Build a better mousetrap, and the world will beat a path to your door

High school (ages 12+)
Thinking & Learning

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/build-a-better-mousetrap-and-the-world-will-beat-a-path-to-your-door

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the philosophical originator?Ralph Waldo Emerson
2. What is the core economic principle?Market demand is driven by superior product innovation
3. What does "Build a better mousetrap" mean?It means making something so good that people will want it and ask for it.
4. Who said the saying about the mousetrap?A writer named Ralph Waldo Emerson talked about this idea, but the exact words may have changed over time.

Adage: A concise, memorable statement expressing a general truth or piece of advice.
Metaphor: A figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable, implying a resemblance.
Innovation: The introduction of new ideas, methods, or devices that improve upon existing ones, often leading to competitive advantage.
Intrinsic Merit: The inherent value or quality of something, independent of external factors like marketing or popularity.