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| Could something that works for glue also work for butter? One inventor thought so. |
Investigate inventions from times past. You might search no further than the lightbulb or the first computer. Once you have found the invention that most interests you, you will interview its inventor. Develop ten questions and answers to explain how the inventor came up with his or her brilliant idea.
STEP 1: Initial Search
Begin your research with visits to the following websites:
Take notes on interesting inventions, their inventors, their impact on science and technology, and general information about inventing.
Use cluster diagrams to organize the facts you have discovered. Then choose an invention that you think most fits your interview style. (See Grammar for Writing, Level Orange, pages 11.)
STEP 2: Focus Your Search
Search the Internet for more information on the inventor and invention you chose. Explore other resources, such as histories, biographies, an encyclopedia, newspaper and magazine articles, and scientific journals. Collect quotes that show what people first thought about the invention and what they think of its role in our lives today.
STEP 3: Define Your Audience
Make your information interesting to budding inventors. Your audience may know something about the invention you chose; however, your interview should provide a new perspective on the process of invention and the inventor. Use a serious and respectful style, and ask questions that reflect your knowledge and interest. Keep the style of each answer lively and informative. Write the answers as if you were transcribing a conversation.
STEP 4: Brainstorm Questions
Use brainstorming to develop informed questions for the interview. (To review brainstorming, see Grammar for Writing, Level Orange, page 10.) Start with a list of twenty questions; choose the ten best and prioritize them in a logical order so that your interview will flow naturally from one question to the next.
When you describe the invention and its inventor, try to use lively and accurate comparatives. For example, "This invention is the best, most, least, greatest, wackiest, or ________ ever to have been invented." Be sure you can support your claim with several reasons why it is the best, most, and so on. Avoid using unimaginative or trite words such as interesting, very, great, or a lot (See Grammar for Writing, Level Orange, page 233.)
Even professional writers sometimes have trouble with misplaced modifiers. To catch these occasional lapses, proofread from back to front. Read each sentence separately, instead of in context. Ask yourself: "Does this sentence actually say what I mean to say?" If not, rewrite the sentence to clarify your thoughts.
STEP 5: Organize Your Ideas and Write Your Rough Draft
You will be both interviewer and interviewee in this project. First organize your questions so that they flow logically from one to the other. Then write an answer to each question based on your research. In your answers, provide intriguing facts and notable details. As you answer each question, evaluate the next one. Does the next question still make sense in light of the previous answer(s)? The best interviewers are flexible when moving from one question to the next.
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| Sparky, a mechanical dog, appeared at the 1940 World's Fair in New York City. |
STEP 6: Revise, Edit, and Proofread Your Interview
Reread your interview. Be sure your questions and answers flow naturally, and that you have included key facts, descriptive details, anecdotes, or quotations by or about the inventor. Ask: "Will readers have a clear picture of both the inventor and the events that resulted in the invention?"
Edit your writing for grammatical errors; then proofread your work carefully for spelling, punctuation, and capitalization errors.
STEP 7: Publish Your Work
Present your interview to the class. Have two copies; ask a classmate to play the role of the interviewer as you take the part of the inventor.
Copyright ©2007 by William H. Sadlier, Inc. All rights reserved.