May L.E.S. INVENTION CONVENTION

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1 May L.E.S. INVENTION CONVENTION

2 2016 L.E.S. Invention Convention IS YO U R S T U D E N T T H E N E X T G R E AT I N V E N T O R? Louisville Elementary 2016 Invention Convention Overview Welcome to the Louisville Invention Convention. The Invention Convention is designed to promote your child's problem-solving and creative-thinking skills. If you elect to participate, your child will be invited to invent and present a new product idea at a school assembly. Each student's invention will be judged as will the student's marketing of their invention. There will be prizes for the top inventions. The grand prize winner will receive a free patent application drafted and filed in their name in the United States Patent Office (the cost of a patent typically exceeds $10,000). The Invention Convention will be held at Louisville Elementary on Monday May 23, A detailed schedule with activities to prepare for the Invention Convention is included. If your child is interested we ask that you submit the included Interest Form and Idea Worksheet no later than the week of April 11. For more information and forms, this entire packet can be found on the LES homepage. Page 1

3 Overview This year our students are invited to participate in a unique kind of science fair called an Invention Convention. The Legal department at Medtronic assembles the Convention once a year for a special school. We are lucky to have it at LES. The Invention Convention is designed to promote your child's problem-solving and creative-thinking skills. If you elect to participate, your child will be invited to invent and present a new product. The first step in the actual invention process will be finding an idea for an invention. Your child will be encouraged to find a problem that needs to be solved. He or she may ask if you have a need for something that will help you solve a problem. Your interest and encouragement at this stage will help to make the invention process a fun learning experience for your child. Once your child settles on an idea your child can begin the testing and marketing stage. As your child continues the process of inventing, your continued interest and encouragement will be helpful. Discuss the progress he or she is making and any problems that are encountered. Remind your child that although inventors often experience failure along the way, they remain persistent and keep trying and thinking of new ideas to solve a problem. Once the invention has been completed, your child should prepare a display board and prototype to present their idea to a panel of judges from Medtronic. We know your child will enjoy and benefit from this experience in scientific problem solving. Your support and cooperation are greatly appreciated. We hope to see you at the Invention Convention. Important Dates The Invention Convention will be held at Louisville Elementary on Monday May 23, A detailed schedule with activities to prepare for the Invention Convention is included. Prizes Each student's invention will be judged as will the student's marketing of their invention. There will be prizes for the top inventions. The grand prize winner will receive a free patent application drafted and filed in their name in the United States Patent Office (a prize valued more than $10,000). See the following article and next page for an example of this tremendous honor and patent awarded under this program: Page 2

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5 Materials and Safety Please read the enclosed materials thoroughly as all projects will need to follow the included Boulder Valley School District rules and safety guidelines. Remember no liquids nor organisms are allowed on display at the Invention Convention. Pictures of projects with these are acceptable. Project Interest and Idea Forms Please complete the Interest Form and Idea Worksheet and return it to the office or teacher by April 11. Example Inventions The best inventions solve a problem. The best inventors work tirelessly to test and refine their ideas until their solution works. Consider how the inventions below address a problem. And think about a problem that you often encounter and how you would solve the problem. Once you identify a problem and a unique solution to the problem, you are on your way to inventing. Example Invention Automatic Dog Washer woof Page 4

6 Here is a list of other example inventions to get you thinking about possible ideas: a device that cleans gutters a plastic product that holds a book while you eat a rain poncho designed for use when riding a bicycle a lunch-box alarm that goes off when an unauthorized person opens the box a bird feeder that protects feed from wind and rain a newly designed bottle opener a toothpaste cap that minimizes waste and mess a device that prevents blisters from forming on hands when raking, shoveling, or sweeping a billfold that organizes money by denomination for blind people clothing tags to help match and coordinate clothes a dog collar that lights up at night a bedspread that zips down the middle to facilitate cleaning safety suspenders that light up at night for joggers or bikers a lock for a folding door a new type of ice cream container that minimizes mess a new type of rake that allows you to pick up leaves without bending over an infant support that prevents a very young baby from falling over a robot that distributes and collects student papers a glove with a light for signaling turns when riding a bike at night a better, more comfortable swing set a device to hold objects for disabled people who use a walker a computer program that includes graphics and music for entertaining children aged 3 months to 4 years a child's seat that fits a shopping cart a hearing-aid guard a mailbox alert device that signals when mail has been delivered to a roadside mailbox a leg cast sock to keep toes warm tapeless wrapping paper a comforter for cats an outside house light that flashes to signal police, firemen, or other helpers as to which house made a call for assistance a computer program that catalogs videotapes an eyeglass defogging device a device that makes it easier to swallow pills a drying rack for gloves a liquid that covers fade marks on jeans a light switch for young children Page 5

7 BVSD SAFETY DISPLAY GUIDELINES Anything which could be hazardous to the public, the exhibitor or other exhibitors is PROHIBITED. An alternative solution to displaying the following items: Take photographs of the substances that were used or use a digital camera and create large pictures with a computer printer for display on your board. No liquids are allowed at the Invention Convention. Organisms: No organisms may be displayed For Example: Vertebrates No owl pellets No mice, live or dead No skeletons No fish, live or dead Microbial Cultures No fungi, live or dead No bread molds, bacteria, viruses, viroids, rickettsia, live or dead No parasites, human or other, live or dead Invertebrates No worms, live or dead No insects, live or dead Plants No plants Chemicals: No chemicals may be displayed For Example: No acids, dilute or strong No bases, dilute or strong No salt solutions No insecticides No repellents No mercury No dry ice Flammable substances: No flammable substances may be displayed For Example: No gases No solid rocket fuel No flammable liquids No fumes Electricity No projects that require electricity may be demonstrated. Page 6

8 Calendar for Activities and Homework Date Activity Work Product March 18 Students will attend an assembly to learn about inventions and the Invention Convention. None April 4 Students will select a problem and brainstorm a conceptual product idea that will solve that problem. Students will create a design for their product. Identified problem, why it needs a solution, and a general description of their idea. April 11 April 18 Students will complete their design and create a list of materials needed to build a prototype of their design. Students will write a justification and marketing pitch for their product: why is this product needed? How much is it worth? Why is this product the best solution to the problem? Why is the problem important? Students will conduct marketing research among their peers on pricing and interest. Students will begin building and testing their prototype. They should reflect at the end of the session about what went well, and what they want to improve. Students will finalize their marketing plans. Complete design sketch and list of materials; draft of justification and marketing pitch. Submit Idea Worksheet and Interest Form Due Friday April 15th Partial prototype of the invention. Final Justification and Marketing Pitch/strategy April 25 May 22 Students will build a display poster board with all the elements of their invention process: original concept, design and materials, justification and marketing. Students will complete their original prototype. Completed display poster board. Final prototype. They should once more reflect on what could have gone better, and what recommendations they have to improve Page 7

9 their invention. May 23 Students will bring their poster board and prototype for display in the school. On Monday May 23, 2015 students will present their invention and research to the Judges and win prizes. Page 8

10 Interest Form and Idea Worksheet FOR THE 2016 INVENTION CONVENTION Name: Date: INVENTION I am going to invent:. REQUIREMENTS I will need:. DRAWING Here is a drawing of how it might look: Page 9