|
Why
Do People Invent?
Some do it to
meet basic needs; others invent to fulfill creative
desires. There are still those, too, who do it for
economic reasons: making money can be a strong
incentive. For one thing, it allows individuals,
companies, and nations to stay ahead of the competition.
People have also invented for social reasons -- for
comfort, security, hygiene, and health -to make life
easier. Imagine a world without the washing machine,
telephone, or airplane.
Iowans
Get Inventive
What about
right here in our own state? After reading this issue of
The Goldfinch, you're aware that quite a number
of inventive things have occurred in Iowa as well. To
date, people from Iowa have created such innovative
inventions as the Eskimo Pie, Sheaffer pen,
merry-go-round, and nylon.
What about our
younger inventors? In our article about kid inventor
Nicholas Schrunk, Nicholas's pet guinea pig, Freckles,
needed exercise, so he developed the Motorized Guinea
Pig Walker. As a result, he won the state Invent,
Iowa! competition and received an honorary patent
signed by the governor.
The
Invention Convention.
Our History
Makers section proves that other youngsters have also
had their hands full creating a variety of inventions.
We reported that through Invent, Iowa!, a
state-wide program that teachers creative thinking and
problem solving through the invention process, 38,000
youngsters representing more than 100 cities in Iowa
competed, showcasing such inventions as glow-in-the-dark
eyeglass frames to a bottle feeding station for calves.
The
Write Stuff
In this issue
of The Goldfinch, we feature an article on Walter
Sheaffer. And for good reason. If this Fort Madison
jeweler did not leave the jewelry business back in 1912,
we would not have what has come to be known today as the
Sheaffer pen. Essentially, Walter Sheaffer invented a
lever mechanism that fits smoothly into the pen's
barrel, and with a single stroke, you're able to fill
the pen's reservoir with ink directly from the bottle.
Today, this Fort Madison company distributes Sheaffer
pens to more than 150 countries around the world.
The
Patent Process.
What comes
after the invention process is complete? Patenting.
Since 1836, sixty thousand Iowans (six million
worldwide) have received patents for their inventions.
Patents aren't issued for good ideas alone. The
inventions have to be useful and have to work. To apply
for a patent, an inventor must submit a written document
describing the invention along with a claim as to why it
is new and distinct, provide an oath as to truth and
accuracy, provide drawings of the invention, and pay
filing fees of up to one thousand dollars.
What's
the Big Idea?
All you need to
create an invention is a big idea. And, as we've seen in
this issue, there are many Iowans, young and old, who
have turned dreams into reality. Who knows? Maybe the
next invention will come from one of your students.
Summary
Questions
Page
4
Inventors
and Inventions from A to Z: Describes the types of
inventions Iowans have
created
over the years. Discussion Questions: (1) What would
Iowa be like without
inventions?
(2) What sort of inventions relate to need? Convenience?
(3) What kind of
impact
have Iowa inventions had on the world?
Page
14
Patents:
Emphasizes the patent process. Discussion Questions: (1)
How does one apply
for
a patent? (2) What does patent pending mean?
Page
16
Inventor's
Crossword Puzzle: Crossword puzzle concerning inventors
and their inventions.
Page
17
History
Mystery: Read about Iowa women who have received
patents, then match them
with
their inventions.
Page
20
Write
Women Back Into History: Story of a generous woman who
invented Master Mix.
Discussion
Questions: (1) Do you think it was common in Gertrude
Sunderlin's day to receive the sort of education that
she did? What does that say about the woman or the times
she lived in? (2) After inventing Master Mix, Gertrude
published copies of the Master Mix book, distributed the
books and food made from Master Mix. Why don't you think
she wanted to patent her idea?
Page
21
Nicholas
Schrunk: Kid Inventor: Tells how a student from Spirit
Lake invented a
motorized
walker for his guinea pig. Discussion Questions: (1) Do
you consider
inventing
easy or difficult? (2) How important is creativity in
inventing?
Page
22
What's
the Big Idea?: Tells how Walter Sheaffer created the
world-famous Sheaffer pen.
Discussion
Questions: (1) How would you market an invention? (2)
Would you name an
invention
after yourself? Why or why not? (3) Sheaffer risked
losing everything for his
invention.
Would you?
Page
24 Dear Diary: Shows how inventions--especially the
telephone-affected one woman in the early 1900s. Think
about some of the inventions you use everyday. How have
they affected your life? Do you remember when these
inventions were new? Mary Eleanor Armstrong's diary
suggests she was initially scared of, or perhaps
intimidated by, the telephone. Have you ever been afraid
of new technology or new inventions?
Page
25
Be
a Diary Detective: Activity where you dig into Mary
Eleanor Armstrong's diary and
answer
questions raised by the featured entries.
Page
26-27
History
Makers: Shows students from different Iowa cities
participating in a state-wide
competition
showcasing their inventions. Discussion questions: (1)
What kind of
invention
would you create? Why? (2) How unique is your invention?
(3) How would it
benefit
others?
Page
28-29
Fiction:
The Dream Computer: A fictionalized account of the
impact the ABComputer,
invented
at Iowa State University, had on our society. Discussion
Questions: (1) If the
ABComputer
had not been invented, what effect would that have had
on you? Society?
(2)
What sort of inventions do you foresee in the future
concerning computers and high technology? |
