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Those Darn Squirrels!

By Adam Rubin

3-5

Valerie King

Book Description (from Amazon):

Old Man Fookwire is a grump. The only thing he likes to do is paint pictures of the birds that visit his backyard. The problem is, they fly south every winter, leaving him sad and lonely. So he decides to get them to stay by putting up beautiful bird feeders filled with seeds and berries. Unfortunately, the squirrels like the treats, too, and make a daring raid on the feeders. The conflict escalates—until the birds depart (as usual), and the squirrels come up with a plan that completely charms the old grump.

Lessons: Students will design a new squirrel-proof bird feeder, and/or completely change or add features to an existing squirrel-proof bird feeder using a variety of Divergent Thinking tools.

YouTube Read-Aloud:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubDYqA1gaqI

MIND MAP- DEFINE THE PROBLEM

-Brainstorm how and why squirrels can currently outsmart bird feeders

-research squirrels’ ability to climb, jump, and chew

BRAINSTORM using SCAMPER

-What else can Old Man Fookwire (or you) do to squirrel proof a bird feeder? <Pages 5 & 6>

RESEARCH

-How have Other People improved the Bird Feeder? <Page 7>

DESIGN

-What does your new bird feeder look like?

PROTOTYPE

-Build your new birdfeeder

(It doesn’t need to be a working model!)

Tracy Matthews

Science

History

Art / Music

Technology

Math

English

Copy and Paste Image of the Book

Link to Internet

Lesson Creator Grade Level

Directions: Materials:

Title:

Ambassador:

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Mind Maps

Tracy Matthews

Valerie King

Create your own Mind Map to identify how and why squirrels are able to feed from traditional bird feeders. Brainstorm your own ideas before doing research. Add both your own ideas and the researched information to the Mind Map.

Link to PowerPoint

Science

History

Art / Music

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English

Copy and Paste Image of the Book

Link to Internet

Lesson Creator Grade Level

Directions: Materials:

Title:

Ambassador:

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3

Organizational Tool
Many Techniques

Inventive Thinking Program 2021 wnyinventionconvention.org

Mind Maps

A way to organize or break down a problem

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How does a squirrel outsmart a typical bird feeder?�Use a MIND MAP to break down the problem

UMBRELLAS

Bird Feeders strung on wire between two trees

Bird Feeders on poles

Bird Feeders hanging from tree branches

Bird feeders made of plastic

How squirrels outsmart a typical bird feeder

Inventive Thinking Program 2021 wnyinventionconvention.org

Images- Multiple clicks of Ovals surrounded by circles to denote “ideas” as described by the text

Refer to handout as well as this visual….doesn’t matter right now which visual technique is used

What is a MINDMAP:

Mind mapping is a visual information management tool that helps us structure, organize, memorize, arrange, brainstorm and learn information in a highly specialized way.

Mind mapping seamlessly blends logic and creative thought to help us think more proficiently and effectively about the subject we are learning or exploring

IF ON SITE

Use these Categories to Mind Map everything about Umbrellas

TRAINING

If small enough group, do the big list together on flipcharts

Divide up into groups of 2-4 to come up with new ideas based on the lists

Push for variety using the SCAMPER prompts

Materials Needed:

Large sheet of paper each (flip chart)

Markers

Each group will create a mindmap then decide upon how they will improve the umbrella by making connections with what they have written

Challenge 2_Lesson 2_MindMap.pdf

THESE CATEGORIES CAN EITHER BE PROVIDED BY THE TEACHER OR THE TEAMS/CLASS CAN CREATE

State the problem in the middle (this can be done with images too!)

Use multiple colors

Come up with 4-5 broad categories about the problem and label them (these can be represented organically, like branches!)

Continue to "branch out" with subtopics or ideas, labeling or drawing them along the way

Look at all the ideas and determine how you can connect them to create a new way of looking at the problem

https://blog.iqmatrix.com/how-to-mind-map

ALTERNATIVE TOOL (in-class):

Brainstorm With Sticky Notes: Design a Better Umbrella (alternative tool)

The 4 questions can be laid out as columns and each idea from the group can be written on sticky note. The scribe READS THEM OUT LOUD AS THEY'RE STUCK TO THE LIST

In class, can be done in teams or as a full class

Virtual- can be done individually, as a class, or in breakout rooms

At each click, a new list can branch off of each sub-topic

Last click "How might you improve the Umbrella" is when the students look at all that they have written to see where the biggest issue lies and determine where and how might they approach these improvements

On the next slide, SCAMPER is reintroduced

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SCAMPER

Valerie King

Link to video

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Copy and Paste Image of the Book

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Directions: Materials:

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SCAMPER

Tracy Matthews

Valerie King

SCAMPER: a tool for DIVERGENT THINKING.

Divergent thinking is used whenever there is a need for MANY ideas

GUIDELINES for Divergent Thinking:

•Defer Judgment

•Go for Quantity

•Combine/Build/Improve

•Seek Wild Ideas

Things to remember when using SCAMPER:

These are prompted for getting lots of ideas. Not every verb or question needs to be used… BUT the guidelines for Divergent Thinking ALWAYS need to be used.

SCAMPER can be used in the IDENTIFICATION, IDEATING, and DESIGNING steps of the Invention Process or whenever you need LOTS of ideas!

Link to SCAMPER WORKSHEET

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Research Squirrel-Proof Bird Feeders

Tracy Matthews

Valerie King

What have other people thought about and created when they wanted to make a different, a new, or an improved squirrel-proof bird feeder. This slide has pictures of many different bird feeders.

How did these designers, engineers, and inventors use SCAMPER or Mind Maps?

Link to Google Patents

Use Google Image Search

Link to RESEARCH powerpoint

(Each click is a new pic!)

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Copy and Paste Image of the Book

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Does your new idea exist?

Valerie King

Use simple key words in your search!

MFG2OE

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Design Your Birdfeeder

Valerie King

Ask the students to design a new squirrel-proof bird feeder or modify an existing model. They should:

Name their invention.
Address how their invention would solve the problem.
List materials needed to build the invention.
Sketch various iterations of their invention. Students could individually draw and label their first sketch and then share with their group. Groups could consolidate their favorite parts of each individual’s design in the second sketch. Any further modifications can be made in the final sketch (perhaps after building a first iteration model).

Link to powerpoint

Science

History

Art / Music

Technology

Math

English

Copy and Paste Image of the Book

Link to Internet

Lesson Creator Grade Level

Directions: Materials:

Title:

Ambassador: