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Invent It! An ePals Project
Transform your students into inventors that know how to think, explore, sketch, create, try, tweak and sell!

Invention and Innovation Links

	Invention at Play Explore the playful side of invention and the inventive side of play.
	WhizzBall: Build your own puzzle! Build your own puzzle or play puzzles submitted by others.
	Rollercoaster: Inventing the Scream Machine Learn about the inventors and the physics behind the rollercoaster, from the 1800s to present day.
	iKids See what kids have invented.
	National Inventors Hall of Fame Search for your favorite inventor or invention.
	Innovative Lives Behind every invention and every innovator there’s a story.
	DIY Do challenges, share what you make, and earn Skill patches!

Teacher Resources

	Invention Education Materials Explore the exciting world of invention with these publications, experiments and online educational features from Lemelson Center educators.
	Invention books for your students Thousands of books have been written on the subject of invention. Here are a few to get students started on their own path of discovery!
	Read Write Think Invention Units Students conduct research, work on an invention of their own design, and share their work with peers in these three interdisciplinary units. Unit 1, Unit 2, Unit 3
	Inventions 1: Edison and the Light Bulb In this lesson, students learn how inventions are created to solve problems or improve the way things are done.
	Inventions 2: The Impact In this lesson, students focus on the process of inventing, particularly on what short- and long-term issues inventors have to consider before developing an invention.
	Lemelson-MIT Inventor Archive Browse inventors and inventions. See what the invention of the week is.

Way to Go!

We had the tough job of selecting winners from all the inventions we received for this year’s contest. See who took the top honors on the winners page.

In partnership with:

Inventing isn't as hard as you think. It can be something as easy as creating a dance, or building something unique out of legos. Check out some of the inventions from last year's challenge... if they can do it so can you!

Senolcan
Turkey
Amazing Invention

Ashuni P.
India
Cycle Umbrella

Dahmir B.
USA
Wonder Sweeper

Haley W., Ezra T., Asia T., Joe S.
Canada
The Dog Vacuum

Benjamin M.
USA
Safety Straw

Challenge 1:

Think about a problem in your school (or one in your ePals friend's school) and come up with an invention to solve it.

Challenge 2:

Find an invention that is used in your school and tell us how you would improve upon it.

Challenge 3:

Find a real-world problem and come up with an invention to solve it.

Now that you have learned all about the Lemelson Center, Spark!Lab, and this year’s challenges, it’s time to start the invention process. Just follow the steps below and you’ll be on your way.

Students, learn how to enter here

1. Read the 3 challenges above and decide which one you would like to take on.

2. Think about the problem you are trying to address and how it could be solved. This will give you some ideas for an invention.

3. Once you have an idea, consider the Key Steps of the Invention Process. You will need to show how you used at least 4 of the 7 steps in your entry. (Think It, Explore It, Sketch It, Sell It). You might want to use this PowerPoint template as a guide.

4. To enter the contest, upload a PowerPoint, video or Microsoft Word document with the challenge you selected, your invention idea and the key steps. Or, mail in your entry to ePals at Spark!Lab Invent It Contest, 13625-A Dulles Technology Dr., Herndon, VA, USA 20171. If you are not an ePals member, email your entry to epalsinaction@epals.com and be sure to include the information below.

Be sure to include the following information in the description box when you upload your entry:

First name and last initial

State or Country

Name and e-mail address of your parent or teacher

Have fun! Be creative! And start inventing!

Teachers, learn how to enter your students here

1. Decide whether you will have students work individually or in groups for the Spark!Lab Invent It Contest. Once you have determined your approach, it’s time to get started.

2. Discuss the Lemelson Center and Spark!Lab with your students as well as any background information you want to share from the resources provided on invention and innovation.

3. Talk about the contest and review the 3 challenges. Brainstorm ideas for each one. This would also be a good time to discuss the Spark!Lab Key Steps of the Invention Process.

4. Guide your students/student groups to select a challenge and problem to solve.

5. Now it’s time to invent. The key steps can help them come up with an invention. It is important that they not only think about the invention, but how it solves the problem they identified.

6. To submit their invention idea, they can use this PowerPoint template or another format (video, Word) that shows how they used at least 4 of the 7 steps in their process. (Think It, Explore It, Sketch It, Sell It).

7. Submit your students’ work by uploading a PowerPoint, video or Microsoft Word document with the challenge selected, the invention idea and the key steps. Or, mail the entries to ePals at Spark!Lab Invent It Contest, 13625-A Dulles Technology Dr., Herndon, VA, USA 20171. If you are not an ePals member, email your entry to epalsinaction@epals.com and be sure to include the information below.

Be sure to include the following information in the description box when you upload their entry:

First name and last initial of each student

State or Country

Your Name and E-mail Address

Entry Deadline: The Entry Period is Now Over.

Questions, comments, or need help uploading your entry? Contact us.

Main | Rules | Prizes | Winners

Prizes courtesy of: