Have students identify common everyday items that are actually modern day inventions. An invention is the creation of something new, while a discovery is made when something that exists is seen for the first time. Some inventions have changed the world, such as the light bulb and the telephone while other inventions have just made life a little easier. Many inventions borrow from the past and build on a previous invention. Sometimes a failed invention leads to a completely different invention.
Notes is such an example.
At 3M the researchers were trying to develop a new glue. However the glue they developed would stick but could not hold anything together. Today this is the glue used on Post-it Notes, a very useful invention. Ideas for some inventions come from the inventor being very observant. By mimicking how burrs stick to your socks Georges de Mestral invented Velcro.