Lion+Lights

Lion LightsArea of Interaction: Human Ingenuity Unit Question: How can a teenager change the world? Significant Concept: Belief in a simple idea with action behind it can impact a nation. There was a problem in Africa and Richard Turere, an eleven-year-old boy, found the solution. Your assignment is to watch the videos and read the articles listed below. After each, answer the questions using complete sentences and great detail.

== Article - Lions No Match For Young Boy and His Invention == Read this article. What was the problem?  Lions were killing Richard's father's cows. How did Richard solve the problem?  He made a series of moving flashlights to scare away the lions and prevent them from eating his cows. Does he think the Lion Lights will work forever? If not, what will he do?  No. He thinks that the lions will eventually solve his invention but when it does happen, he will create and find another way to protect his cows.

== Article & Video - A Kenyan Teen's Discovery: Let There Be Lights To Save Lions == On this website, watch the video & read the article about Richard.

What would be the consequences if all the lions were killed?  Less tourists would come there and it means that there is less income for the whole country. Also, it messes up the food chain and it starts to affect other animals. Were there other people trying to solve the lion problem? If so, what ideas had they come up with?  Yes, some people thought of land leases and lion-proof fences. What did Richard use to build these lion lights?  Richard used broken flashlight parts, a car battery, a solar panel as well as an indicator box from a motorcycle.  Richard flew on an airplane for the first time. He met scholars, scientists, and so many other people. What impressed him most during his visit?  The most impressive part during his visit was when he saw a shark for the first time of his life at a nearby aquarium.

== Video - Richard Turere - My Invention That Made Peace With Lions == Watch this video. What did Richard spend his time doing before Lion Lights?  In Richard's free time, he taught himself electronics by tinkering with electrical gadgets. For instance, he took apart his mother's radio. How did his hobby help him create his invention?  His invention needed a technological background and knowledge and he gained this knowledge from tinkering with electrical gadgets and learning from them.

== Design Cycle == Based on all the videos and articles that you have read about Richard, complete the following. Research/Analysis: Richard sees the problem he is faced with and also sees the relevance of the problem to his life. He sees that the lions are eating his cows and that if lions keep eating his cows, their family would end up being poor or broke because cattle are one of the forms of money in his country. Design: He mapped out his design on a piece of paper including all the parts that were going to be a part of his invention. It included the car battery, the wires, the flashlights, and the solar panels. Realizing the Solution: He followed the plan that he had mapped out and stuck to it. He eventually created his product. Evaluate: After he set up his invention, he goes back every day to see if any of the cattle have been injured or killed by lions. He sees that no fatalities have occurred and that his invention was a success. He later sets his invention up in his neighbor's homes and he gets positive feedback from them as well.
 * Explain how Richard used the Design Cycle.
 * Show examples for each step of the Design Cycle (Research/Analysis, Design, Realizing the Solution, Evaluate). --Hint: He goes through the steps multiple times during the process. Discuss all examples--\

== Evaluate == What were some of the unintended outcomes of his solution? (Good or Bad - name at least 2)  1. It saves the lives of lions. 2. It's being used by other people in not only his community but also other countries. 3. He got to go to one of the best private schools in his country because of his invention.

Do you have to be rich and educated to invent something that changes the world? Why or Why not?  I believe that you don't have to be rich and educated to invent something that changes the world. I believe that it's the passion, dedication, and strong work ethic of a person that makes people succeed in inventing something that impacts the world. It doesn't take money or education. If someone is dedicated enough and is willing to do whatever it takes, they will try to achieve and most of the time, they will end up doing something great. How can a teenager change the world? <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">We can change the world by working hard and not being lazy. Many teens are lazy and just sit around all-day watching tv or playing video games. Teenagers can change the world by working hard and actually trying to accomplish something and getting it done.

How can you make a change in the world? <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">I can change the world by working hard in school and getting a good education. From the education I get, I can hopefully change the world in ways that other people have never thought of before.

What are two things that you found the most interesting about Richard's story? <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">1. He used standard or ordinary technology to create his invention. He didn't use any high-tech gadgets in his invention. <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">2. I learned a lot of interesting information about their culture. I never knew that parents put kids in charge of their cattle at such a young age. That's a big responsibility for a kid. If you could talk to Richard and ask him a question, what would you ask him? Why? <span style="color: #0000ff; display: block; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; text-align: left;">I would ask what he would want to invent next. I want to know if his next invention will help people in urban or rural areas or even both. I would also want to buy it if it's going to help me.