INVENTION!
By
Dr. Bob Valiant
Children are great inventors. They have not developed the inhibitions that restrict many of us from exploring far-out ideas and novel solutions. The trick is to come up with ideas for what to invent and then to organize for possible solutions. Here are some ideas for the teacher and for the students to come up with some exciting new inventions.
Scientific Inquiry Performance Tasks
Task Author: Judy T. Sweeney
Task Title: How Surface Area Affects Evaporation
Grade Level: 3 Foss Kit Title Water Activity #3
Earth/Space Science Grade3 benchmark
Brief Overview of Task:
Students will design an investigation exploring how surface area affects evaporation.
Targeted Benchmark:
Identify and describe examples of change over time. (Read on …)
Designing learning environments involves many people across a wide range of disciplines but must include, in our opinion, a much greater role for the clients (teachers, students, and parents) who will actually use the building. We have outlined here a process that we believe gets planning off on the right foot. The process is ordinarily called the development of Educational Specifications. (Read on …)
Native American Culture Curriculum Unit 8.5
SPONSORED BY THE FRONTIER LEARNING NETWORK, NCESD
Task Author: Bob Valiant
Task Title: Visitors From the East
Grade Level: 6-8 Activity # 8.5
History Grade 8 benchmark
Brief Overview of Task:
Students will use the PBS Lewis and Clark video as well as online, print, and other resources to develop a graphic display of the Lewis and Clark Expedition with an account of tribes encountered, geography, plants, animals, and weather. Wherever possible, they will present events both from the point of view of the explorers and of the Native Americans they meet along the way. The product will be a graphic display of the events of the journey. Each student will identify a one-month portion of the trip and will write a narrative of the journey from the perspective of either one of the explorers or of one of the Native Americans they meet.
Targeted Benchmark:
Represent and interpret data and chronological relationships from history using time lines and narratives.
Identify and create chronologies of events.
FOR INFORMATION REGARDING THE TOTAL PROJECT, CLICK HERE
Native American Culture Curriculum Unit 8.4
SPONSORED BY THE FRONTIER LEARNING NETWORK, NCESD
Task Author: Bob Valiant
Task Title: In the Bag
Grade Level: 6-8 Activity # 8.4
Geography Grade 8 benchmark
Brief Overview of Task:
Students will be given the problem of transporting goods from one place to another. They will be given a quantity of local materials to design and construct containers for this purpose. They will then research methods used by Plateau Indians to construct baskets and other containers. A paper will be written describing the availability of resources as a factor influencing cultural characteristics such as basket making or art.
Targeted Benchmark:
Identify and compare physical and human characteristics of major regions and significant places in the world.
Recognize relationships between the physical and cultural characteristics of a place or region.
FOR INFORMATION REGARDING THE TOTAL PROJECT, CLICK HERE (Read on …)
Native American Culture Curriculum Unit 8.3
SPONSORED BY THE FRONTIER LEARNING NETWORK, NCESD
Task Author: Bob Valiant
Task Title: A Trip to the Market
Grade Level: 7-8 Activity # 8.3
Geography Grade 8 benchmark
Brief Overview of Task:
Now that the band has horses, their range is greatly increased. Students plan a trip to Celilo from their home location including possible routes, travel time, stopping points, etc. Once at Celilo they try to determine the kinds of goods they can trade for. The primary challenge is to determine the reasons for the location of “Oregon’s Oldest Town.”
Targeted Benchmark:
Identify and compare physical and human characteristics of major regions and significant places in the world. Locate and identify population centers and geographic reasons for their locations.
FOR INFORMATION REGARDING THE TOTAL PROJECT, CLICK HERE (Read on …)
Native American Culture Curriculum Unit 8.2
SPONSORED BY THE FRONTIER LEARNING NETWORK, NCESD
Task Author: Bob Valiant
Task Title: Mapping Your Space
Grade Level: 6-8 Activity # 8.2
Geography Grade 8 benchmark
Brief Overview of Task:
Students will be given a problem to solve as a member of an Indian band (circa 1750) located on the site of their community. Given information regarding the “seasonal cycle” of the local band, they will be asked to solve the problem. The students will then explore various resources to learn how Native Americans used the land and its resources to solve the problem. Since horses arrive in the region about 1750 students are asked to predict how use of the horse would affect the solutions already devised.
Targeted Benchmark:
Identify economic, cultural, and environmental factors that affect population and predict how the population would change as a result.
FOR INFORMATION REGARDING THE TOTAL PROJECT, CLICK HERE (Read on …)
Native American Culture Curriculum Unit 8.1
SPONSORED BY THE FRONTIER LEARNING NETWORK, NCESD
Task Author: Bob Valiant
Task Title: Who Walked This Land?
Grade Level: 6-8 Activity # 8.1
Geography Grade 8 benchmark
Brief Overview of Task: Students are asked to identify the tribe most likely to have inhabited the area where the school is located. Once identified, the class is divided into groups to research the culture of the tribe. A display of artifacts, photos, and drawings is prepared to share with a wider audience.
Targeted Benchmark: Identify economic, cultural, and environmental factors that affect population and predict how the population would change as a result. Identify and give examples of economic, cultural, and environmental factors that influence population.
