Judges

Most inventions follow the same formula for success by being original, effective, practical, and needed. All steps are carefully recorded in a log or journal (Young children may use pictures or dictate and information to someone).

Using the judging rubric to record scores and comments about each inventor as they present their invention idea. For each invention category, consider these questions:

• Did the inventor find a unique, unusual or clever solution to the problem?
• Did the inventor research to find out? (Please align the response to the age of the inventor. A young child might ask a number of people; an older child may explore catalogs, stores and related companies, search the internet or even a patent database.)

• Did the invention solve the problem?
• Does it do what it’s supposed to do?
• Does it work even better than the inventor expected?
• Does it solve other problems too?

• What advantages and disadvantages does the invention have as compared to other similar inventions?
• How much thought was given to safety, ease of use, and choice of materials?

• How important is the problem solved by the invention?
• Who benefits from it, many, few, or only the inventor?
• Does it serve a disadvantaged group, like the handicapped, the elderly, or animals?
• Is the invention friendly to the environment than currently available products? How so?

• How well did the inventor explain the steps taken from beginning idea to invention?
• Did the inventor date and list these steps in your inventor’s logbook?
• Did the inventor include resources uses, problem they ran into, reasons for choice of materials, final design, and testing? Was credit given to those who helped?