Fourth Grade Invention

Fourth Grade Invention Convention 2021

Solving Problems Through Creation

The Invention Convention is a special event designed for our fourth-grade students to promote problem-solving, stimulate creative thinking, and practice engineering skills. The students brainstorm and design solutions for everyday problems. Fourth-grade students began working on their inventions on October 15 and presented them on November 11 at the 2021 CDS Invention Convention in the Gym.

The planning, writing, and research were completed at school. The only at-home part of the project was the collection of materials and the construction of the actual invention. Parents were only asked to participate if there was something unsafe for students to do on their own. Students could also ask parents to take them to the hardware, fabric, or craft stores to find materials. If items had to be purchased, the cost could not exceed $25.00.

Students used a form to help them with designing and planning their inventions. They learned many lessons, one being that sometimes things don’t go as planned. As they found flaws in their original plan during the inventing process, they had to rethink their plan and move forward to complete their invention.

This process allowed them to discover problems and receive encouragement from Mrs. Hughes and their parents as they developed their own solutions to refine their design. In the end, they were all rewarded with the immense pride that a student feels at the completion of his/her invention and display. The Process and Lessons Learned How the Invention Convention • Brainstorming common everyday Judging Took Place problems To encourage students to work • Applying creative problem-solving independently of adults, grades strategies to develop ideas to solve these and awards were not influenced by problems the effectiveness of the invention created. Students were assessed on • Researching to prove their ideas were the invention process as evidenced new and improved their designs in their invention logs, participation • Logging descriptions of their invention in classroom discussion and • Building, testing, and re-engineering prototypes to produce a final working activities, and efforts in preparation and presentation. prototype Judges included local defense • Creating their display board contractors, a pharmacist, two entrepreneurs, a statistician, a • Presenting to judges, teachers, friends, medical student, an endocrinologist, and family and an MUSC HR executive. It was not easy for the judges as there were so many amazing creations from the great minds of these young inventors. Congratulations to all of our fourth graders for a job well done!

This Year’s Winners

1st Place - Delta Ayotte “Lit It Slip It” 2nd Place: Charlie Baarcke The “Not My Dad” Golf Alignment 3rd Place: Millie McFadden “Feet Sweep!”