Technology of the Past, Present, and Future

An Adventure of the American Mind

IllinoisStateUniversity

David Starr

Parkside Elementary

.

Fall 2006

An Adventure of the American Mind

IllinoisStateUniversity

Stenographer, Miss Martha Elvert, typing, light exposure

DN-0002528A, Chicago Daily News negatives collection,

Chicago Historical Society

In this lesson students will gain an understanding of the changes in technology from the early 19th century to today. They will predict how technology might change in the future.

Overview/ Materials/LOC Resources/Standards/Procedures/Evaluation/Rubric/Handouts/Extension

OverviewBack to Navigation Bar
Objectives / Students will:
  • identify technology from the early 1900’s
  • list the visual properties of the technology and speculate on how it was used
  • compare older technology to that of its present day counterpart
  • predict how this technology might changebased on its trend pattern from the early 1900’s to today

Recommended time frame / This lesson should take about a week with about 3-4 trips to the computer lab.
Grade level / 4th-5th
Curriculum fit / History, Social Studies
Materials / Students will need:
  • computer per individual or group if doing the project in pairs
  • copy of the Venn Diagram sheet
  • copy of description sheets

IllinoisState Learning StandardsBack to Navigation Bar
Social Studies:
GOAL 16: Understanding events, trends, individuals and movements shaping the history of Illinois, the United States, and other nations.
  • 16.C.2c. Describe significant economic events including industrialization, immigration, the great depression, the shift to a service economy, and the rise of technology that influences history from the industrial development era to the present
GOAL 18: Understanding social systems, with an emphasis on the United States
  • 18. C.2. Describe how changes in production and population caused changes in social systems.
Science:
GOAL 13:Understand the relationships among science, technology and society in historical and contemporary contexts.
  • 13.B.2b Describe the effects on society of scientific and technological innovations (e.g., antibiotics, steam engine, digital computer).

ProceduresBack to Navigation Bar
Day One:
  • The teacher will introduce the topic of changes in technology using examples from the primary source table.
  • Students will learn how to navigate the LOC website.
Day Two:
  • Students will be given thedescription sheets and will fill them out based on the type of technology that they find.
  • Students will copy and paste a picture of the type of technology into a MS Word page and label the picture with correct citation.
Day Three:
  • Students will compare the old technology with its present day counterpart using theVenn diagram.
Day Four:
  • Use this as a work day to finish projects or begin the extension activity.
Day Five:
  • Students will informally present their projects to the class.

EvaluationBack to Navigation Bar
  • Students will be evaluated using therubric
  • Students will be evaluated on their final Venn diagram.

Extension Back to Navigation Bar
  • Students can extend this activity by pairing up with another student/group of students and learning about the other groups’ technology and how it has changed.
  • The students will compose a 1-3 page paper explaining how technology in general has changed.

Primary Resources from the Library of Congress

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Primary Source / Description / Citation / URL
/ ColumbiaBatteries: The World's Standard / Emergence of Advertising On-Line Project
Advertising & MarketingHistory
DukeUniversity Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library /
/ Northern Manufacturing Company car / Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, Detroit Publishing Company Collection /
/ Stenographer, Miss Martha Elvert, typing, light exposure / Chicago Daily News negatives collection, DN-0003451. Courtesy of the Chicago Historical Society. /

Rubric

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Group Planning -- Research Project: Technologies of the past, present, and future.
CATEGORY / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1
Plan for Organizing Information / Students have developed a clear plan for organizing the information as it is gathered and in the final research product. All students can independently explain the planned organization of the research findings. / Students have developed a clear plan for organizing the information in the final research product. All students can independently explain this plan. / Students have developed a clear plan for organizing the information as it is gathered. All students can independently explain most of this plan. / Students have no clear plan for organizing the information AND/OR students in the group cannot explain their organizational plan.
Quality of Sources / Researchers independently locate at least 2 reliable, interesting information sources for EACH of their ideas or questions. / Researchers independently locate at least 2 reliable information sources for EACH of their ideas or questions. / Researchers, with some adult help, locate at least 2 reliable information sources for EACH of their ideas or questions. / Researchers, with extensive adult help, locate at least 2 reliable information sources for EACH of their ideas or questions.
Work Habits / Student used time wisely and did not distract the progress of others / Student did not distract others and used the majority of their time wisely / Student distracted few other students/ needed to be reminded to stay on task more than 2 times / Student was a distraction to others/ Needed constant reminding to stay on task
Venn Diagram / Students Venn Diagram contains all of the required parts and is written in a clear manner with meaningful data / Students Venn Diagram contains all of the required parts and is written in a clear manner / Students Venn Diagram contains all of the required parts / Students Venn Diagram contains some of the required parts

Handouts

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TECHNOLOGY VENN DIAGRAM SHEET

An Adventure of the American Mind

IllinoisStateUniversity

Description Sheet

  1. What is your object?______
  1. What is the size of your object?______
  1. What color is your object?______
  1. Are there any parts of your object that are “special” or “unique”______
  1. How would you use your object? ______
  1. When was your object invented, created, or published? ______