American

Culture
Personal Control over the Environment

Can you match the invention words on the left with their definitions on the
right?

A prototype
A very significant step forward
A blueprint
A useless invention
A breakthrough
When a new product is tested
A white elephant
A document showing someone owns the
rights to a new invention
To be on the
To find a (new) use for something which
drawing board
already existed?
A trial run
Paper plans for a new invention
A patent
A new idea which has not been tried
before
An invention
The first time a new invention is actually
built
A discovery
To be at the planning stages


Discussion


1. Which invention of the 20th century was, in your opinion, the best?
Which was the biggest mistake? Why?

2. Do you know of any white elephants inventions?

3. Look at these pairs of inventions and say which one is more
important to you:
The television or the telephone
The car or the jet aircraft
The printing press or the internet
Coca Cola or ice cream

4. What do you think is the most important invention ever?
What problem did it solve?

5. If you could invent something new that the world does not already
have (a time machine for example), what would you invent?
What problem would it solve?
Why do you think no one has invented it yet?

6. When considering inventions, or great feats (such as going to the
moon) what other values do you think they represent?

7. Do you think that inventions are made because the inventor is a
genius, or that they used a trail and error method?
Do you feel that your culture encourages people to invent?

Instructor: Joe Milan