Would You Buy This Invention?

Purpose: To question the results of other inventors' work

Materials

• paper
• pencil
• Internet

Procedure

1. Many inventions have practical and useful purposes. However, many are just silly. In a group or with a partner, visit one of the following web sites to check out various inventions.
   • The Internet Invention Store: http://catalog.com/impulse/invent
   • Wacky Patent of the Month: http://colitz.com/site/wacky.htm
   • Totally Absurd Inventions: http://www.totallyabsurd.com
2. Discuss with your group or partner the usefulness, need, and practicality of the invention. Decide if it is an invention that you would purchase and discuss why or why not.
3. If the invention is marketable (meaning you would buy it), design an advertisement for the product to convince others to buy it.
4. If the invention is not marketable, design an advertisement to warn people against buying the product. Be sure these are valid reasons and not strictly your opinion.
5. Share your advertisement with the class and discuss.
6. Do a survey or cast a class vote for the product(s) that are the most likely to be sold successfully.