JoD: Primary Years

Construction toys such as Lego, Meccano etc.
Innovation clubs e.g. Robotics, Eco Club, F1 in schools, Raspberry Pi clubs etc.
Show the class an everyday object, for example a potato peeler. Once they have discussed what is used for now, have them brainstorm other uses of this object. With minor modifications what else could it be used to do?
Use ideas such as mind mapping, brainstorming and discussion to enhance the development of alternative ideas
Allow students to express non-conventional ideas. Ask ‘How could we do that?”
Explore products that are similar but have different uses. For example brushes include hair brushes, paint brushes, brooms, shovel and broom sets, dishwashing brush, toothbrush. Encourage students to discuss – how are they similar? How are they different? What do you think the inventor was thinking? Students could design a brush for a specific purpose.

Make students aware that most problems have multiple solutions.
Show student’s a mystery object and ask them to think of uses for it, how many different uses they can think of. This could be a group competition – which group can come up with the most different uses for the object e.g. a paperclip
Encourage students to create/find a product and sell it for a profit (e.g. lemonade stand)
Explore the lives of innovators throughout history and learn from them e.g. The Wright brothers, Steve Jobs, Benjamin Franklin, Leonardo Da Vinci. Include Emirati innovators such as Mohammed Saeed Harib, and Faisal Al Bannai.
Hold a “show and tell” each morning for one month. Each student brings an invention to show the class and explain what it is used for, how it was built etc.
Develop an innovations wall display and have students collect newspaper clippings of new innovations to put on display.
Explore and research an invention we use every day. Products we use every day were designed and created by an innovator. They might have designed a new product or modified an existing product.

Select everyday products and students explore how they impact on our lives.
Students then research a product that they use every day. Who invented it? When and why was it invented? How is it used? What other products led to its development?
Highlights how everyday products we use have changed over time to make our lives easier and more comfortable. Students can identify the products in the commercial (e.g. typewriter) and explore how new products (e.g. laptop) make our lives easier. What might these products look like in 100 years?

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