The Science of Invention

The article, “Teaching through Trade Books: The Science of Invention,” by Judith Hectman is a great introduction to acknowledge the gender gap that has arisen in the field of science. The ar... See More

The article, “Teaching through Trade Books: The Science of Invention,” by Judith Hectman is a great introduction to acknowledge the gender gap that has arisen in the field of science. The article discusses two books that can be used in the classroom for all students to engage their critical thinking through invention. The first book, “What is a Scientist?” by Barbara Lehn discusses how students should understand the process of creating an invention in order to understand that all students can be inventors, not just boys. This book can be used in the classroom by having students create an invention of their own or “add on” to an already created item using the inventing process. The next book discussed in the article is, “Girls Think of Everything: Stories of Ingenious Inventions by Women,” by Catherine Thimmesh. It aimed at students in grades 4-6 to display that women have a powerful and active role in inventions in history. This can inspire young girls to beat the gender biases and attack their creative skills! The article explains how the book can lead teachers into creating a project that allows students to come up with a creative invention of their own to share with the class

Solve a Problem, Design an Invention

The two trade books in this article deal with inventions. The first book is an excellent way to introduce and reinforce the parts of the scientific process to a young child. The activity ... See More

The two trade books in this article deal with inventions. The first book is an excellent way to introduce and reinforce the parts of the scientific process to a young child. The activity described engages younger children to explore the process that scientists go through by having them design an invention. The second book is about female inventors for upper elementary students. In this book the activity also allows students to solve a problem with an invention of their own design. Both are great ways to help students use critical thinking skills.