In this activity, you will design a device that will substantially impact our environment. You can write words around your device’s image to help explain your ideas. This device does not have to be realistic. See the example of how to draw a device prototype below. An example of an approach could be to create a sizable water Roomba-like device that cleans the top of a body of water and burns the trash collected. This process turns the trash into oxygen.

I use this activity in class after students learn about the electromagnetic spectrum, some of the uses of various frequencies, and some of the dangers. This project helps students evaluate a new invention/new use for IR camera drones. Then, using their understanding of the EM spectrum and possible uses, they identify a problem and design an invention that uses one or more waves on the EM spectrum to solve the problem. Then, students create a poster to showcase their invention. Students can work independently or in small groups to complete this activity.

This resource includes a student planning sheet and rubric for the poster that students create.