FOR INFORMATION REGARDING THE TOTAL PROJECT, CLICK HERE (Read on …)
Native American Culture Curriculum Unit 5.5
SPONSORED BY THE FRONTIER LEARNING NETWORK, NCESD
Task Author: Bob Valiant
Task Title: Visitors Arrive
Grade Level: 4-5 Activity # 5.5
History Grade 5 benchmark
Brief Overview of Task:
Students will use the PBS Lewis and Clark video as well as online, print, and other resources to develop a graphic timeline of the Lewis and Clark Expedition with an account of tribes encountered, geography, plants, animals, and weather. The product will be a graphic display of the events of the trip. Students will select (or be assigned) a tribe from among those encountered and write a narrative of the encounter from the perspective of the Native Americans.
Targeted Benchmark:
Interpret data and chronological relationships presented in timelines and narratives…
Order events in historical narratives.
FOR INFORMATION REGARDING THE TOTAL PROJECT, CLICK HERE (Read on …)
Native American Culture Curriculum Unit 5.4
SPONSORED BY THE FRONTIER LEARNING NETWORK, NCESD
Task Author: Bob Valiant
Task Title: What’s My Line?
Grade Level: 3-5 Activity # 5.4
Geography Grade 5 Benchmark
Brief Overview of Task:
Students will be given a supply of long grass or other fiber-rich material (cattail leaves, corn husks, etc.) and instructed to use it to create cordage (string, thread, or rope) that could be used to fasten objects together by sewing or tying. After they attempt this they will research Native American techniques for making cordage and practice the technique to construct a display of cordage from different materials.
Native American Culture Curriculum Unit 5.2
SPONSORED BY THE FRONTIER LEARNING NETWORK, NCESD
Task Author: Bob Valiant
Task Title: Surviving the Big Storm
Grade Level: 4-5 Activity # 5.2
Geography Grade 5 Benchmark
Brief Overview of Task:
Students will be given a problem to solve as a member of an Indian band (circa 1700) located at the site of the school. They must use their knowledge of local landforms, flora and fauna to solve the problem. They will use local materials to construct models of solution designs and will then explore various resources to learn how Native Americans used the land and its resources to solve the problem.
FOR INFORMATION REGARDING THE TOTAL PROJECT, CLICK HERE
The Pendulum
Scientific Inquiry Performance Task -
Author: Scott Coles/Madras High School Science Department
CIM Benchmark/Physical Science
Brief overview of task: Utilizing a pendulum (supports, strings & bobs), students will design and execute an investigation to answer the following question… What factor(s) determine(s) the period of a pendulum?
Targeted benchmark(s): 1.) Design a scientific investigation that provides data to address a question or hypothesis specific to a domain of science. 2.) Collect and organize data by using methods and procedures that support analysis. 3.) Analyze data and evaluate sources of error and/or bias. Propose explanations that are supported by data and knowledge of science concepts and principles. (Read on …)
Native American Culture Curriculum Unit 5.2
SPONSORED BY THE FRONTIER LEARNING NETWORK, NCESD
Task Author: Bob Valiant
Task Title: Surviving the Big Storm
Grade Level: 4-5 Activity # 5.2
Geography Grade 5 Benchmark
Brief Overview of Task:
Students will be given a problem to solve as a member of an Indian band (circa 1700) located at the site of the school. They must use their knowledge of local landforms, flora and fauna to solve the problem. They will use local materials to construct models of solution designs and will then explore various resources to learn how Native Americans used the land and its resources to solve the problem.
FOR INFORMATION REGARDING THE TOTAL PROJECT, CLICK HERE
Task Author: Judy T. Sweeney
Task Title: Chromatography
Grade Level: 4 Foss Kit Title Inventions Activity # 3
Physical Science Grade 5 Benchmark
Brief Overview of Assignment: Students will use paper chromatography to observe pigments in watercolor inks and invent an application of chromatography.
Targeted Benchmark: The student will identify examples of change over time.
Scientific Inquiry Performance Task
Task Author: Judy Sweeney
Task Title: Sound Challenge
Grade Level: 4 Foss Kit Title: Sound Activity #4
Physical Science Grade 5 Benchmark
Brief Overview of Task:
Students will design an investigation to compare the pitch of a sound to the physical properties of the sound source.
SPONSORED BY THE FRONTIER LEARNING NETWORK, North Central Education Service District
Task Author: Bob Valiant
Task Title: Finding Your Place
Grade Level: 4-5 Activity # 5.1
Brief Overview of Task: Students will develop a large wall map of Oregon and include major mountain systems, rivers, and land regions of the state on the map. They will study weather patterns and climate of the various regions, then use this information to predict adaptations of native peoples to the various regions.
The following was found in FUTURE UPDATE NEWSLETTER:
The Vision Center for Futures Creation in Goteborg, Sweden, has developed an online test of your “futures” personality.
The Futures Styles Inventory is a tool for helping individuals assess their beliefs and actions “when it comes to handling fast-paced change and the future,” says director Natalie Dian.
Respondents score their level of agreement or disagreement with such statements as “I do not rush into the future”; “I act against changes that are a threat to my world and me”; “I realize how important it is to focus on future questions”; “I have a clear vision of my own future”; and “I want to work with the big picture in the projects with which I am involved.”
all content copyright 2000-2007 by Dr. Bob Valiant
