That’ll Be the Day
A WebQuest for Extreme Altitudes
Introduction
Space travel was once considered science fiction. When Robert Godard first published a
report on space travel in 1919, the New York Times ridiculed him. But Goddard was
eventually proven right when Apollo 11 reached the Moon in 1969. What commonplace
technologies today do you think were once considered a joke?
Task
Your task is to research modern technologies and select one whose inventors might have
been ridiculed had they proposed the idea ninety years ago. Use your findings to write a
brief research report.
Process
Use the resources listed in the Resources section to begin your research. The Web sites
listed are good starting points to learn about cutting-edge technologies, but further
Internet research will be necessary. Record your answers to the following questions.
1. What modern technologies do you think might have been ridiculed,
had the inventors proposed the technology ninety years ago? List at
least five technologies that are of interest to you.
2. Select one of these technologies to study and investigate it using the
internet. What specific component or feature of your selected
technology would have been unfathomable in 1920?
3. What inventions or discoveries preceded the technology that you have
selected and made your selected technology feasible?
Write a Report
Once you have selected a particular technology, write a research report about your
selected technology. Your report should include the following information:
1. A description of the technology: What is it? How does it work? What
is it used for?
2. The history of the technology: Who invented this technology? What
models or prototypes were developed? If the technology is marketed,
when did consumers first use it? What other technologies preceded this
technology? For example, trains propelled by steam preceded maglev
trains.
3. What inventions or discoveries made your selected technology
feasible? For example, electromagnets needed to be invented before
maglev trains.
Resources
How Stuff Works (search cutting-edge technology)
Department of Energy: Solar Energy Technologies Program
MITs Technology Review
Carnagie Institute of Technology
NPR: All Tech Considered
Evaluation
Read this rubric to see how you will be scored on this activity.
Criteria
Points
0
5
10
15
Process
The process
was not
followed
and
questions
were not
answered.
The process
was followed
but answers
to questions
showed no
evidence that
resources
were used.
It was evident
that resources
were used to
answer
process
questions but
answers were
incomplete or
incorrect.
Report
Content
A report
was not
written or
was missing
several
elements of
the required
information.
The report
was missing
few pieces of
the required
information.
The report
contained the
minimum
required
information.
Answers to
process
questions
were
complete and
supported by
evidence
from
resources.
The report
was thorough
and contained
detailed
information
about the
technology
and its
history.
The report
was poorly
written,
poorly
organized,
and/or
contained
many
grammatical
errors.
The report
was unclear
in places
and/or
contained
some
grammatical
errors.
A report
Report Style was not
written.
Total Score
The report
was well
organized,
clear, and
logical, and
contained
few, if any,
grammatical
errors.