CTC II Summary 10/15/12

Students worked in small groups in class this week to finalize their prototypes of USEFUL inventions.  Each group then developed and presented a marketing pitch to convince classmates of the usefulness and value of their item.

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All three groups, working separately, ended up building clever devices for holding... snacks!  The Snack Glider is a combination snack/drink holder that doubles as a toy car - you can play for hours without the interruption of running to the kitchen for sustenance.  The Float-A-Snacks is a nifty (waterproof) snack holder that floats along with you in the pool, so you can snack as you lounge, swim and sunbathe.  The Snack Carrier 5000 is a three compartment snack caddy, with a convenient carrying handle that could come in handy at home, in the car, or even at the movie theater.

Could it be that snacks are a mainstay of the 11-13 year old crowd?  Probably!  But a strong contributing factor to this 'snack theme' was certainly the fact that one of the everyday items provided as building supplies were plastic cups.   We discussed once again the importance of divergent thinking, and how thinking "outside the box" could have led them to utilize the cups in more creative, non-standard ways.   Other elements of their designs reflected greater creative use of the supplies - the use of two cups together with the paper plate as the body of the car, the use of popsicle sticks and tape to create a waterproof lid for the snack cup, the use of straws and pipe cleaners for structural elements and handles, the balloons as a sturdy, balanced floatation base. 

All three groups did a fantastic job with their presentations, which were very creative and entertaining, especially for the short time they were given to develop and practice them.  Each group was then ranked by their classmates in three categories: usefulness, creativity, and overall presentation.  Congratulations to all groups for their outstanding creative collaboration!

No take-home problems this week - get outside and enjoy these beautiful autumn days!