Lesson Plan - Think Big

Activate Prior Knowledge

Have students name inventions they use every day and imagine why the inventors created them. Point out that inventions are often created as solutions to problems.

Preview Words to Know

Project the online vocabulary slideshow and introduce the Words to Know.

• prototype 
• edible

Set a Purpose for Reading

As students read, have them identify the problem each invention was created to solve.

1. What gave Leanne Fan the idea for her invention? Leanne thought of making headphones that would fight ear infections because her mom suffers from painful ear infections.

^{(RI.3.3 CAUSE/EFFECT)}

2. Which invention was created to help the planet, and how does it work? Madison Checketts’s invention, the Eco-Hero, was created to help the planet. The Eco-Hero is a water bottle that you can eat instead of throwing it away. This helps the planet by reducing the number of plastic bottles on beaches and in the ocean.

^{(RI.3.2 KEY DETAILS)}

3. Choose an invention from the article and describe a challenge the creator(s) faced during the invention process. Sample response: When Liam Pope-Lau and Fraser Tuck tested the LifeHeat vest, the vest got too hot. They continued working on the invention to fix the problem.

^{(RI.3.8 PROBLEM/SOLUTION)}

FEATURED SKILL: Informative Writing

Use the Skill Builder “Design an Invention” to have students plan an invention.

^{(W.3.2 INFORMATIVE WRITING)}