Lesson 2 Technology Unit Impact of Technology Lesson 2 Technology Unit

TNReady Practice Question

Answer The correct answer is D.

Science Standard GLE 0607.T/E.1 Explore how technology responds to social, political, and economic needs.

Understand the standard Define the following terms: Need- Social- Political- Economic- GLE 0607.T/E.1 Explore how technology responds to social, political, and economic needs.

Big Idea #1 Scientific Investigations It is important to understand that scientific investigations increase our understanding of the world and usually involve the collection of relevant data, the use of logical reasoning, and creatively devising hypotheses and explanations to make sense of the collected data. Engineering involves the application of scientific knowledge in order to design and build devices, materials and processes that allow for improvements to the standard of living in a society.

Big Idea #2 Science Constantly Changes The society in which we live needs to be appreciated as a dynamic system. The world we live in is vastly different from the world our grandparents lived in and also from the world our grandchildren will live in. The ways in which we choose to live our lives are continually changing. The food we choose to eat, the ways we choose to get from A to B, the ways we choose to communicate with others and the types of health care available to us are all examples of ways our lives have changed over time. The drivers of societal change are strongly influenced by scientific endeavors and engineering applications.

Science and Technology are Related Science helps drive technology, as it addresses questions that demand more sophisticated instruments and provides principles for better instrumentation and technique. Technology is essential to science, because it provides instruments and techniques that enable observations of objects and phenomena that are otherwise unobservable due to factors such as quantity, distance, location, size, and speed. Technology also provides tools for investigations, inquiry, and analysis.

No Perfect Solutions Perfectly designed solutions do not exist. All technological solutions have trade-offs, such as safety, cost, efficiency, and appearance. Engineers often build in back-up systems to provide safety. Risk is part of living in a highly technological world. Reducing risk often results in new technology.

Constraints Technological designs have constraints. Some constraints are unavoidable; for example, properties of materials, or effects of weather and friction. Other constraints limit choices in the design, for example, environmental protection, human safety, and aesthetics.

Benefits and Consequences Technological solutions have intended benefits and unintended consequences. Some consequences can be predicted, others cannot.

Science Influences Society Science influences society through its knowledge and world view. Scientific knowledge and the procedures used by scientists influence the way many individuals in society think about themselves, others, and the environment. The effect of science on society is neither entirely beneficial nor entirely detrimental.

Technology Influences Society Technology influences society through its products and processes. Technology influences the quality of life and the ways people act and interact. Technological changes are often accompanied by social, political, and economic changes that can be beneficial or detrimental to individuals and to society. Social needs, attitudes, and values influence the direction of technological development.

Society Inspires Science Societal challenges often inspire questions for scientific research, and social priorities often influence research priorities through the availability of funding for research.

Science Cannot Answer All Questions Science cannot answer all questions and technology cannot solve all human problems or meet all human needs. Understand the difference between scientific and other questions. Appreciate what science and technology can reasonably contribute to society and what they cannot do. For example, new technologies often will decrease some risks and increase others.

Impact of Technology Our modern lives are filled with technologies. In fact, they have become so integrated into our lives that many of them are frequently used but never really thought about. Few people stop to consider that civilization once lived on without them. Many of these technologies are so common today that they have become almost invisible. The impact of technology on our lives is substantial, even though it may not be obvious, understood, or even considered. For many, it is simply accepted. Technologies have changed the way people live, work, and play. However, this is not a new phenomenon. Technology has changed civilization in many ways throughout all of history. Today, few people stop to consider the social, economic, and political impact technology has had on our lives.

Two biggest technology drivers The social, political, economic and cultural impacts of technologies are used to determine positive and negative effects of technologies. In this context the two biggest technology drivers are agriculture and war. IRONY: Through new inventions agriculture was able to produce more food allowing populations to grow. While new inventions created more effective and devastating weapons of war which were used to kill and destroy these populations.

Agricultural Development How did civilization progress from hunting-and-gathering societies to slash-and-burn cultivation and then to settled agriculture? What crops were planted and where did they originate? Why did they make a difference? What tools were used and when did animals and machines begin to help with the work? How was the number of acres used for food production increased? What methods improved the crop yield per acre?

Check for Understanding How did agricultural technology impact society? Socially? Politically? Economically?

Weapons Development How did the action-reaction escalation of weapons development begin and why does it continue to this day? Civilization progressed from the axe, to the spear, and then to the bow and arrow. Fortifications and body armor surfaced. Catapults and trebuchets were invented as siege weapons. What was ‘Greek fire’ and what part did it play? Then the discovery of gunpowder changed everything. Now cannons, crude guns and rockets appeared. Traditional military tactics and procedures were altered as one devastating weapon followed another. Nuclear weapon race.

Check for Understanding How did weapons technology impact society? Socially? Politically? Economically?

Industrial Revolution Civilization moved from human power to animal power and then to water and wind power. Windmills and waterwheels supplied the energy to grind grain, spin textiles and run other machines. The craft industry of self-employed workers was transformed into an army of employees working in factories. Machine-paced labor led to a form of wage slavery. Guilds and unions were formed. Coal emerged as the main source of energy only to be replaced by oil. The steam engine powered industry and transportation until it was superseded by the internal combustion engine. Then electricity and all of the devices powered by it changed how/when we worked.

Check for Understanding How does industrial technology impact society? Socially? Politically? Economically?

The Environment What affect did early humans have on the world around them? What happened as the number of humans increased? As new technologies developed what affect did they have on the earth’s natural resources? What type of shortages developed and where? How was the depletion of resources handled? Substitutions were made, but what new problems did they create? When and where did pollution begin to be a problem? What was done about it?

Check for Understanding How does environmental technology impact society? Socially? Politically? Economically?

Communication It all began with the spoken word and progressed to the written word. Surprisingly, not all languages had a written counterpart. What happened to those without a written form? Stone tablets were the first form of permanent records. Manuscripts were copied by hand before the printing press was invented. Wooden blocks and copper plates were used before moveable type. Then the telegraph revolutionized communication only to be over shadowed by the telephone. The quest for instant communication continued with the invention of radio, television, and the Internet.

Check for Understanding How does communication technology impact society? Socially? Politically? Economically?

Transportation Initially humans walked and carried what they needed. A huge step forward occurred when animals and crude carts were used. Waterways became the prime mode for transportation and trade. Great vessels traveled the world’s oceans, rivers, and canals. Only to be supplemented by the steam engine powered locomotive and the age of railroad empires began. Then the automobile, mass produced on assembly lines, became the prime mode of transportation. Airplanes then emerged in the further quest for speed to get from place to place.

Check for Understanding How does transportation technology impact society? Socially? Politically? Economically?

Summary/Reflection Pick one question. Write a paragraph to answer the question. 4-5 sentences each paragraph. Begin with an introductory (topic) sentence, followed by supporting sentences, and then a conclusion (summary) sentence. 1. What innovation or invention (technology) had the biggest impact on civilization throughout history? 2. What innovation or invention (technology) has or had the biggest impact on your life?