INVENTIONS AND PROBLEM SOLVING

Students spend one entire day per week with the SAIL teacher. Recess, lunch, and special area schedules remain the same for SAIL students.

         Introduction to Needs concepts through a study of Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs .
          Archaeology and Cultures: Students explore the need to understand our past.  Culture universals are studied and groups of students use their knowledge of these to create their own cultures.
        Architecture: Students learn that architectural elements and styles reflect the needs of the people and the spirit of the era in which they are built.  In this unit, students first research the architectural styles in Charleston. They then create scale models of the building they choose to research. Click here for more information.
           Law: Students learn legal terminology, participate in courtroom dramas, act them out in the Federal courthouse, visit judges’ chambers, municipal court, and generally learn how law  works in a democracy.

   An effort is made to include visits with people who work in the professions of archaeology, architecture , and law so that students have an understanding of what knowledge and experience  is required in these careers.  Students participate in Drayton Hall’s hands-on Preservation Workshop in which they become indentured servants for the day in order to learn a variety of skills used in the building of Drayton Hall. Students also enjoy a trip to the Federal Courthouse during the law unit.

Inventions and Problem Solving: 

The study topics may include: 

            Inventions: Students study many of the world’s most important inventions and how they changed the world. A brief independent study project is required.
           Changemakers: Students study the lives of famous inventors and how their need to solve a certain problem led to the development of their invention.
           Creative Problem Solving: Students learn the steps of problem solving from identifying a problem, brainstorming solutions, rank-ordering solutions according to set criteria, choosing the solution, and finally, evaluating the solution chosen. This process is practiced many times over the course of the year.
           Invention Convention: Students embark on their own attempt to solve a problem. They use the steps of problem solving to create a new invention. These are presented, judged, and displayed in the media center much as the science fair projects are. This is the major assignment of the year. Click here to see Student Products.
          Media: Students explore propaganda techniques and the history of media. This includes a trip to the John Rivers Communication Museum at the College of Charleston.

More invention sites to browse:

How stuff works:
    http://www.howstuffworks.com/

US Patent and Trademark Office
    http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/ac/ahrpa/opa/kids/index.html

National Inventors Hall of Fame
    http://www.invent.org

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