Catch Up Friday Lesson Plan in Reading
Catch Up Friday Lesson Plan in Reading
During reading: The teacher will distribute copies of the science-related text/story to each
student. Allow students time to do independent reading of the text/story, emphasizing the
importance of understanding the narrative. The learners may also do partner and choral
reading, depending on learners' reading ability and capacity
Prepared by:
SAMPLE TEXT:
INVENTION PROFILE: Post-ItNotes
In 1968, Dr. Spencer Silver, a research scientist for the 3M company was trying to
develop stronger glue for the company's adhesive tapes. Instead of producing stronger glue, his
experiments created very weak glue. This weak glue however, was special because it was
reusable and did not leave a sticky residue when removed from a surface. Silver decided to
patent this special glue in 1970, even though he was not sure what to do with it.
Four years later, Art Fry, one of Silver's colleagues, found the perfect use for the weak
glue resulting from this "failed" experiment. Fry was tired of his scrap paper bookmarks
constantly falling out of his hymnbook. One day Fry had the idea that Silver's weak glue could
keep his bookmark from falling while still allowing him to remove it easily without damaging the
book. It worked!
This was the start of a process that developed the sticky notes we know today as Post-
It®notes. These notes are currently used by millions of people around the world, but they would
have never existed if an inventor had not recognized that the results of a failed experiment
could have a different, unexpected use.
Source: Learn from the Past, Create the Future: Inventions and Patents, WIPO
Publication
GUIDE QUESTIONS:
1.What was Dr. Spencer Silver trying to make in his experiments?
2.Why did Art Fry think Dr. Silver's weak glue could be helpful, and how did he use it?
3.Besides bookmarks, can you think of another way the weak glue could be useful?
4.What does this story teach us about unexpected discoveries and the importance of
trying new things?
SAMPLE TEXT:
INVENTION PROFILE: VELCRO
One day in 1941, Swiss engineer George de Maestral took his dog for a walk in the
Swiss Mountains. By the time they returned home, his clothes and his dog were covered with
cocklebur seeds. Curious about what had made these seeds stick to fabric, George decided to
examine them under a microscope. He found that the seeds had tiny hooks that had stuck to
the loops of the fabric.
George decided to use the same principle of tiny hooks and loops to develop a new and
better fastener than the zippers available at that time. After many experiments he developed
two nylon tapes (one covered with tiny loops and the other with tiny hooks) which stuck together
when pressed. The VELCRO® brand fastener was patented in 1951 and is now used in many
products including shoes, jackets and bags.
Source: Learn from the Past, Create the Future: Inventions and Patents, WIPO
Publication
Guide questions:
1.What inspired George de Maestral to create a new fastener after his walk in the Swiss
Mountains?
2.What did George de Maestral discover when he examined the cocklebur seeds under a
microscope?
3.How did George de Maestral use the concept of tiny hooks and loops to create the VELCRO®
fastener?
4.In which year was the VELCRO® brand fastener patented?
5.Name at least two products mentioned in the story that now use the VELCRO® fastener.
6.What life lessons can we learn from George de Maestral's curiosity and perseverance in
turning a simple observation into a groundbreaking invention?
7.Consider how nature, specifically the tiny hooks on cocklebur seeds, inspired George's
invention. Why do you think looking to nature for solutions can be a successful approach in
innovation?