Ideas Turn Into Inventions

For St Rose Fifth Graders

By Tanjua Damon

Their minds were turning with ideas and their hands were fidgeting with materials collected to create an invention. St Rose fifth graders worked for months to come up with an idea to make life easier.

Could a remote control broom, or cane with a light on the bottom, or rain or shine wipers for eye glasses, or a dog walk inside, or telephone antibacterial wipes, or an automatic closet door opener help you with an everyday problem? The ideas the fifth graders came up with arrived after much research and investigation of what things kinds of things are problems for people.

The students displayed their projects February 26 at the school on Church Hill Road as community members judged them. Three students — Zachary Bokuniewicz, Craig Baldino, and Andrew Hyland –– will go onto the 20thAnnual Connecticut Invention Convention on Saturday, April 5, at the University of Connecticut.

“I thought that it was very fun,” Ryan Cahalane said. “We could also learn about different things we could make and become our very own inventors.”

The students began researching inventions by reading about various inventors, patents, product marketing, and materials, and researching what kinds of everyday problems people have. The students began thinking about inventions in November. They could only spend $20 in materials on the project.

The students had to give a talk about their invention during the judging portion in February. They also made audio spots that could be used on the radio.

“They gained lessons from this that I hadn’t set out to teach them,” teacher Kathy Malatesta said. “I can’t ask for more than this.”

The students found the project thought provoking, especially trying to come up with something that has not been invented before. Cody Cahill invented a remote control scrub brush/broom combination.

“I thought it was fun putting our minds to something challenging,” Cody said.

Figuring out what to invent posed some issues for the fifth graders.

“I started by asking my family members what problems they have,” Michelle Rahtelli said. “You couldn’t think of the idea right away. It took so long, but once you got it, it was good.”

Michael Kirk realized during his project of inventing a utensil to clean inside a CD compartment that sometimes the materials you think you will use do not always turn out to be the best. Michael realized that his product could not use the plastic he envisioned because he could not size it properly. He ended up having to use wire instead.

Meredith LaPerch learned that inventions often taken many different tries until they are successful. With her Amazing Closet Opener invention, Meredith learned that sometimes materials break or do not really work the way you thought. The process could sometimes be frustrating, too.

“Every time I tried to put something together the door wouldn’t open or it would get caught up. It was like a whole puzzle you had to put together to get it to work,” Meredith said. “I tried to stay calm because I knew I could find a way. I would take a break and come back with a different way. You had to be creative.”

The students enjoyed being able to work with different materials to see what their inventions could be made from.

“We learned about electricity use, gears, wiring things together,” Zachary Bokuniewicz said. “A lot of us learned how to build things.”

“We learned how much patents were and how hard it is to think of an invention,” John Paul Benedetti added. “They have to be taken seriously otherwise they don’t work.”

It also helped students appreciate all the work that has gone into the many useful things that have made their own lives easier.

“I think we all worked very hard,” April Gaddis said. “It was a fun project for all of us.”