Inventions Over Time

Can you believe this is my 600th post?!? If you had asked me a few years ago if I would have 600 ideas to share on a blog, I'd have thought you were a few McNuggets short of a Happy Meal! :) Now blogging is one of my favorite things to do.

I work at a Magnet School. Part of our mantra is to have yearly presentations where the kids get an opportunity to practice some public speaking skills and they create a project that they have researched. We decorate the gym and the kids are spread out all over standing in front of an "on" button, ready to present when activated. This year, with the 1st Graders, we decided to do inventions over time. I showed them, very primitively, the fundamentals of research. They each chose a different tool. Their products were 3-D timelines that showed with models how it looked in the past, present and then their idea of what their tool would look like in the future. They did such a great job, especially considering that this was their first big project.

We had a stove that he imagined would have an alarm when the stove was on and nothing was on the burner (seriously, why don't we have that already-I wanted to send him to SharkTank with that one!). 

We had diapers that are more earth-friendly.

We had flying motorcycles, cars and houses.

A solar-powered, voice-activated refrigerator

Her camera has a 1, 2, 3, that pops up so the person you are taking a picture of knows when you are going to snap the pic.

A triangle clock

Holographic glasses for books

A longer-lasting lightbulb

I think I can remember owning a phone that big! :)

A remote control lawnmower

Solar-powered, two-sided computer (so you don't have to wait in line to take AR quizzes)

History of the football helmet-his invention included bluetooth technology so the coach could talk directly to players---genius!

Steamboats

Parking lots

History of shoes

I know the kiddos learned something new-especially because they chose topics that interested them. I even learned some new facts-did you know that the first computers in the 30's used movie film as their memory?

I think it's a great way for them to show what they learned and get some practice in public speaking. I wish I had those experiences early on, I may not get so nervous to present today! :)