Third graders recently showcased their creative ideas at our annual Invention Convention held at Level5. This culminating event is an opportunity for students to demonstrate all that they've learned throughout our "Inventors and Inventions" social studies unit. They were asked to consider the unit's essential questions and apply the enduring understandings which are:

• Inventors create new inventions based on the needs and wants of society.
• Inventors share common characteristics in their pursuit to create something new.
• Inventions have positive and negative consequences.

In the weeks leading up to the Invention Convention, students collaborated to complete weekly STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math) challenges. These challenges were meant to activate the characteristics of an inventor that students would need to create their own invention: communication, complex thinking, problem-solving, persistence, and reflection.

This year's inventors addressed their own wants and needs, such as the "Brother Blocker" to keep older brothers from annoying you while you work.

They also thought of others' needs, such as this student who created a cup holder for Mrs. Ruthai's bicycle basket!