| Problem solving, inventiveness, higher-order thinking skills: these are all skills that we would like to see more of in out students. But more often than not, children believe that these skills exist only in the realm of talented, highly skilled professionals. Wonder Wits will make them think otherwise.
In the book Wild Ideas, Luke and Sophie are taken by helicopter to a secret location to watch a great inventor at work. Deep in the forest they meet Professor Beazley who introduces them to the 'greatest problem solver of them all' - nature.
The professor explains that discovering things about nature has led to new inventions and that the new inventions have helped us learn more about nature. Taking a walk through the forest they learn how nature has inspired many great inventions including Velcro (from the study of burrs), plastic from studying a natural substance called lac) and aircraft (from observing the flight of birds)/
The children then spend a week observing and collecting before creating their own inventions based on nature. |
