akhager's Trail

Inventors, as well as other creative minds like authors,  need to protect their ideas and products.  Their products are known as "intellectual property" because they come from their minds.  There are many ways to protect intellectual property from theft, including patents, copyrights, trademarks, and trade secrets. 

1.  Which of these forms of protection would you need if you were going to invent something? 

2.  How does this form of protection help an inventor?

3.  In what ways is this form of protection limiting to an inventor?

4.  What should you do before you try to get your invention protected?  Explain why you should do that?

We all know Thomas Edison's role in the improvement of the light bulb (that's right, he didn't invent it all by himself).  Scan this page to learn more about other inventions by Thomas Edison. 

1)  What problem does the invention solve?

2)  Describe the invention.  What is it used for?  What does it look like?

3)  Is it still used today?  If so, it has probably been modified.  Describe how it is different now.  If not, then it is no longer needed.  What new invention has replaced it?

This page briefly describes 6 recent inventions for the home.  You can view the inventions by clicking on the "next" button above the picture of the invention or by clicking on the thumbnail pictures on the left.  Review each of the inventions and choose the one that you think you would want to buy (whether it is for you, a friend, or a family member).  Explain why you chose that invention.  Remember to include what problem of yours it solves.

Caleb Bradham invented something you may be familiar with, Pepsi Cola!

1)  What problem did Bradham's invention, Pepsi Cola, solve?

2)  List at least 5 steps Bradham had to go through before Pepsi became a international hit.

Inventors don't have to be grown up!  This page tells you all about kids and teenagers who have created new and exciting things. 

1) Read about these children and what their inventions.

2) Choose two inventors that interest you based on the descriptions. 

3) Compare and contrast the two inventors using a Venn diagram.  You may want to tell me anything about the inventor themselves that you feel should be included, the problem the invention solves (or it could be just for fun), what it is made of, etc.

In the search section, type in "Benjamin Franklin and electricy." Click on number 1 (Franklin's experiement with the kite), then click on the picture of Benjamin Franklin to make it larger.  Benjamin Franklin was an important player in American History as both a politician and as an inventor. 

This is a picture of Benjamin Franklin's experiment with the kite.  He flew a kite into a lightening storm to prove that that there is electricity.  While we may not think of this as an invention but as a discovery, many of the inventions that we use today could not be used, or even created, without Franklin's discovery. 

Based on this picture and what you know about thunderstorms, what can you tell me about inventors?  How are they different from other people?  What kinds of character traits must they possess?

These inventions are for school.  Read through the descriptions of each of these three inventions (The Kids EZ DeskTop Organizer, SafCord, and the Lockable Lunch Locker). 

1)  Choose one of these inventions and write a story that  has a problem that would be solved by this invention.  Use the invention as the solution.  Be sure your story has characters, a setting, a problem, events, and a solution.

2)  Think of a problem you have at school or at home.  Describe the problem and think of an invention you could create that would solve your problem.  Describe the invention and draw a picture of it.

An inventor can build a prototype, or a working model, of his or her invention, in order to demonstrate how it works. 

1)  Why would it be beneficial to create a prototype even though it is not necessary?

2)  In a sequence map write at least 5 steps to building a prototype (make sure you include the first and last steps, you can summarize or combine the middle steps).

We all know and love bubble wrap!  We use it to keep our fragile keepsakes from breaking.  How else could it be used? 

Successful inventors come up with innovative, or new and modern, ways of using materials.  Think of a new way you could use bubble wrap.  It could be a way to keep something from breaking but it doesn't have to be ("think outside the bubble"). 

1)  Write a paragraph describing your invention. 
2)  Draw a picture of your invention.

Green inventions are inventions that can help reduce use of natural resources (such as fuel) or will cut down on pollution.  Choose two of these inventions to learn more about.  There are URLs at the bottoms of many of the descriptions leading you to more information.

Use a C-Map to describe the inventions and to compare the two inventions you chose to learn more about.