What is technology?
Technology (“science of craft”, from Greek τέχνη, techne, “art, skill, cunning of hand”; and -λογία, -logia) is the sum of techniques, skills, methods, and processes used in the production of goods or services or in the accomplishment of objectives, such as scientific investigation. Technology can be the knowledge of techniques, processes, and the like, or it can be embedded in machines to allow for operation without detailed knowledge of their workings. Systems (e. g. machines) applying technology by taking an input, changing it according to the system’s use, and then producing an outcome are referred to as technology systems or technological systems.
Time to ask the students (ideas taken from tekneso)
- What do you consider are the top 5 most important invention ever (of all time)? Why?
- Could you set them in chronological order?
- What inventions do you think will show up in future? Explain their pros and cons.
Technological process stages
Activities (solved by pairs):
1- Why do we need the following objects? Are there other objects that satisfy the same need?
- Pen:
- Car:
- Vacuum cleaner:
- Coin:
- Example: We need a pen to write things. A pencil can satisfy the same need.
2- Give two examples of technological objects that are used to satisfy them.
a) Listening to music:
b) Making furniture:
c) Moving people from one place to another:
d) Communicating:
3- Look at the photographs and answer these questions:
a) Why do we need these objects?
b) What did we use in the past (before these objects existed) for the same needs?
Example: We need a camera to have pictures of people and places. In the past people painted pictures.
Explore more:
Watch this video about NASA’s Tri-ATHLETE robot, and then answer the questions that follow.
- What problems was Tri-ATHLETE designed to solve?
- How does Tri-ATHLETE solve these problems?
- How was the design of Tri-ATHLETE tested?
- How was the design refined and improved from earlier to later versions of the robot?