Points

Peer Review Teacher ReviewDesign: Who designed it? When? What did people do before it was designed? What challenges did the innovators face? Usefulness: What problem does it solve? How does it make life better? How do people use it? How does it work?Innovation: How has it changed lives?

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