Lesson Plan #:AELP-INT0031

Inventions, Puppets, and Commercials

An Educator's Reference Desk Lesson Plan

Submitted by: Jodie Coulson
School or Affiliation: Madill Elementary, Madill, OK
Endorsed by: These lesson plans are the result of the work of the teachers who have attended the Columbia Education Center's Summer Workshop. CEC is a consortium of teachers from 14 western states dedicated to improving the quality of education in the rural, western, United States, and particularly the quality of math and science Education. CEC uses Big Sky Telegraph as the hub of their telecommunications network that allows the participating teachers to stay in contact with their trainers and peers they have met at the Workshops.

Date: May 1994

Grade Level(s): 4

Subject(s):

Overview: This activity was used as an extension of the electricity unit. The introduction to the activity consists of the names of some inventors and their inventions, reading to the class a summary of the life of Thomas Alva Edison, and an explanation of what an invention is considered to be. An invention may be a totally different thing from anything that you have ever seen, it may be an improvement on something that already been invented, or it may be finding another use for an invention already in existence. A discussion of things one imagines as a small child leads the student to see that "anything goes." There is no right or wrong solution.

Objective: The student will think scientifically, from the problem stage through to a conclusion and completion of an invention.

Materials:

Procedure:
  1. Divide the class into groups of three to four students.
  2. Each group will invent a product for sale. This product may be a new type of clothing, a new brand of toothpaste, or some unusual, unique item.
  3. Each group will write a television commercial for the new product. The script must have enough parts for every member of the group to participate.
  4. Each student will make a stick puppet of his/her commercial character.
  5. Each group will give a puppet presentation of the commercial. A video will be made of each presentation.
  6. As a follow-up activity show the video and ask the following questions about each commercial for discussion.
    (1) What did you like best about the commercial?
    (2) Do you think it will sell?
    (3) Can you think of another use for the product other that the one advertised?
    (4) Is there any part that can be changed to make a different product?
Tying It All Together: This activity encourages problem solving within a group format. It stresses critical thinking skills as well as language arts outcomes.

Special Comments: This activity originally was shared by Shirley Dean of Alabama, a 1990 Presidential Awardee for Excellence in Science/Math Teaching.