Technology for the Future: Small Is… Challenge The PPT can be used to introduce the Small Is…Challenge. It contains a number of starter activities and information to give students the background information they will need to achieve the Small Is… Challenge.

Starter activity In small groups, mind map as many new inventions/products that you can think of from the past five years. You might want to think in areas such as: food transport communication technology clothes toys   Before your students start their challenge – ask them to complete Worksheet 1 to find out their level of understanding of sustainability issues.

Guess which year was I invented? Monopoly World web Apple iPad If you’d prefer to select your own products/technologies to make it more focused on your D&T or science area, the website http://inventors.about.com/od/timelines/Timelines_of_Invention_and_Technology.htm covers a wide range of products. 3 D computer game Pop up toaster Zip

Which dates did you guess correctly? 1934 1990 2010 Dates taken from http://inventors.about.com/od/tielines/Timelines_of_Invention_and_Technology.htm 1987 1919 1917

Technology timeline Select any invention from the technology timeline in your classroom or visit the website below. Find an invention that interests you. Activity Complete worksheet 2 and 3 for your homework and present your findings back to your class.   http://inventors.about.com/od/timelines/Timelines_of_Invention_and_Technology.htm   All six worksheets are available as downloads at www.practicalaction.org/education/smallischallenge

What is Practical Action? In 1966, E.F. Schumacher set up an international development charity, now called Practical Action. Since then, Practical Action has grown a lot and works in Africa, Asia and South America, supporting people to develop and use suitable technologies in areas such as renewable energy, transport and housing. You can find out lots more about our projects at www.practicalaction.org.uk In Nepal, these children are enjoying energy in their homes, produced by a small wind turbine.

What is the Small is Challenge? E.F.Schumacher wrote a book which is called Small is Beautiful….. which set out his ideas about a future that protects the environment. To celebrate Schumacher’s centenary year, we’d like to set you this creative Small Is…Challenge. The book Small Is Beautiful is available at http://practicalactionpublishing.org/publishing and for more information of other activities to celebrate E.F. Schumacher’s centenary go to www.ef-schumacher.org.uk Invent a product that will help us to lead more sustainable lives over the next 100 years.

What are the big environmental issues to think about? In the UK, our lifestyles have a massive impact on the environment. In fact if everyone in the world lived the way we do, we’d need 3 planets to keep us going us. For more useful background information on the ‘big’issues for the future go to The Sustainability Handbook http://practicalaction.org/education/sustainability_handbook or a CD Sustainability Matters http://developmentbookshop.com/product_info.php?products_id=1574

What are we doing that we need to change? We use too much stuff - so much in fact that we waste lots! Each year £20 billion of unused food is thrown away! We use a lot of energy– mobile phone charging alone cost £60 million per year in energy. We use a lot of water –the average person uses 150-180 litres of water each day and this figure is rising yearly. We design things that don’t last very long – In Europe the average computer is replaced every two years.

Recap: Your Small Is Challenge… Invent a product that will help us to lead more sustainable lives over the next 100 years. You can choose who it will designed for and at what time period in the next 100 years you think it will be used. You may want to link it to your theme of Future: Food, Clothes, Homes, transport, Communication, or choose a theme of your own. Use the design sheets 4 and 5 that your teacher gives you to set out your ideas. Good luck! We suggest that each school submits it top four students per class. You could ask the students to vote for their favourite ideas. You might want to make a Design for the Future time capsule and put a copy of each students designs into a capsule and open it X amount of years.

Good luck with your ideas! Please ask your students to complete their evaluation Worksheet 6, to assess any changes in their understanding or attitude around sustainability issues.