Imagine life before all of the modern conveniences that we take           for granted. Think about getting ready for your day without a           hair dryer, an electric razor or a microwave. Imagine life with no          TV, no cell phone, no five-disc CD changers, and (the unthinkable)         no computer for communicating with your mentor! It is almost       unbelievable to think that 50 years ago, some families did not     even have a television; now you might be hard pressed to find   a household without a TV. Modern inventions have certainly changed the world. In this project, you will take a closer look                          at how times have changed. Let's get started!             * Brainstorm with each other to create a list of inventions that have changed the world. * Independently choose 10 that have had the most influence in your life and then       share the results with one another. * Now find the commonalties in your lists. Did you both choose Play Station or       the telephone? Once you have combined your common lists, rank them in       order of importance to you and share your results. Explain why you ranked       them as you did. * Choose one invention that you did not have in common. Time to do a little research!       Find out the who, what, where, when, why and how of the invention you chose.      Once you do, share that information. * Now, to wrap this up, determine which one invention in your opinion has      most significantly changed the world in the 20th century. Explain why      and share your response.

Think about the invention that you researched in Activity 1 and, more specifically, the person who invented it. What did you find out about that person? What personal qualities did that person have that made him/her a success? Why are those qualities important to the profession of inventor? What qualities do each of you have that are similar to the inventor you chose. Will they or have they made you more successful? Discuss it!

Have you ever looked at a band-aid, a slinky or a shoe that closes with Velcro and think, "Why didn't I think of that?" Well now is your chance to come up with a simple solution that could change the world! It is time to get creative. Think of an invention that could change the world. If you need a jumpstart visit this site: Inventors @ http://inventors.about.com/mlibrary.html After you think of your own unique invention, develop a marketing campaign to sell your idea to the masses. All business ventures must have capital to make them successful. Students: Write a persuasive letter to your mentor asking for financial backing to fund this project. Be sure to include a logical progression of how you will create this new invention! Mentors: Respond to students with additional questions to help students clarify their ideas. Critique their letters and give suggestions for writing a business letter in the correct and appropriate format. Remember to give positive and specific feedback!

Now that you have looked at successful inventors and their inventions, as well as created one of your own, let's look at some that have flopped! As successful as Thomas Edison was, even he had numerous inventions that never took off! To find additional information about inventions that never made their mark, visit these Web sites: * Library of Congress @ http://www.americaslibrary.com/cgi-bin/page.cgi/aa/edison * About.com - Inventors - Wacky Patents @ http://www.inventors.about.com - click on       Wacky Patents on the left navigational menu to find additional sites. Once you have found an invention that really interests you, determine why it never became a success. Share your thoughts with each other.

Research inventions that were developed in your own community. Was anything invented in your hometown, state or region that changed the world? Each of you should do some independent research and share your results with one another.