Students begin by thinking about the ways that technology affects their own lives. Then they learn about how technology has improved communication around the world—between individuals, businesses, nations, and cultures. Next, students examine ways that technology has improved the environment. Then they learn about ways that technology has also harmed the environment and they consider ways to decrease the negative impact. Finally, students consider what life will be like in the future based on the advance of technology.
Objectives:
- Describe the impact of technology on communication.
- Describe the impact of technology on the environment, both positive and negative.
- Make predictions about the use of technology in the future.
Scene 1 — Engage
Student Activity
Students read an introduction comparing communication 100 years ago with today and review the lesson objectives. They list the ways technology affects their own lives in a shared table, then post on a collaborative wall describing how technology likely influences the daily life of a person from another culture who lives far away.
Teacher Moves
Present the overview and objectives of the experience. Facilitate discussion of students’ lists to highlight common effects of technology and prompt additions. Guide conversation about similarities and differences in technology use across cultures, emphasizing which aspects of technology are global.
Scene 2 — Explore 1
Student Activity
Students read How Technology Has Improved Communication to learn how technology has changed communication in business, education, and international relationships, including benefits and cautions. As they read, they complete a graphic organizer with notes on each category and the article’s considerations and warning. They then respond on a class wall describing a personal experience with information overload and how they might prevent it in the future.
Teacher Moves
Prompt students to connect the reading to real-world examples as they complete the organizer. Highlight and share an interesting or exemplary wall response to spark discussion about information overload. Use ideas and guidance from the Digital Responsibility website to lead a brief conversation about healthy, balanced technology use.
Scene 3 — Explore 2
Student Activity
Students read Top 10 Emerging Environmental Technologies to explore technologies that may improve the environment in the future. They post on a collaborative wall explaining which technology they believe is most important and why, then review classmates’ posts and respond to at least one peer who chose a different technology.
Teacher Moves
Encourage students to justify their choices with reasons and evidence from the article. If time allows, invite volunteers to orally argue for their chosen technology, prompting comparison and evaluation of different environmental solutions.
Scene 4 — Explain
Student Activity
Students read How Technology Can Harm the Environment to learn about negative environmental impacts such as carbon emissions and toxic technotrash. They take notes in a graphic organizer on general harms and the two specific issues. Then they post on a class wall explaining what an individual can do to reduce these environmental impacts.
Teacher Moves
Support students in identifying key harms and recording them clearly in the organizer. Select an interesting or exemplary wall response to share with the class and facilitate a discussion about concrete actions young people can take. Guide the class in creating a shared document or poster listing ways individuals can lessen technology’s environmental harm.
Scene 5 — Elaborate
Student Activity
Students imagine life 100 years in the future and describe how technology will affect the daily life of someone their age. They write a nonfiction or fictional narrative, optionally including drawings of predicted technologies, and post it to the class wall. They then read classmates’ posts and respond to at least two with a question or positive comment.
Teacher Moves
Encourage creative yet plausible predictions that connect to earlier learning about communication and the environment. Invite students to share especially engaging narratives and highlight thoughtful peer feedback, reinforcing connections between present trends and possible futures.
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