Introduction
by Sarah Gilliam, Gloucester Community Arts Charter
Modified by Joe Douglas, Lansing Middle School
Modified by Stacy Clayback, Silver Hills Middle School
This has been designed with a middle grade computer class in mind. It requires the students to research areas in which there has been significant technological advancement (electricity, transportation, communication, etc.). The students will focus on the following: specific advancements and the people behind them, advantages to society and/or the environment because of these advancements, and disadvantages to society and/or the environment because of these advancements. Students will present their findings in a timeline and presentation.
Introduction
Have you ever wondered what life would be like without computers or cable TV? How might your life be different if there weren't cars, phones, or microwaves? There have been many improvements in technology in recent years. Just 50 years ago, the Internet, cell phones, and iPods did not exist. Our world is a different place today because of these changes. In this webquest, we will be researching some of these technological improvements and analyzing how they have impacted our lives.
Task
Task
In this Webquest, you will be researching how technology has evolved over time and how it has impacted society and the environment. Each student will be research one of the following areas of technology:
- Audio players (phonographs, radio, mp3 players)
- Motion pictures (television, film, cable)
- Land transportation (horse and buggy, railroads, cars)
- Flight (airplanes, hot air balloons, spaceships)
- Communication (letters, telegraphs, telephones, email)
After you have completed your research, you will work to create a timeline and a Google Presentation.
Process
Process
You will choose a topic that you want to research from the list on the task page (you may not choose the same topic as the person sitting next to you).
You will focuse on different areas while doing the research for this project.
- Facts about specific technological advancements including dates, locations, and people (inventors)
- Advantages of these advancements. Consider how this has positively impacted human society and our environment.
- Disadvantages of these advancements. Consider how this has negatively impacted human society and our environment.
Choose a topic below. Then use the internet to research that topic.
Audio Players
Motion Pictures
Land Transportation
Flight
Communication
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Google Presentation -
You will create a Google Presentation to show your research. You should have at least 6 slides (including your title slide).
Remember you are including:
- Facts about specific technological advancements including dates, locations, and people (inventors)
- Advantages of these advancements. Consider how this has positively impacted human society and our environment.
- Disadvantages of these advancements. Consider how this has negatively impacted human society and our environment.
DO NOT FORGET TO CITE YOUR SOURCES ON THE PRESENTATION. IF YOU DO NOT KNOW HOW TO DO THIS LOOK IT UP.
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Now you are going to create a Timeline
You will make the timeline using TimeToast https://www.timetoast.com/accounts/sign_in
It should contain at least eight important events/pictures related to your topic.
When you have completed your timeline, choose to view it as a list.
Then take a screenshot of your timeline and place it in your google spreadsheet.
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Share the presentation with me when you are done. stacy.clayback@gmail.com
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Timeline Example:
Evaluation
coming soon.
Conclusion
Conclusion
I hope that you learned a lot of cool information about how technology has improved over time. Do you think that people who lived 200 years ago could have even imaged how we live today? What do you think will happen during the next 200 years? Will we continue to have these kinds of rapid advancements in technology?
In addition to these questions, I want you to consider the possibility of a new technology that has not yet been invented. We will discuss your ideas later. Also, be thinking about the new technologies that you are the most grateful for.
Credits
Credits
Author Biography
Stacy Clayback
I am a teacher at Silver Hills Middle School.
Permissions
We all benefit by being generous with our work. Permission is granted for others to use and modify this WebQuest for educational, non-commercial purposes as long as the original authorship is credited. The modified WebQuest may be shared only under the same conditions. See the Creative Commons Attribution • Non-Commercial• Share-Alike license for details.