Invention Convention Update

Dear Families,

This will be a brief newsletter, focused on the Invention Convention. Thank you in advance for your generous donations to the Ohio Wildlife Center.

Invention Convention

This is just a joke. I hope giving you dates and deadlines will help your student stay on course:) 

Students should have settled on their problem and three (or fewer) possible solutions. I challenge students to come up with multiple problems to solve to give them options. One usually stands out from their others. I then ask for three solutions to challenge their thinking, but many students only come up with two solutions and a handful only have one, which is fine. This project is very flexible and is designed to challenge every student at their level. If possible, students with multiple solutions can try to combine them into an even better solution. My guidance on solutions is they should be inventions, rather than behaviors or purchases. For example, a student this year came up with a great problem: ice cream is hard to scoop from the container. Many young people, and probably older adults, share this tasty conundrum. I then challenged him to come up with solutions which produced behaviors: leaving the lid off for awhile to thaw, running the scoop under hot water. While helpful, these are behaviors, not inventions. Once he understood, he came up with the idea to make a scoop that is powered with a heating element. That is an invention! I haven't checked, but this invention probably already exists somewhere on the internet, but that's fine. He isn't aware of it, so it truly is his invention, and a great solution.

We will work on planning the layout of our presentation boards next Tuesday, February 20th. Students will bring their plans home and should begin working on their design boards. Students will hopefully have a good start on their boards by the following Tuesday, February 27th. It is OK if they are not finished, but they should have their board started and should bring it to school on the 27th for class critiques. They can bring it home that same day to continue their work and make changes and additions based on feedback. Presentation boards can be purchased at United Art and Education in the Mill Run Shopping Center. Students should get a full sized three panel board and header. 

example of three panel board and header

Completed boards and prototypes are due March 6th. Prototypes should be demonstration models  or mockups of student inventions. They do not have to be fully functioning, but instead will be used for demonstration purposes. They should be no larger than a paper box (a little smaller than a laundry basket). 

The Invention Convention will be March 9th from 10-10:30. Families are invited to see the amazing inventions these young students have generated. Just a heads up, if you are planning taking your student out for a celebratory lunch (and to take their presentation board and prototype home), please sign them out. School policy does not allow you to take classmates with you unless you have written permission from that other student's parent(s).  

Important Dates & Reminders

February 2018

19 No School Staff or Students:  Presidents’ Day

23 Kiva's Got Talent Show - 6:30pm

28 Early Release 1:00 (NO LIFT)

March 2018

5 Spring Pictures

9 End of Second Trimester
9 Invention Convention 10-10:30am in the Multipurpose Room/Cafeteria. Families are invited to help us celebrate student inventions and then take your student (and their materials) to lunch.
12-16  Spring Break

19 No School for Students:  Teacher Grading Day

27 Progress Reports available online

30  Good Friday:  No School for Students or Staff

April 2018

4  Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon at Windermere 11-12 in lounge
17 & 18 Spring 3rd Grade State of Ohio Reading Assessment (AIR)
24 & 25 Spring 3rd Grade State of Ohio Math Assessment

May 2018

April 30-May 4  Scholastic Book Fair

4 KidFest, 5-8 p.m.

8  NO School for students or certified staff - Ohio Primary Elections
11 Science field trip to Livingston Elementary

21  Field Day

28 No School Staff:  Memorial Day

30  Last Day for Students

30 End of third trimester