Whatever you might think about its politics, the Daily Mail does have a great website. This feature on pointless inventions would make a good basis for a lesson.
Lesson ideas
1. Copy the images (without the text) into a PowerPoint presentation. Get students to speculate what each invention is for.
2. Students have to come up with an advertising campaign for one of the inventions (TV, radio or print).
3. Students have to pitch an invention to potential investors (as in the Dragons' Den).
4. Discussion activity: students decide which the THE most useless invention.
5. Students invent their own useless gadget and present it to the class.
