Invention Lesson Plans for Grades K-12
Lesson 9: Evaluating Your Idea
Meet Coppernickel and his friend Tungsten. Coppernickel is SUPER excited to invent something to pick elderberries and he invites Tungsten to join him in his efforts. Is Coppernickel a good inventor? Would you want to be his partner?
When inventors only focus on their ideas, they will often miss the good ideas of others in the group. How do you think Tungsten felt when Coppernickel's sketch spilled over onto his sketch? When he did not even ask Tungsten about his idea?
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Coppernickel was not being an evil villain, he just got caught up in his own ideas and forgot to consider Tungsten's ideas. Once Coppernickel's idea failed, he was able to pivot and consider Tungsten's idea and it worked!
Don’t Fall in Love With Your Idea...
When engineers set out to solve a problem, their first solution is rarely their best. Instead, they tinker, try different ideas, fail, learn from mistakes, and try again.
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Have you ever played with Play-Doh? Did you know that the original use of this fun dough was for something totally different? Watch this video to learn!
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Originally it was called Kutal. What was the first use of this product?
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People stopped purchasing Kutal. Why?
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How did the creator of this project pivot in how he marketed it?
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Was he successful?
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Has there been a time in your life when you have had to pivot?
Wow . . . someone who has NEVER made a mistake? How can I be that person? Let's read about a young girl and her desire to be perfect.
When did Beatrice have the opportunity to pivot?
How can learning to pivot help us who have a desire to be perfect and avoid mistakes?
Use the Evaluate and Pivot handout to summarize what you have learned in your patent search/Google search, interviews, and how it relates to your current solution. You will judge your idea using rubric in the handout and defend your evaluation.
How did your current solution fare on the rubric?
Do you need to pivot ?
Conference with your teacher and CAREFULLY CONSIDER the feedback given to your team.
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This is a critical point in the process. Students tend to get stuck on an idea and have a difficult time assimilating and acting upon the feedback they have received to refine their product.