SLIDES 11 - 14 What is Technology? ~30 minutes
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Regular = background for facilitator Italics = you do Bold = you say
SLIDE 11:
Transition/introductory slide
SLIDE 12:
This activity is adapted from EiE (Engineering is Elementary from the Boston Museum of
Science). Participants may work in their established groups or you may choose to regroup them. You will need one Mystery Bag for each group for this activity. Be sure to distribute the plastic spoon (object), the pad of sticky notes (system), and the canning procedure card (process). These are the technologies that will be debriefed whole group and must be debriefed in order from object to system to process (plastic spoon to sticky note pad to canning procedure). Remember which group gets which of these
3 technologies as you will ask them to share in order but do not want to call them by the name of technology; this would “give away” some of the discovery, particularly with the canning procedure.
Create a chart with this question “What comes to mind when you hear the word
‘technology’?” as the heading.
Write this question in your science notebook, “What is technology?”, then take a minute
to jot down a definition in response to this question.
After a couple of minutes, ask What comes to mind when you hear the word
“technology”? Record participants’ answers to the question on the prepared chart. Ask
the follow-up question on the slide about possible student responses.
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SLIDE 13:
Each group is getting a “mystery bag” that contains a technology. As you examine the
technology in the bag, be sure to discuss these specific questions:
• What is the technology?
• What does your technology do? or What problem does it solve?
• How else could you use it?
• What material(s) is it made of?
• What other materials could it be made of?
Record your technology, the questions, and your responses in your SNB.
As groups discuss their technologies, circulate the room to hear how the discussions are going. Pay particular attention to the group that got the “canning procedure” as their technology. This group may have difficulty separating the object (the card on which the procedure is printed or the canning elements themselves) from the process (the
What Is Technology? Slide Notes

SLIDES 11 - 14 What is Technology? ~30 minutes series of steps listed in the procedure). If they are focused on something other than the actual procedure (say, the jars, for example), redirect their discussion by asking a few questions: What is literally in front of you?, What problem does the card/piece of paper solve in this scenario?, What problem does the canning procedure solve? They should get to “it allows fruit/vegetables to be available out of season, it prevents spoiling,” etc.
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After 5 – 10 minutes, begin the group sharing with the plastic spoon group. EiE purposefully suggests beginning the debrief with the object (the plastic spoon) and then moving on to the system and the process (in that order), so that the concepts become more complex and build upon one another.
Begin with the plastic spoon group (but don’t call them that or you’ve given away the
answer to their first question). Ask What is your technology?
Prompt them to share their thoughts about the remaining questions on the slide, then use these questions to have this group expand upon the role of materials and their
properties in the design/function of the plastic spoon:
• Why do you think the spoon was made out of plastic? What are the benefits?
They are disposable, they are lightweight & easy to carry
• What are some other materials that spoons are made of? wood, metal, glass, silicone, etc.
• Why would you make a spoon out of wood or metal? Metal and wooden spoons are sturdier, last longer, wood is not a good heat conductor so good to stir hot liquids
• In what circumstances would you choose a plastic spoon over a metal spoon? A
metal spoon over a plastic spoon? Plastic spoon used for traveling/picnic/eating on the go because it’s lightweight, easy to carry, and disposable. Metal spoon when cooking because it’s sturdier and won’t melt in hot liquids. It is more durable so it can be used multiple times which saves money and reduces waste.
The materials and their properties (durability, conductivity, etc.) are important design
elements to consider when creating a technology to solve a particular problem.
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Follow the spoon debrief with the group that has the pad of sticky notes. Ask them to
share their responses to the questions on the slide.
Ask the whole group to consider the difference between the object (the plastic spoon)
and the pad of sticky notes.
Ask the following:
• What are the different components of the pad of sticky notes? Paper and the adhesive/glue on the back
What Is Technology? Slide Notes

