Have you ever thought about something new that came out in the market and said, "What a simple and clever idea. I am surprised no one had thought of that?"
While teaching in the middle grades a colleague and I held a invention fair made up of inventions the students came up with. They were to think of their everyday life and try to solve a problem. However, for them it was a final project on simple electricity and their inventions had to have a circuit, switch and load in it. It was amazing to see what they came up with , from an instant dog feeder to a birdfeeder that would keep off squirrels.
Lately, I have been thinking of finding solutions to problems in everyday life. Some simple designs that are great are: the new squeeze bottles that are stored upside down. Target has come out with an improved design for prescription bottles.
A graphics designer came up with the idea after her grandmother Helen accidentally swallowed pills meant for her husband, Herman.
The new upside down bottles for ketchup, shampoo, lotion and other products are a big improvement with much less wasted product for the consumer.
Some new ideas are coming from biomimicry. One early discovery and invention, came from George de Mestral as he was walking in a field and got some burrs stuck to his pants. After looking at the burrs under a microscope he used the idea to invent velcro (a combination of the words velour and crochet).
Great new examples are being discovered by naturalists and engineers working together. A few discoveries are abalone inspired ceramics, blue-mussel inspired underwater glue, butterfly-inspired pigment-free color and bat inspired walking canes.
The lotus leaf is considered sacred in Asian religions for its ability to stay dry and clean. When water drops on the leaf, it beads up and rolls off the waxy surface, washing away dirt as it goes.Scientists, too, have long praised the plant for its water-resistant and self-cleaning properties.A group of Turkish scientists have come up with an inexpensive waterproof material based on these properties.
Janine Benyus a proponent for biomimicry gives an excellent explanation of biomimicry and tells about some new discoveries in the field. In this video, she talks about 12 sustainable design ideas from nature.
What everyday problems could we solve by looking closely at how nature solves the problems? The next time you are walking in the woods, snorkeling in the ocean or just in your back yard, think about what you see from the perspective of nature solving a problem that we might have.
New Design Links:
Product Design, Nature's Way
Sea Sponge Soaks up Sunlight
A mashup on the web according to Wikipedia means a website or web application that combines content from more than one source. This is a a great idea for any kind of learning connections. During the industrial revolution, the whole was broken down into parts to allow the making of parts easier. Schools followed the same path in education. Gradually, good teachers have been trying to make the connections that make learning complete. Technology has finally arrived at the place where a reading mashup is a must.
It would be wonderful to see these mashups coming from local areas about a topic that is important in that area of the country or world. Such examples from Maine, where I live would be forests, ocean topics, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Joshua Chamberlain, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, etc.
Lobsters, Crabs, Shrimp (Crustaceans)
(This will be an ongoing blog, as I will continue to add resource to it as I find them)
1. First, you could begin with books.
a. If you go to World Cat, ,which is a free library search program you can search Lobsters, crabs, shrimp (Crustaceans) and find out which the books are at your local llibrary. If they are not many can be ordered through interlibrary services. The ones that are hard to get are from colleges and universities.
b. Go to your local library and browse through the children's books or search a topic. Most children's librarians are very knowledgeable and helpful. Ask them for help.
Books:
1 I wrote a children's book called "The Goby and the Shrimp" which will soon be available as a story to download free. It is a story about "How the goby and the shrimp started living together in a symbiotic relationship". Here is an illustration from the story.
This is a real relationship that can be found in the coral reefs of the south pacific. Click here for the "trailer".
2. DVDs or Videos
a. World Cat works for these as well. Just search (video lobsters) or (DVD lobsters) for example.
b. Here are some titles I know off hand:
1. The world's fastest animal- TEDTalk with Sheila Patek 
This great talk connects the manta shrimp, hyperbolic paraboloid (a saddle shape)with jewelry, architecture and math strength. Free on the internet - about 18 min 2. Let's Go Lobstering with Lobsterman Chris Filmed in Maine- on DVD $19.95
3. Lobstering on the Benjo
3. Music- children's- Can be heard on itunes
a. Lobster Dance- Wayne Potash
b. Were not exactly Lobsters
4. Art
a. Blake Hendrickson's "Goby and Shrimp"--This is a fabulous wood relief on exhibit at the Curtis Memorial Library in Brunswick, Maine.
5. Weblinks
a. American Lobsters
b. A site all about Lobsters from the Gulf of Maine Aquarium- tells about Life cycles, lobster boats, how to eat, trivia, activities and more.
c.The Lobster Conservancy
The Lobster Conservancy (TLC) works with fishermen and volunteers throughout the Gulf of Maine region to sustain a thriving lobster fishery through science and community.
d. The Lobsterman's Page interesting information on lobster
If you belong to a local community organization such as Rotary, AAUW, or any other organization that tries to improve their local community and beyond, here is an idea.
Make a movie of a project that you are working on using still photos and video. If you can get pictures of the beginning of the project, to the actual completion that is even better. The video and pictures can be put together on a Mac (using imovie) or a PC using (windows media maker). Both of these programs are free, easy to use and can be learned from an online tutorial or a one day workshop.
Example #1 In our community, we have a one-room schoolhouse that is from the 1850’s. A women’s organization took over the school, which belonged to the town, when it was in shambles. The floor was mostly gone and it was a mess. They got the town and some donations to refurbish the school. Then they researched how the school was run, who actually went there, who was the teacher and what was used for furniture, books and tools.
They next designed a day of school how it would have been during the 1850’s including names of actual children that were at the school. They found slates, quill pens, and desks that were appropriate for this time in history. Members of the Bath-Brunswick AAUW made aprons for the girls to wear. Everything was as it was in 1850, even the outhouses.
Local fifth grade school children spend a day at the school as it was in the 1850’s. It is a wonderful experience as they have spent much of the year studying colonial times and now they get to experience it.
This has been going on for about 20 years but has been somewhat a secret because it is just the fifth-graders who attend. That is why a movie to share about the experience is a great idea for SPREADING THE WORD. This way not only the fifth-graders get to share in the experience but so can their parents and other students.
There are schools like this throughout our country and the world. Wouldn’t it be fun to put together movies from many very different schools around the world?
1. Communities who might be thinking of such a project could use the ideas as a staring point.
2. Students from around the world could compare historic schools from different countries. 3. The movies would add an additional dimension to the students attending a school for a day. How was it different in Maine than in Montana or Ireland in school in the 1850’s? Students could just view the video and get a real feeling of not only their community, but the world community.
4. A wiki-website about one-room schoolhouses could be started and community members, teachers and students could share their movie, experiences and ideas with others.
Go ahead. Be brave and try making a movie to share.
Lately, I have been thinking of finding solutions to problems in everyday life. Some simple designs that are great are: the new squeeze bottles that are stored upside down. Target has come out with an improved design for prescription bottles. 
The lotus leaf is considered sacred in Asian religions for its ability to stay dry and clean. When water drops on the leaf, it beads up and rolls off the waxy surface, washing away dirt as it goes.
