Innovation

What do you think the word “innovation” means?

Let’s explore a break down of the word based on its prefix, base, and suffix.

Did You Know?

Did you know?

Did you know that all words are made up of morphemes?

A morpheme is “the smallest unit of meaning within words. A morpheme can be either a prefix, a suffix, or a base. Words are made up of one or more morphemes” attached to the beginning or end of a base to modify it’s meaning.

Source: Government of Ontario. (n.d.-c). Grade 8 Language Glossary. Curriculum and resources. https://www.dcp.edu.gov.on.ca/en/curriculum/elementary-language/grades/grade-8/glossary#m

Affixes are bound morphemes; they cannot stand alone. Prefixes and suffixes are both affixes.

Prefix + Base + Suffix

• Prefix is a morpheme that precedes a base to form a different word.
• Suffix is a morpheme that is added to the end of a base to create a different word.
• Base is any unit of a word to which affixes can be added.

Press Let’s Check! to explore an example.

Let’s Check!

Vocab goals

Innovation refers to a “new idea, method, or device” or “the introduction of something new.” Sometimes an innovation “can refer to something new or to a change made to an existing product, idea, or field.”

Source: Merriam-Webster. (n.d.-d). Innovations definition & meaning. Merriam-Webster. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/innovations

For example, the first ever telephone made is considered an invention, but with all of the changes made to it since, smartphones and wireless phones are innovations.

Past innovations

Explore the following images:

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Brainstorm

Brainstorm

• First, brainstorm any innovations that have been developed over the past twenty years. You may use the previous photos to guide your thinking.
• Then, think about why innovations are important to society.

Record your ideas in a notebook or another method of your choice.

If possible, discuss your response with a peer.

Acknowledgements(Opens in a new window)

Innovative strategies

Now, let’s explore the importance of innovation and analyze a few strategies, text features and patterns, and how they can help readers to understand meaning.

Text features

Text features are components of a text that stand out from the main body of a text, which helps to organize and highlight information for the reader. Text features often making it easier for the reader to understand and navigate the text.

Check out the following interactive to learn more.

Text patterns

Text patterns, also known as text structures, refer to ways information is organized within a text. Recognizing these patterns can help readers understand and recall information more effectively.

Check out a few common text patterns.

Learning check!

Match the text feature and pattern with the corresponding description.

Text styles

Check out three different styles of text about the importance of innovation. As you explore, notice the text features and patterns.

Article

Read the following article to learn more about The Importance of Innovation.

Press the Activity button to access the The Importance of Innovation.

Activity(Opens in a new tab)

What do you think?

What text features and text patterns did you notice? How did they help you understand the text?

Record your ideas in a notebook or another method of your choice.

Press Let’s Check! to learn more.

Let’s Check!

Video analysis

Now that you learnt about the importance of innovation, let’s explore a few videos about how innovation is shaping our future.

Press the following tabs to learn more.

Learning check!

Select the correct answer, then press Check Answer to see how you did.

Student Success

Think

After checking out the innovations, think about the following:

• How are Battachio and Kennedy’s innovations important?
• How is each one contributing positively to society?

Record your ideas in a notebook or another method of your choice.

If possible, share your ideas with a peer.

Grammar glimpses: Active & passive voice

Every sentence must contain a verb and a subject. As a reminder, a verb is a word that expresses an action, occurrence, or state of being.

Sentences can be written in the active or passive voice.

• The active voice asserts the subject is performing an action (i.e., The chef prepared a delicious meal.)
• The passive voice is when the subject is being acted upon (i.e., The delicious meal was prepared by the chef.)

The active and passive voice comes in several different tenses.

Press Tenses Chart to learn more.

Tenses Chart

Active or passive?

Let’s review what we’ve learnt about active and passive verb tenses. Decide whether the following sentences are active or passive verbs.

Select the correct answer, then press Check Answer to see how you did.

Social Emotional Learning

Social emotional learning

You’re doing great! It’s time for a short break!

A speech

In this section of the learning activity, you are going to be writing and delivering a speech on the importance of innovation.

Your speech should answer the following question:

How does innovation and creativity help to drive positive change in society?

Use the following checklist to help you establish your voice while you are writing your speech.

Student Tips

Student tips

Before you write your speech, consider how you will use “voice” in your text. Voice refers to the distinctive style or character of a text arising from how the creator uses various elements and features of a text form or genre to create the mood of the work as a whole (e.g., in a written or spoken text, word choice, sentence structure, imagery, rhythm, sound, tone, etc.).  

You may use the following checklist to guide your voice while writing your speech.

Word choice:

Have I chosen words that reflect my personality and convey my message clearly? Are there specific terms or phrases that enhance the impact of your speech or emphasize key points?

Sentence structure:

Have I varied my sentence length and structure to create rhythm and emphasize important ideas? Do my sentences flow smoothly, enhancing overall delivery and engagement of the audience?

Descriptive language:

Have I used vivid language to paint a picture and engage the audience? Are the descriptive details that illustrate your points and make them memorable?

Consistency and clarity:

Is my voice consistent throughout the speech reflecting my perspective? Have I edited my speech to ensure the message is communicated effectively to the audience?

Strategies

Your speech should include an introduction, body, and conclusion that respond to the question, "How does innovation and creativity help to drive positive change in society?" Once your speech is written, practise reading it, focusing on oral and non-verbal communication strategies.

When speaking in front of an audience you should consider both your oral and your non-verbal communication skills.

Oral communication refers to the expression of thoughts, ideas, and feelings through spoken or written language.

Non-verbal communication refers to other methods, such as body language including facial expressions, gestures, and other body movements.

Explore the following oral communication skills, then sort them as oral or non-verbal.

Once your speech is ready, practise it several times using the speaking strategies that we previously explored.

Fluency

Fluency is the ability to identify words correctly and read a text at an appropriate rate with ease, pace, automaticity, and expression. With proper phrasing and focus on punctuation, the reader will gain more meaning from the text.

After reading your speech, choose one area of fluency that you feel you should focus on and set a goal for yourself. What strategies could you use to help you achieve this goal?

Learning check!

For this task, decide whether the innovation is an example of:

• healthcare
• technology
• economic growth
• sustainability

Pause and Reflect

Pause and reflect

Let’s reflect on what you’ve learned throughout the learning activity.

Choose one of the following questions to respond to. Record your ideas in a notebook or another method of your choice.

Knowledge & Understanding	Application	Transferable Skills
What are the key areas that innovation addresses?	How can you incorporate innovative thinking into your future projects or tasks?	How can you apply problem solving skills to encourage innovation in your daily life?
Why is innovation important to society?	What steps can you take to stay informed about innovation in an area of interest?	How can you use creative and critical thinking to approach challenges with innovative solutions?

What role do you think innovation plays in your future?

Reflection

As you read the following descriptions, select the one that best describes your current understanding of the learning in this activity. Press the corresponding button once you have made your choice.

I feel...

I have an excellent understanding of the concepts.   I have a very good understanding of the concepts.   I have some understanding but need to review some more.  My understanding of the concepts needs a lot more work.

Now, expand on your ideas by recording your thoughts using a voice recorder, speech-to-text, or writing tool.

When you review your notes on this learning activity later, reflect on whether you would select a different description based on your further review of the material in this learning activity.