The Inventive Guest
By Harry T. Roman

Invite me into your classroom. I can help integrate the curriculum. I'm an inventor. Actually, it won't be possible for me to visit every classroom, but there are lots of inventors in your state and local towns who can.

Inventors design new products because there is a strong need for them. Understanding this and discussing it in the classroom will show students how technology, math and science are used to improve our standard of living and strengthen the economy. There are numerous connections to history, social studies and literacy – making the study of invention a powerful and exciting way to show students how their subjects tie together.

Inventors are not hard to find. They might be mentioned in your local newspaper, or it's possible there is an inventor's society of some kind in your state. The National Society of Inventors (www.nationalinventors.com) is probably the most visible national organization for inventors. You may also wish to contact The American Society of Inventors (www.asoi.org) for local contacts.

Many members of the engineering community are inventors. Certainly you could find, through their national organizations, a local engineer willing to stop by and talk with your students – and maybe even conduct some creativity exercises in class. Engineering organizations often have school-outreach resources. (See box below for more information.)

Invention-mania in the classroom. To prepare for that inventor visit, there are plenty of warm-up activities to do with your students. Here are a few of my favorites:

1. "Gee, I wish I had a..." Encourage your students to involve their families in thinking up products to make life easier. Challenge your students to develop designs for such products. Perhaps the whole class could group together in teams to come up with a variety of new inventions. The students can present their designs with charts and pictures and lots of enthusiastic discussion.



2. Helpful robot. I use this one every year with students in grades 4-8. Design a fire-fighting robot, or a robot to help someone who is confined to a wheel chair. These robot design challenges always stimulate the children to imagine all sorts of incredible ways to invent wonderful robots – many of which they give anthropomorphic characteristics. Again, use a team-based approach to this design challenge. The subject of robots has a keen way of completely engaging the heads and hands of students. Build models using construction paper or throwaway household items. Watch your hands-on learners perk up and lead the teams!



3. Milk carton creations. "What do you think I can make with these old milk containers? Does anyone have any ideas for these?" Drop the creative bait in your students' laps and watch the ideas pour out.
4. Inventors of note. Are there any present-day well-known inventors who live in your state? Can your students name the two founding fathers that were also famous for their inventions? Perhaps have students write a report on the inventions of Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin. Does anyone in the class know of a famous inventor they would like to tell their classmates about?



5. Life-changing creations. What are the benefits of two very important inventions – the electric lightbulb and the automobile? How did these inventions change our lives? Also, how is the Internet changing our lives today? What are or historically have been the positive and negative impacts of these inventions?
6. Future-tripping. Have your students create a story about how robots will be used in the future. This exercise combines science and technology with social studies, and of course language skills, to engender a look into the future. Encourage the kids to illustrate their stories to get their ideas across.



7. Home sweet invention. Challenge your class to design a home that uses alternate energy sources like solar energy or maybe involves underground construction to save heating energy. With the violent hurricanes that recently hit the South, how might your students design better homes to prevent the extensive damage that occurred?
8. Inventive Americans. Discuss some famous immigrants who came to our country and invented things that changed our lives. This might lead to an interesting conversation about immigration as an important part of our country's legacy and continued strength.

The inventor arrives. Once you have an inventor visit arranged, take the time to discuss with him or her what things to cover in class. Here are the kinds of topical questions I always talk about with the students I visit:

• How did I get interested in inventing?
• What is the invention process and how does it work?
• Why is an invention notebook important to keep?
• How do I decide what to invent?
• What were my best and worst inventions and why?
• How do I market and sell my inventions?
• Why are good communications so important to inventors?
• How do I build safety and environmental concerns into my inventions?

It's a wonderful change of pace for your students to bring the real world of invention into the classroom. I guarantee they will respond with excitement to these visitors and walk away with a new perspective on how the invention process cuts across the entire academic day.

Harry T. Roman is an inventor and engineer in Newark, NJ, who has worked throughout his career to bring the excitement of science, invention, technology and creativity into the classroom.