Lesson Eleven - Technology Through Time
Description
Students use the Internet to help them research and describe how the knowledge developed by early civilizations has affected modern society, using a series of advance organizers to help them record their results.
Expectations
- show how innovations made by various early civilizations have influenced the modern world.
– identify some scientific and technological advances made by two or more early civilizations (e.g., written language, calendar, time-keeping methods, invention of the wheel, medicine, sculpture, irrigation, building methods, architecture, embalming, aqueducts, metalwork);
– use primary and secondary sources to locate information about early civilizations (e.g., primary sources: artifacts, field trips; secondary sources: atlases, encyclopedias and other print materials, illustrations, videos, CD-ROMs, Internet sites);
Teaching / Learning
DAY ONE - Advance Organizer:
1. Hand out the advance organizers titled: "Ancient Civilizations Technology: Homes", "Ancient Civilizations Technology: Roads" and "Ancient Civilizations Technology: Water Supply."
2. Examine the advance organizers as a class. Have students think about the way the handouts are organized. What does this tell them about how they are used? What strategy should they use for recording data on the pages? What should they do before they start this or any research activity? Discuss.
Brainstorming:
3. Working as a class, brainstorm prior knowledge of the topics outlined on the handouts. At this point, students should be able to contribute a great deal.
4. Model your expectations for completion of the chart by recording student responses on chart paper copies of the handouts. Take one point from each group, if possible, to balance the view of technological contributions to present day across the many ancient civilizations.
Review:
5. Tell the class that the Internet is a useful resource to find information about museum civilization. Students should then use the information they collected to complete their charts.
6. Review, using keywords to focus research (taught in Lesson 9). Discuss how this skill can be helpful when using a search engine.
7. Go over Internet safety rules and review the steps required to access a website. Provide students with the names of some appropriate websites to help narrow their search.
8. Access one of the websites suggested and model the steps as you describe them. Research a civilization that students are not studying, and think out loud about the information you find, deciding what research is important, and what is not.
9. Record the important information in your chart as you find it, thinking out loud as you do so.
DAYS ONE TO THREE - Computer Assisted Learning:
10. Give students time to complete each handout independently.
DAY THREE - Learning Log/Journal:
11. Students should meet with their museum groups to share their research.
12. Prompt groups to discuss the question: "What is the most significant technological innovation that you discovered in your research? Why do you think so?" "What technologies do we have today as a result of the ancient civilizations we have studied?" "How is you life better because of a technology created during ancient times?" "What technologies do we have now that did not exist in ancient times?" "Do these technologies improve our lives? Explain."
13. After groups have had time to share their thoughts, direct students to reflect on their learning in relation to the same questions in their Learning Logs.
Assessment
- use the Learning Log Rubric to assess student responses to the writing assignment on the final day of the lesson.
- As students are working on the computer, circulate through the room and stop to talk to students. Ask them to explain what influenced their decision to record a particular fact in their chart. Use their resonse to note the student's ability to read factual resources with the purpose of research. Write anecdotal notes for individual students.
Assessment Strategies
- Performance Task
- Learning Log
Assessment Recording Devices
- Anecdotal Record
- Rubric
Resources
Ancient Civilizations Technology: Homes
Ancient Civilizations Technology: Roads
Ancient Civilizations Technology: Water
Adaptations
To accommodate for the needs of students identified as gifted, in this lesson, the following accommodations may be incorporated into the lesson plan:
* do not give students names of websites, and allow them to use the search engine to access sites containing the information required;
* pair students with peers who require extra help using the Internet.
To accommodate for the needs of students identified as having a learning difficulties as well as student who speak English as a second language in this lesson, the following accommodations may be incorporated into the lesson plan:
* pair students with peers who require an extra challenge;
* modify reading and writing expectations in completing the chart component of the assignment (e.g., accept word, phrase or sentence answers, depending upon level of language proficiency);
* allow extra time to complete task.
Notes to Teacher
As a result of this lesson, students develop a more thorough understanding of how design and technology in early civilizations have impacted on modern Canada. Students use the research they collect to assist them in completing their final research projects for the culminating task.
Book your school's computer lab, or arrange for your students to go to the library/resource center in small groups to complete this activity using print resources if you do not have access to computers.
The teaching portion of this subtask may require modification based on the availability of computers.
This subtask assumes that students have had some prior experience with Internet research. However, it would be pertinent to review the use of keywords to direct any research, in books or on the Internet.
Although the websites provided have been investigated by the writers, any time you have students access websites it is important to visit the sites and preview the materials. It is also important to check any links at least two steps away from the original site to ensure students will not come into contact with inappropriate material.
As websites are constantly changing, and as websites can be set up by anyone, it is also important to review Internet safety skills with students, such as: do not give anyone your name or any other personal information; do not agree to meet anyone you talk to on the Internet in person; do not believe everything you read on the Internet, as anyone can create a website and publish information.
