Inventor's Fair Guidelines, 2009
Grade 5

This project is YOURS, and you are to come up with each piece of it yourself. You may, however, ask your parents to help you when you first try to think up an invention idea. Sometimes it helps to "bounce ideas around" with another person, and your parents are allowed to help with this part. Feel free to ask for their feedback and suggestions. They may be especially helpful to you as you try to keep the project simple, yet useful. They will try to tell you that simple is often better, and they're right. So, ask for their feedback and be sure to listen to their suggestions. YOU have the final say-so, though, unless your parents veto you for safety or scheduling reasons. Remember, this project must be completed by the due date, so pick something you know you can do by then!

You may also get your parents' help when the time comes to construct your invention. Keep it simple, but if you have sections that require assistance from an adult, such as cutting things out with a saw, hammering, and things that require you to have adult supervision to make sure you are putting "safety first", then feel free to ask your parents to help at this stage, too. Remember to ask in advance, because parents are busy people!

On the schedule you will notice that there are several written logs for you to produce and turn in. These logs will record your progress and thinking about the invention you're constructing. Fill each one out completely, and remember to turn them in on time!

Most of this project will be done in the classroom. We will work on the student logs in the classroom. We will have student-teacher conferences together in the classroom. You will make your project poster in the classroom. However, you will need to budget some time outside the classroom for thinking about your invention, gathering materials, and constructing the actual invention or scale model of the invention. If you can get online from home, you’ll also find it easier to do your research from there to see if your invention idea is unique.  You’ll have more time than if you only do this work in computer class. Look over the schedule and use your student planner to plan when you will do each piece of this project. Remember to block out time you're already using for things like sleep, sports, musical practices, family gatherings, and all the other things you do each week. This project is about making an invention, and it's also about learning to budget your time to complete a task. 

Have fun and learn a lot!
Mr. Schwan