Invention Convention Sparks Student Ingenuity

Students at James H. Boyd Intermediate School in the Elwood Union Free School District showcased their creativity at the school’s annual Invention Convention, coordinated by the district’s Shared Decision Making Committee.

Open to all Boyd students, participants were encouraged to use their imagination, ingenuity and basic science and mathematical skills to identify a need or solve a problem. The student “inventors” were tasked with developing an invention idea – a practical function to solve an everyday or global problem. They kept an inventor’s journal to collect ideas about their inventions and to sketch a diagram of their creations. In their journal, students addressed basic information about their inventions, including the user of the product, how it works and how the invention is built.
During the Invention Convention showcase, students displayed prototypes of their clever creations that included the “Multitab,” “Shell-Pellant,” “Freshenator,” “Power Clean Plus” car washer, hot and cold headbands, “Circle Shuttle” and “Robot Cleaner,” to name a few.

In addition to the inventions, a representative from the company Mad Science Group provided students with a hands-on experiment activity where they observed the transformation of a liquid substance to a rubbery and stretchy state.

To conclude the event, students received a certificate of participation for their creative contributions.

Photo Above: Fifth-grade student Emma Kaplan explained and showcased her “Multitab” invention prototype.

Photo Above: Fifth-grader Jimmy Rourke showcased his “Power Clean Plus” car washer invention prototype.  Photos courtesy of the Elwood Union Free School District