SLIDES 11 - 14 What is Technology? ~30 minutes
• What problem does paper solve? Allows us to communicate words, pictures, and ideas
• What problem does adhesive solve? It sticks two things together
• What problem does the sticky note solve? Lets you write something down on paper, stick it to a surface, then remove the paper (without damaging the surface), and stick the note somewhere else
• What would happen if I took away one of these components? Would the
technology still function as intended? No, it wouldn’t work properly
• What do we call a technology that is made of multiple parts that must all work
together in order for the technology to function? A system.
You have just identified that technologies can be objects or they can be systems.
A system is a group of parts that work together to meet a goal. A process is a series of actions or steps leading to a result or goal.
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Go to the canning procedure group next. Ask, What is your technology?
Remember that this group may have had difficulty separating the object (the card on which the procedure is printed or the canning elements themselves) from the process
(the series of steps listed in the procedure).
If they have identified an object (the CARD or the CANNING ELEMENTS, like jars, rings, etc.), then ask :
• It sounds like you have identified the card [or the canning implements/elements] as a technology, but what about the canning procedure itself? What problem
does the canning procedure solve? Solves the problem of not have produce out of season/over winter, makes sure the food doesn’t spoil in the jar, prevents people from getting sick, and reduces wastes (extra produce in season can be canned for out of season consumption)
• Does it need to be printed on a card as a tangible object? How else could it be
shared? In a book, online via email/website/Pinterest, or it can be verbally shared
• Would you consider the canning procedure a technology? Why? Yes, because it solves a problem
If participants are still struggling with the idea that a process can solve a problem, you
might ask:
• If, 150 years ago, you had a crop of summer berries, what problem might this
canning procedure help you solve?
• What could happen if you don’t seal the canning jars as prescribed?
• What if the jars are not hot enough?
What Is Technology? Slide Notes

SLIDES 11 - 14 What is Technology? ~30 minutes
Even though technologies are often tangible objects, they can also be processes that
solve a problem, like the canning procedure.
If time allows, other groups may present their technologies, responding to the question prompts on the slide.
If you are short on time, you might ask all participants one or more of the following:
• Does anyone else have a technology that is an example of a system? What is it?
• Can you think of any other technologies that are systems?
• Can you think of any other technologies that are processes? Some possible examples: dry cleaning clothing, fracking, automated car wash, automobile assembly line
• [Ask each group] What problem does you technology solve?
Click PPT to advance to the next slide.
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SLIDE 14:
Now that we’ve examined these different technologies, let’s go back to our original
question. Would you still consider the items on our original list as technologies? Yes, electronic devices are examples of technology.
Is there anything you would add to our list? Plastic spoon, pad of sticky notes, canning procedure, etc., etc.
What do these items have in common with the technologies in your bags? They solve problems or make life easier; they are human-made
Are the technologies we examined natural or human-made? Human-made
Are technologies only objects? What else can they be? Systems or processes
Let’s go back to your preliminary definition of technology (in their SNB). Based on our discussion, take a minute or so to revisit – maybe even refine - your initial definition of
the term “technology.” After a couple of minutes, share EiE’s definition of “technology.”
As a quick Formative Assessment, you might ask, Is there anything in this room that is
NOT a technology? How do you know? Air, sunlight, water, plants, us/humans, anything natural/not human-made
Prepare to segue into the next activity which is “What is Engineering?” by revisiting the plastic spoon.
• What was one of the alternative functions for the plastic spoon that we mentioned
earlier? Use it as a shovel, catapult, drum stick (to hit on a pan), etc.
• Would the plastic spoon, as it is, be an effective technology to use when digging a hole to plant a tree [or another function participants mentioned that involves
What Is Technology? Slide Notes

SLIDES 11 - 14 What is Technology? ~30 minutes
digging]? No; would take too long, it would break, it too short so we’d have to bend over for too long, etc.
• If you were to redesign this spoon so that it functioned better as a digging tool,
what would you change? Why would you make that change? Longer handle for more leverage, make the “scoop” part out of metal for strength, make the scoop larger and broader to move more dirt, etc.
Every time a participant suggests a change to the spoon, ask them to explain/justify why they would make that particular change.
Summarize the groups’ responses using appropriate science & engineering terminology
(e.g. simple machines, ergonomics, material properties). For example, I hear you using your knowledge of simple machines (leverage), material properties (metal for increased strength), ergonomics, and your experience shoveling (lightweight shovel and curved
handle) to redesign the plastic spoon to solve a different problem.
Who do you think does this kind of work? Who uses their knowledge of science,
material properties, and sometimes ergonomics to design technologies? Engineers
What Is Technology? Slide Notes