Express Diversity Creative Inventions
from the Express Diversity Program
Age Range: 8-16 years-old, 2nd to 12th Grade
Time Frame: One hour session
Activity Summary:
Express diversity: Creative Inventions utilizes student’s skills of problem solving and critical thinking to create inventions for those who face challenges and obstacles while increase sensitivity toward people with varying levels of abilities.
Goal:
Students will look at technology from the standpoint of problem solving, through the activity designed to help them discover how experimenting and adapting have served to find solutions to problems.
Objectives:
• Identify problem-solving techniques.
• Identify adaptations and assistive technology that support people with disabilities.
• Create an imaginative solution to a fictitious problem experienced by a person with a disability.
State Standards:
Science Standard 1; History Standard 2,4
Set Up: Cut textured materials into small pieces for the collages. Cut pieces of paper for students to work with.
Procedure:
1. Welcome students. Bring them to sit in a circle.
2. Discuss problem solving techniques with students. Ask them questions about how problems are solved. Give example of what a child might do if he wants a cookie and it is up to high.
3. Show videotape CBS’ 60 Minutes segment on creative inventions for people with disabilities.
4. Discuss inventions that help with daily living; such as wheel chairs, automatic doors etc. Encourage each student to contribute something to the conversation.
5. Begin Challenge Card Activity. Introduce activity (see explanation on page 23 in the Express Diversity Guide). Show and discuss work of Rube Goldberg and fantasy machines, then distribute cards and art materials. Students can work as teams or individually, brain storming for solutions to the problem presented on the card, working through disagreements to achieve consensus. As children work on activity observe and discuss their progress. They may draw the solution/s or write them out depending on skill level. When students are finished have them share their work with the whole group.
Materials:
• Timeline and Teacher’s guide to the Timeline
• CBS 60 Minutes segment included on the Express Diversity!
• Videotape player and monitor
• Rube Goldberg Cards
• Challenge Cards
• Drawing paper
• Markers, pens
Resources:
Express Diversity Activity kit
