Erica Benson ebenson@ shawmedia.com
science class, wrote and filmed commercials in English class, researched their products in social studies and determined a price in math class. “The cross-curricular part of it is great because then they’re all working together,” Petersen said. He explained that the project appeals to all students because it involves different aspects that cross over class subjects. Students who are good test-takers and those who may be more creative or practical all contribute to the proj-
ect. Students worked mostly in groups of two or three, but a few worked solo, as well. Corey Elliott of Elmhurst and his two partners, Joey Groch and Ryan Bourke, spent about a month researching, creating a prototype and shooting a commercial for their chair pants. “Some people came up to me and said they would actually buy this,” Elliott said. Olivia Favia, another Churchville eighth-grader, said she and her partner wanted to create an invention that
8YOUR WEEKEND FORECAST
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Friday
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Mostly sunny and breezy
fit with their interests, and ended with a nail polish you could also eat. Edi Polish, would come in different flavors and cost about $5. Favia and her partner, Madeline Hendron, considered people who bite their nails and those who may worry pets or children could accidentally eat nail polish. “It felt like we were actually making a real product that we could sell and find investors,” Favia said. She even thinks she may like to work in sales after re-
Mostly sunny and breezy
York’s Josh Farrar (center) nears the finish line Saturday in the 100-Meter Dash finals at the IHSA State Track and Field Meet.
Chance of t-storms before 1 p.m.
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ELMHURST – Ever stubbed your toe trying to get to the bathroom in the middle of the night, or had to stand at the bus stop because the bench was wet or dirty? Eighth-graders at Churchville Middle School engineered solutions to these and dozens of other everyday inconveniences while preparing for the third annual Invention Convention on May 30. “I did it when I was in eighth grade, and it was one of the best memories that I had from middle school,” said eighth-grade science teacher Anthony Petersen, who began the grade-wide project. This year’s inventions ranged from Glippers – glowing slippers – to a potato powered vacuum. “My invention was a portable hot dog cooker that worked on a battery and two nails,” Petersen recalled. He still shows it off each year to kick off the end-of-year project. Students work on their inventions for about a month, assembling different parts of the project in each class. They created a poster board following the scientific method in
searching her product and filming a commercial to sell it. At the conclusion of the Invention Convention, every eighth-grader spent their fictional Charger Cash on products they would like to buy. Each of the roughly 180 students had $100 in Charger Cash. “Actually, I’d buy a lot of these things. They’re useful,” Elliott said. The creators of Chair Pants, along with partners Frank Fernandez and John Dansby who created a custom energy drink, were presented with an award at the Eighth Grade Awards Night Tuesday for collecting the most Charger Cash. Petersen said the success of the project was much broader than inspiring young inventors. He said Invention Convention’s success is not just about creating the most popular invention, but the benefits of learning to work on deadlines, in groups and for an extended period on one project. “I told them to remember the process, to remember that they are capable and that they can believe in themselves and work on something that’s as big as Invention Convention,” Petersen said.
ED • Friday, June 6, 2014 • mysuburbanlife.com • Suburban Life
Churchville eighth-graders Pamela Moor (center) and Yusra Qadri (right) discuss their Kern Cycle with Nick Villarreal on May 30 during the annual Invention Convention.
By MARI GRIGALIUNAS mgrigaliunas@shawmedia.com
NEWS |
Students innovate for Invention Convention
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