Level IV. 1. Uses reading skills and strategies to understand a variety of informational texts (e.g., textbooks, biographical sketches, letters, diaries, directions, procedures, magazines, essays, primary source historical documents, editorials, news stories, periodicals, catalogs, job-related materials, schedules, speeches, memoranda, public documents, maps)

Level IV. 5. Uses strategies to address writing to different audiences (e.g., includes explanations and definitions according to the audience's background, age, or knowledge of the topic, adjusts formality of style, considers interests of potential readers)

Students will:

• conduct Internet research
• respond to writing prompts
• participate in small-group and large-group discussion
• analyze, summarize, critique, and evaluate information from varied sources

• “Who Benefits from Design & Innovation?” handout (attached)
• Internet Web sites

• Computer with Internet access
• Writing Journal

Building Background

Design Inventions
The purpose of this activity is to allow students to analyze varied aspects of the design process.

1. Tell your students that they are going to participate in a “Think-Pair-Share” activity. The purpose of this activity is to give students an opportunity to reflect on a concept individually, to share their thoughts with a peer, and finally, to participate in large-group discussion.

First, ask your students to write responses to the following prompts:

• What do you think is the most important item that was designed in the last hundred years?

• What do you think is most important design innovation that benefits humanity?

• What do you think is the most important design innovation that benefits you personally?

Divide the class into pairs, and ask the students to share their responses to the prompts.

After the students have had an opportunity to talk with a peer, invite them to share their responses with the entire class.

Lead a class discussion using the following questions as guidelines:

• Did your opinions change after hearing your classmates’ ideas?

• What were the different ways that people evaluated important designs?

Steps for Learning

Who Will Benefit?
The purpose of this activity is to help students evaluate and analyze how design impacts different people, different cultures with different needs and wants in society.

1. Divide the class into small groups and ask them to complete the “Who Benefits from Design & Innovation?” handout.

2. Invite the students to share their group responses to each question. Compare and discuss students’ choices. Ask the students why they think there were a variety of responses to each question.

People’s Design Award
The purpose of this activity is to encourage students to examine varied aspects of design by exploring the People’s Design Award Web site.

1. Introduce the People’s Design Award to your students by visiting the Web site at https://www.peoplesdesignaward.org.

2. As a homework assignment, ask the students to choose the design that they think is the most important to humanity.

• How do you think design changes the world?