Activity 1: Introducing Inventive Thinking and Brainstorming
Read about the Lives of Great InventorsRead the stories about great inventors in class or let students read themselves. Ask students, "How did these inventors get their ideas? How did they make their ideas a reality?" Locate books in your library about inventors, invention, and creativity. Older students can locate these references themselves. Also visit the Inventive Thinking and Creativity Gallery
Talk to a Real Inventor
Invite a local inventor to speak to the class. Since local inventors are not usually listed in the phone book under "inventors", you can find them by calling a local patent attorney or your local intellectual property law association. Your community may also have a Patent and Trademark Depository Library or an inventor's society that you may contact or post a request. If not, most of your major companies have a research and development department made up of people who think inventively for a living.
Examine Inventions
Next, ask the students to look at the things in the classroom that are inventions. All the inventions in the classroom that have a U.S. patent will have a patent number. One such item is probably the pencil sharpener. Tell them to check out their house for patented items. Let the students brainstorm a list all of the inventions they discover. What would improve these inventions?
Discussion
In order to guide your students through the inventive process, a few preliminary lessons dealing with creative thinking will help set the mood. Begin with a brief explanation of brainstorming and a discussion on the rules of brainstorming.
What is Brainstorming?
Brainstorming is a process of spontaneous thinking used by an individual or by a group of people to generate numerous alternative ideas while deferring judgment. Introduced by Alex Osborn in his book "Applied Imagination", brainstorming is the crux of each of the stages of all problem-solving methods.
Rules for Brainstorming
- No Criticism
Allowed People tend to automatically evaluate each suggested idea--their own as well as others. Both internal and external criticism are to be avoided while brainstorming. Neither positive nor negative comments are allowed. Either type inhibits the free flow of thought and requires time which interferes with the next rule. Write each spoken idea down as it is given and move on. - Work for Quantity
Alex Osborn stated that "Quantity breeds quality." People must experience a "brain drain" (get all the common responses out of the way) before the innovative, creative ideas can surface; therefore, the more ideas, the more likely they are to be quality ideas. - Hitchhiking Welcome
Hitchhiking occurs when one member's idea produces a similar idea or an enhanced idea in another member. All ideas should be recorded. - Freewheeling Encouraged
Outrageous, humorous, and seemingly unimportant ideas should be recorded. It is not uncommon for the most off-the-wall.
