Place kids in partners and have pairs brainstorm a list of invention names that have caught their attention.  Students should record ideas in their “Inventor’s Log.”  After kids have had several minutes to work, have them return to a whole group discussion with their Inventor’s Logs.

As a class, have students compile a list of inventions with catchy names.  Allow students to add any to their lists in their Inventor’s Logs that they particularly like. 

Some inventions with catchy names could include:  Helies’, Dust Buster, New Balance, iPOD, Shaprie, Crayola, Trapper Keeper, Weed Eater, etc. 

Ask students, “What do you notice about our list?”  Students may respond: 
Some names hint at jobs, some are personification, some have a rhythm / rhyme, they are easy to remember, they cause you to have an image in your mind, etc. 

Ask students, “Why do you think inventor’s chose these specific names for their inventions when they could have chosen:  shoes with wheels, small vacuum, an even shoe, marker with a fine point, secure notebook, etc.  Allow students to share their ideas with a partner before sharing with the whole group. 

Ask students, “When you choose a name for your invention, what should you remember?” Allow students to share their ideas with a partner before sharing with the whole group.

Tell students, “Today, you are going to brainstorm and select a name for your invention.  Try to keep in mind all of the reasons the names we selected stood out to us.  You might even be able to adapt one of these names to fit your invention. Once you have brainstormed several invention names, put a star next to the one you chose.  Remember, you should have a reason for choosing the name, so share your reasoning, as well. 

Allow students to work independently, while dialoging and collaborating with peers. 

Once everyone is finished, have students share their names and receive compliments from the class.  During sharing, students may want to make suggestions or additions to make invention names even better.