For a great list of Irish inventors, check out this link:
https://www.ipoi.gov.ie/en/understanding-ip/student-zone/irish-scientists-inventors/
National Inventors’ Day, celebrated on February 11th, is a great opportunity to encourage creativity, problem-solving, and innovation in your classroom.
Create Your Own Invention
- Activity: Have students brainstorm problems they face in daily life (e.g., carrying books, keeping things organised) and come up with their own inventions to solve these problems. They can draw their invention and write a short description of how it works.
- Extension: Hold a “classroom invention fair” where students present their ideas and explain why their invention is helpful.
Famous Inventors Research Project
- Activity: Assign students a famous inventor to research. They can create posters or presentations about the inventor’s life, inventions, and the impact on society.
- Extension: Students can present their research to the class or work in pairs to learn from each other’s findings.
Build a Prototype
- Activity: Provide students with recycled materials (cardboard, string, tape, etc.) and challenge them to build a prototype of their invention idea. This hands-on activity encourages creativity and critical thinking.
- Extension: After building, have students test their prototypes and discuss how they might improve their designs.
STEM Challenge: Problem-Solving Competition
- Activity: Set up a STEM challenge where students work in small groups to solve a problem using basic materials (e.g., building a bridge out of straws, creating a paper airplane that flies the farthest).
- Extension: Encourage teamwork, creativity, and reflection on how real inventors work through challenges and improve their designs over time.
