Young teenager inventors

                                                                   Young teenager inventors

1 Brainstorm as many famous inventors as they can within a 30-second time limit. (for example, Alexander Bell (telephone); Galileo (telescope); John Logie Baird (television); Tim Berners-Lee (World Wide Web). Write their suggestions on the board.

2a Read the article. Which young inventor has created a cheaper way to help others?

VOCABULARY FOCUS

amplifier [n]:a piece of electronic equipment that makes sounds louder

admire [v]:to have a feeling of great respect for someone or something

audio speaker [n]:a piece of equipment that sends out the sound from a CD player, radio, etc.

bacteria [n]:very small living things that can cause disease

broadcast [v]:to send out messages or programmes to be received by radios or televisions

cellulose [n]:a substance that forms the outer layer of plant cells and plant fibres.

develop [v]:to create

incredible [adj]:surprising, or difficult to believe

innovative [adj]:new, original, and advanced

low-cost [adj]:not costing very much

method [n]:a way of doing something

nominate [v]:to suggest someone should receive a prize

patent [n]:an official document that gives someone who has invented something the legal right to make or sell that invention

peel [n]:the skin of a fruit or vegetable

petroleum [n]:oil found under the ground that is used for making petrol

purification [n]:the process of making something clean

remarkable [adj]:unusual in a way that surprises and impresses you

rubbish [n]:things that you throw away because they are no longer useful

scrap metal [n]:old metal that can be used again

solar power [n]:energy that uses the power of the Sun’s light and heat to produce electricity

solution [n]:a way to solve a problem

starch [n]:a type of carbohydrate that is found in rice, potatoes, and other vegetables

youth [adj]:relating to or connected with young people

waste [adj]:no longer needed, left over

                                                              Young teenager inventors

   Millions of new products are invented each year globally. In the USA alone, the patent office gave seven million patents to new inventions in a single year! Teenage inventors all over the world are busy thinking of brilliant new things to make life easier, safer or more fun. So, who are the best teenage inventors from your country? Who do you choose?

KRISTIE, USA

   I nominate Deepika Kurup. She’s a young American scientist who invented a new water purification system when

she was 14 years old. On a visit to India, she saw children drinking dirty water and this made her feel sad. When she returned home, she started working immediately on a solution to the problem. She developed a low-cost method to clean water using solar power which can stop the bacteria that grows in waste water. It was a success, and in 2012 she won the Young Scientist Challenge Award for her invention. In 2015, she was also the National Geographic winner at the Google Science Fair. I really admire her and think the work she does is incredible for such a young person.

KUMBA, SIERRA LEONE

   In my city, we’re all really proud of Kelvin Doe, the inventor with the most imagination in Freetown! He started inventing when he was four years old and he loves designing electronic solutions, especially for music, which is his passion. By the age of 13, Kelvin was already building radios, audio speakers and amplifiers from scrap metal and other materials he found in the rubbish. And he created his own youth radio station for Sierra Leone, where he plays music and broadcasts news under the name of DJ Focus. A few years ago, some of his creations were noticed by

university professors in the USA and Kelvin had the chance to travel there and present his ideas at a festival for inventors in New York. He has even given talks to engineering students at Harvard University. He really is remarkable

BEDIR, TURKEY 

   When she was 16 years old, Elif Bilgin from Istanbul discovered an innovative new way to use banana peels. She created a new bio-plastic with them. How amazing is that? Elif wanted to invent a new type of plastic that causes less pollution than the traditional petroleum-based plastics. She worked for two years to design a new product that uses the skins of bananas because she realised the starch and cellulose in the banana peel creates plastic. Her

environmentally-friendly bio-plastic won the 2013 Science in Action award, and if her discovery becomes really well-known she’ll play a part in saving the planet.

2b Read the article again and write Deepika, Kelvin or Elif.

1  An inventor from Africa.

2  An award-winning inventor who has created a new material.

3  An inventor who now helps future engineers.

4  An award-winning inventor who was inspired by overseas travel.

5  An inventor who travelled overseas to demonstrate some creations.

6  An inventor and scientist with a strong focus on reducing pollution.

The key: 1 Kelvin  2 Elif  3 Kelvin  4 Deepika  5 Kelvin   6 Elif

2c Read the sentences and decide if they are True (T) or False (F).

1  Deepika started work on her invention following a trip to India.              T / F

2  She has won prizes for her important discovery.                                       T / F

3  Kelvin has created a number of environmentally-friendly products from rubbish.    T / F

4  As well as being an inventor, he enjoys working with music.                   T / F

5  Elif uses different types of fruit to create new materials.                           T / F

6  Her discovery is an important scientific innovation for the environment.  T / F

The key: 1 T  2 T  3 F  4 T  5 F  6 T

3a Work with a partner and discuss the questions.

1  Do you know anyone who has invented something? Have you ever invented or created something

useful?

2  What do you think motivates someone to invent or create something new?

3b You are going to find out about a young inventor from your country and prepare a video message about him or her. Read the points and prepare your project research.

1  Work in pairs. Research a young inventor and find out interesting information about him or her.

Consider:

■  what they have invented, discovered, designed or created

■  how they got the idea

■  how old they were at the time

■  what materials or equipment they used

■  any awards they may have won for their idea

■  any other important information.