Innovation of Our
Generation
Innovations In Our Lives
1
Engage
Can You Live Without It?
[backpack]
[pencil]
[student
chair]
[student desk]
Can You Live Without It?
Discuss your experience of living without your object with your group.
What did you miss most about not having use of your
group’s object?
Could you spend more than one day without the object?
How would your life be different if the object had never
been invented?
What do you think people used before the object was
invented?
Would you agree or disagree that the object is important in
your life? What about your friends’ lives?
Which of the objects would be most difficult for you to not
have in your life?
2
Explore
What’s In a Word?
Innovation
Everyday Innovations
Discuss the object shown using the questions below.
Why do you think this object was invented?
Does this object affect your life? If so, how?
How does it solve a problem or make life better?
Has it had more, less, or the same impact on your
parents’ lives?
Would you be willing to go one day without this
object? One week? One month? One year?
How would your life be different if this had never
been invented?
[bicycle]
Everyday Innovations
Discuss the object shown using the questions below.
Why do you think this object was invented?
Does this object affect your life? If so, how?
How does it solve a problem or make life better?
Has it had more, less, or the same impact on your
parents’ lives?
Would you be willing to go one day without this
object? One week? One month? One year?
How would your life be different if this had never
been invented?
Everyday Innovations
Discuss the object shown using the questions below.
Why do you think this object was invented?
Does this object affect your life? If so, how?
How does it solve a problem or make life better?
Has it had more, less, or the same impact on your
parents’ lives?
Would you be willing to go one day without this
object? One week? One month? One year?
How would your life be different if this had never
been invented?
Everyday Innovations
Discuss the object shown using the questions below.
Why do you think this object was invented?
Does this object affect your life? If so, how?
How does it solve a problem or make life better?
Has it had more, less, or the same impact on your
parents’ lives?
Would you be willing to go one day without this
object? One week? One month? One year?
How would your life be different if this had never
been invented?
[plastic water
bottle]
Everyday Innovations
Discuss the object shown using the questions below.
Why do you think this object was invented?
Does this object affect your life? If so, how?
How does it solve a problem or make life better?
Has it had more, less, or the same impact on your
parents’ lives?
Would you be willing to go one day without this
object? One week? One month? One year?
How would your life be different if this had never
been invented?
[computer
mouse]
Exploring Innovations
Launch Student Module
3
Explain
Small-Group Brainstorm
Here are the guidelines for your small-group brainstorm.
Start with the question: Which innovations have most
improved the lives of people in my generation?
Consider all aspects of society: health,
entertainment, education, communication, etc.
Think about news stories you’ve heard or read in the
past year: Is there an innovation that doesn’t affect
you directly but is still important to society?
Write down all the innovations that your group
comes up with.
Brainstorming Results
Group 1
Group 2
Group 3
Group 4
Group 5
The Innovation Process
Recall the steps in the innovation process. The stages in red
represent those of the process that are iterative and may need
to be repeated several times before building.
Identify
Name
Research
Build
Brainstorm
Evaluate
Design
Test
Plan
Prototype
4
Extend
Innovation of Our Generation
Choose an innovation that you think should be the “Innovation of our
Generation.” Use these questions to guide your research and develop
an argument supported by evidence.
Who designed or invented your innovation?
When was it designed?
What did people do before it was designed?
What problem does it solve?
How does it make life better for kids your age?
How many kids use it?
How do they use it?
How does it work? What is the science behind it?
What challenges did the innovators face? How did the overcome them?
How has the innovation changed people’s lives?
5
Evaluate
Rubric
Use the rubric to evaluate a student’s work. Evaluations include
both a teacher and peer review.
Possible Points
Peer Review
Teacher Review
Design: Who designed it? When? What
did people do before it was designed?
What challenges did the innovators face?
15
15
Usefulness: What problem does it solve?
How does it make life better? How do
people use it? How does it work?
15
15
Innovation: How has it changed lives?
20
20
50
50