Understanding the Connection

This article is about an activity that encourages middle school students to think about the interactions between technology, individuals, and communities. The activity focuses on technology... See More

This article is about an activity that encourages middle school students to think about the interactions between technology, individuals, and communities. The activity focuses on technology in the students life, then broadens to the community and finally to society. Although the lesson presented in this article revolves around nanotechnology, the application of this lesson could easily focus on any form of technology. Learning the steps used to present it and applying it to children’s lives helps forge the link between science, engineering and society.

How does technology influence society?

The article is about a specific lesson (NanoCommunities) located on a website with additional lessons on nanotechnology. While the lesson is focused on nanotechnology - the authors mention t... See More

The article is about a specific lesson (NanoCommunities) located on a website with additional lessons on nanotechnology. While the lesson is focused on nanotechnology - the authors mention that it could be adapted to address any science/technology/society issue. The lesson encourages students to think about solutions and consequences of technology (as written) which is a good thing and a part of the NSES. In addition to the introductory activities the author describes as a lead in to a unit on science or technology and society, I have students do interviews with parents and grandparents (or people of grandparent age!) over what they did after school/ what technology they had when they were growing up. Students are amazed that life went on without many of the things they currently take for granted. The activity provides students an opportunity to work with a group to propose a new product to make life better in a community in which they have been assigned. I would have added one addi