May is National Inventors Month! This is an opportunity to celebrate creativity, curiosity, and creating. Inventing can have many difficult parts. Sometimes the idea is the hardest part to invent. Other times it is bringing the idea to life with prototypes and cycles of improvement. But the excitement comes from the opportunities inventing provides!

Today you will have three options for making: a card giving thanks for an invention, a home for leafcutter bees, or select one of the mini-maker challenges!

Step 1: Listen to this read aloud story "Have You Thanked an Inventor Today". Make a list of all the inventions you used today. Make a thank you card to an inventor for one of the inventions you enjoy using.

Step 2: Help Shagun and Dwij build a new home by going through this activity book:  "“Bee“ The Inventor"

by Dr. Leigh Estabrooks and Doug Scott. You can also watch this video, too!

Step 3: Let’s celebrate National Inventors Month by exploring the list of National Inventors Hall of Fame Inductees. Click on an inventor’s name to learn more about them and their inventions. 

Step 4:  Let’s invent! You can take an idea and make it reality using this  activity! Many inventions occur to address a need.  Take a look at this mini challenge and see what you can create!

Step 5: Be sure to share your inventions, discoveries, and creations on social media using #MakerMondayTN and #LearningInPlaceTN! 

Additional Resources:

Quirky

11 Kid Inventors Break Down Their Greatest Inventions

What does it mean to be an inventor? Inventing is not just for scientists in a lab. Being an inventor is not just adults; it is for kids too. Creating and problem solving are activities or everyone! There are special problem solving methods and skills that inventors employ to create their ideas. Have you ever thought about how inventors protect their ideas?

Today you will discover what it means to be an inventor and ponder the patent process inventors use to protect their ideas!

Step 1:  What does it take to become and inventor? Explore Wonderopolis to here find out if all inventors are scientists and here if kids an be inventors, too.

Step 2: Get inspired by Kid President’s in this video on becoming an inventor. What did you learn about bringing an idea to life? Discover "Ten Kid Inventors Who Changed Our Lives" by reading this post on Inventland.

 Step 3:   Learn about American inventors that have changed the world in this video. Read through this technology timeline to see how technology inventions improved our life over time.

Step 4: Watch this introductory video on patents. Read this article on Wonderopolis to discover what is a patent and how it protects inventions.

Step 5: Ask a family member to share what you learned about inventors and patents on social media using #WonderWednesdayTN and #LearningInPlaceTN!



Additional Resources:

United States Patent and Trademark office

20 Things We Wouldn’t Have Without Space Travel

Inventors can exist within many different career fields. Having an inventor’s mindset contributes to any career and is often utilized in research and development within organizations. The more you flex your creativity and challenge yourself with new ideas, the more nimble your problem solving skills become! Problem solving is a skill every innovator needs!

Today you will explore careers that encourage innovative thinking to invent a solution to a problem or address a need.

Step 1: As you start thinking about inventing as a career option, you might have some questions. Check out this story to gain some insight.

Step 2: Learn about more about Computer and Information Research Scientists here and in this video and find out how they use research to invent!   Learn how Medical Scientists develop and test new medicine in this video.

Step 3: Inventors naturally fit into engineering careers since they design and develop solutions to problems. Watch this video to get an introduction to engineering. Next find out what kind of engineer you should be with this quiz.

 Step 4: Inventors can be entrepreneurs. Watch this video about entrepreneurs and read about famous innovative entrepreneurs here.

Step 5: Ask a family member to share something you learned about one of the careers and why you might be interested in that career field using #FutureFridayTN and #LearningInPlaceTN!



Additional Resources:

Professor Michael Cima’s advice for young inventors

What Does It Take To Be An Inventor?