The K-12 Invention Convention Curriculum is a free resource that has been developed and put to the test by educators for over 30 years. It uses a free, flexible and hands-on curriculum to activate invention education in classrooms and at local, state and national showcase events. Students learn to think critically by identifying problems in their world. They discover the impact of inventions in their lives. And they have the opportunity to apply STEM, invention and entrepreneurial skills to build real-world solutions.
Explore ready-to-use invention lesson plans and activities to foster innovative thinking skills. The seven-step invention process lives at the heart of the Invention Convention curriculum. Students complete step-by-step lessons to develop an invention that is original and well-constructed and that solves a real-world problem. It introduces youth inventors to entrepreneurial concepts to get them thinking about what happens beyond the invention process.
The seven-step invention process:
Identifying: Becoming aware of problems in one’s life or community
Understanding: Conducting research to identify a unique solution
Ideating: Developing a project plan for the invention
Designing: Deciding how to make the invention
Building: Constructing a prototype
Testing: Seeing how the invention works and revising the design as needed
Communicating: Writing about the invention and presenting it to others
As a first step to using the curriculum, you need access a free PD.
The Henry Ford’s inHub is a community for educators of all kinds that includes access to lesson plans, digital assets, webinars, professional development opportunities, virtual field trips and more. To learn more about curriculum and sample lesson plans, please follow the link below.