Technology of the Past, Present, and Future
David Starr
Parkside Elementary
Fall 2006
.
Stenographer, Miss Martha Elvert, typing, light exposure
DN-0002528A, Chicago Daily News negatives collection,
Chicago Historical Society
In this lesson students will gain an understanding of the changes in technology from the
early 19th century to today. They will predict how technology might change in the future.
Overview/ Materials/LOC Resources/Standards/ Procedures/Evaluation/Rubric/Handouts/Extension
Overview
Objectives
Recommended time frame
Grade level
Curriculum fit
Materials
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Students will:
 identify technology from the early 1900’s
 list the visual properties of the technology and
speculate on how it was used
 compare older technology to that of its present day
counterpart
 predict how this technology might change based on
its trend pattern from the early 1900’s to today
This lesson should take about a week with about 3-4
trips to the computer lab.
4th-5th
History, Social Studies
Students will need:
 computer per individual or group if doing the project
in pairs
 copy of the Venn Diagram sheet
 copy of description sheets
Illinois State Learning Standards
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Social Studies:
GOAL 16: Understanding events, trends, individuals
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and movements shaping the history of Illinois, the
United States, and other nations.
 16.C.2c. Describe significant economic events
including industrialization, immigration, the great
depression, the shift to a service economy, and the
rise of technology that influences history from the
industrial development era to the present
GOAL 18: Understanding social systems, with an
emphasis on the United States
 18. C.2. Describe how changes in production and
population caused changes in social systems.
Science:
GOAL 13: Understand the relationships among
science, technology and society in historical and
contemporary contexts.
 13.B.2b Describe the effects on society of scientific
and technological innovations (e.g., antibiotics,
steam engine, digital computer).
Procedures
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Day One:
 The teacher will introduce the topic of changes in
technology using examples from the primary source
table.
 Students will learn how to navigate the LOC
website. www.loc.gov
Day Two:
 Students will be given the description sheets and
will fill them out based on the type of technology
that they find.
 Students will copy and paste a picture of the type of
technology into a MS Word page and label the
picture with correct citation.
Day Three:
 Students will compare the old technology with its
present day counterpart using the Venn diagram.
Day Four:
 Use this as a work day to finish projects or begin the
extension activity.
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Day Five:
 Students will informally present their projects to the
class.
Evaluation
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

Extension
Students will be evaluated using the rubric
Students will be evaluated on their final Venn
diagram.
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

Students can extend this activity by pairing up with
another student/group of students and learning about
the other groups’ technology and how it has
changed.
The students will compose a 1-3 page paper
explaining how technology in general has changed.
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Primary Resources from the Library of Congress
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Primary Source
Description
Columbia Batteries:
The World's Standard
Northern
Manufacturing
Company car
Stenographer, Miss
Martha Elvert,
typing, light
exposure
Citation
URL
Emergence of Advertising OnLine Project
Advertising & Marketing History
Duke University Rare Book,
Manuscript, and Special
Collections Library
Library of Congress, Prints and
Photographs Division, Detroit
Publishing Company Collection
http://scriptorium.lib.d
uke.edu/eaa/ephemera/
A00/A0015/A001572dpi.html
Chicago Daily News negatives
collection, DN-0003451. Courtesy
of the Chicago Historical Society.
http://memory.loc.gov
/ndlpcoop/ichicdn/n00
25/n002528a.gif
http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.p
np/det.4a20832
http://memory.loc.gov
/cgibin/query/r?ammem/c
dn:@field(NUMBER
+@band(ichicdn+n00
2528a))
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Rubric
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Group Planning -- Research Project: Technologies of the past, present,
and future.
CATEGORY
4
3
2
1
Plan for Organizing
Information
Students have
developed a clear
plan for organizing
the information as it
is gathered and in
the final research
product. All
students can
independently
explain the planned
organization of the
research findings.
Students have
developed a clear
plan for
organizing the
information in
the final research
product. All
students can
independently
explain this plan.
Students have
developed a clear
plan for
organizing the
information as it
is gathered. All
students can
independently
explain most of
this plan.
Students have no
clear plan for
organizing the
information
AND/OR students
in the group cannot
explain their
organizational
plan.
Quality of Sources
Researchers
independently
locate at least 2
reliable, interesting
information sources
for EACH of their
ideas or questions.
Researchers
independently
locate at least 2
reliable
information
sources for
EACH of their
ideas or
questions.
Researchers, with
some adult help,
locate at least 2
reliable
information
sources for
EACH of their
ideas or
questions.
Researchers, with
extensive adult
help, locate at least
2 reliable
information
sources for EACH
of their ideas or
questions.
Work Habits
Student used time
wisely and did not
distract the progress
of others
Student did not
distract others
and used the
majority of their
time wisely
Student
distracted few
other students/
needed to be
reminded to stay
on task more
than 2 times
Student was a
distraction to
others/ Needed
constant reminding
to stay on task
Venn Diagram
Students Venn
Diagram contains
all of the required
parts and is written
in a clear manner
with meaningful
data
Students Venn
Diagram contains
all of the
required parts
and is written in
a clear manner
Students Venn
Diagram contains
all of the
required parts
Students Venn
Diagram contains
some of the
required parts
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Handouts
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TECHNOLOGY VENN DIAGRAM SHEET
Technology of
the 1900’s
Today’s
technology
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Description Sheet
1. What is your object?_____________________
2. What is the size of your object?_________________
3. What color is your object?_______________________
4. Are there any parts of your object that are “special” or
“unique”_______________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
5. How would you use your object?
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_______________________________________________
6. When was your object invented, created, or published?
____________________