Curriculum Projects
Engineering the Future
Science, Technology, and the Design Process
"Engineering the Future" is a full-year, introductory engineering course, suitable for students in grades 9 - 12. The course provides a strong foundation in physics and offers students an opportunity to explore the social, historical, and environmental contexts of emerging technologies. A central goal of the course is to build technological literacy for every student.
Throughout the course, students develop a practical understanding of how we are all influenced by technology, and how we all influence future technological development by the choices we make as workers, consumers, and citizens. The course is not exclusively for pre-engineering students or students who wish to enter technical trades.
The curriculum materials include: a unique textbook of first person accounts from a variety of technicians and engineer;, an "Engineering Notebook" for students to work with through hands-on projects and background science and math practices; and a teacher's guide.
Please visit the website mos.org/etf for more information.
| Format | Curricular Project |
| Grades | 9 – 12 |
| Author | Museum of Science, Boston |
| Source/Publisher | n/a |
| Location | n/a |
| Website | Engineering the Future |
Engineering the Future
+ View Detailed Standard Connections
Primary Connections:
MA Science and Technology/Engineering Framework (2006)
(Massachusetts)
- Technology/Engineering > Manufacturing Technologies (Grade: 9 – 10)
- Technology/Engineering > Energy and Power Technologies-Electrical Systems (Grade: 9 – 10)
- Technology/Engineering > Energy and Power Technologies-Electrical Systems (Grade: 9 – 10)
- Technology/Engineering > Energy and Power Technologies-Electrical Systems (Grade: 9 – 10)
- Technology/Engineering > Energy and Power Technologies-Electrical Systems (Grade: 9 – 10)
- Technology/Engineering > Energy and Power Technologies-Electrical Systems (Grade: 9 – 10)
- Technology/Engineering > Energy and Power Technologies-Thermal Systems (Grade: 9 – 10)
- Technology/Engineering > Energy and Power Technologies-Thermal Systems (Grade: 9 – 10)
- Technology/Engineering > Energy and Power Technologies-Thermal Systems (Grade: 9 – 10)
- Technology/Engineering > Energy and Power Technologies-Electrical Systems (Grade: 9 – 10)
- Technology/Engineering > Energy and Power Technologies-Electrical Systems (Grade: 9 – 10)
- Technology/Engineering > Communication Technologies (Grade: 9 – 10)
- Technology/Engineering > Manufacturing Technologies (Grade: 9 – 10)
- Technology/Engineering > Manufacturing Technologies (Grade: 9 – 10)
- Technology/Engineering > Manufacturing Technologies (Grade: 9 – 10)
- Technology/Engineering > Communication Technologies (Grade: 9 – 10)
- Technology/Engineering > Communication Technologies (Grade: 9 – 10)
- Technology/Engineering > Communication Technologies (Grade: 9 – 10)
- Technology/Engineering > Communication Technologies (Grade: 9 – 10)
- Technology/Engineering > Communication Technologies (Grade: 9 – 10)
- Technology/Engineering > Energy and Power Technologies-Thermal Systems (Grade: 9 – 10)
- Technology/Engineering > Energy and Power Technologies-Thermal Systems (Grade: 9 – 10)
- Technology/Engineering > Energy and Power Technologies-Thermal Systems (Grade: 9 – 10)
- Technology/Engineering > Construction Technologies (Grade: 9 – 10)
- Technology/Engineering > Construction Technologies (Grade: 9 – 10)
- Technology/Engineering > Construction Technologies (Grade: 9 – 10)
- Technology/Engineering > Engineering Design (Grade: 9 – 10)
- Technology/Engineering > Engineering Design (Grade: 9 – 10)
- Technology/Engineering > Engineering Design (Grade: 9 – 10)
- Technology/Engineering > Engineering Design (Grade: 9 – 10)
- Technology/Engineering > Engineering Design (Grade: 9 – 10)
- Technology/Engineering > Engineering Design (Grade: 9 – 10)
- Technology/Engineering > Construction Technologies (Grade: 9 – 10)
- Technology/Engineering > Construction Technologies (Grade: 9 – 10)
- Technology/Engineering > Energy and Power Technologies-Fluid Systems (Grade: 9 – 10)
- Technology/Engineering > Energy and Power Technologies-Fluid Systems (Grade: 9 – 10)
- Technology/Engineering > Energy and Power Technologies-Fluid Systems (Grade: 9 – 10)
- Technology/Engineering > Energy and Power Technologies-Fluid Systems (Grade: 9 – 10)
- Technology/Engineering > Energy and Power Technologies-Fluid Systems (Grade: 9 – 10)
- Technology/Engineering > Energy and Power Technologies-Fluid Systems (Grade: 9 – 10)
- Technology/Engineering > Energy and Power Technologies-Fluid Systems (Grade: 9 – 10)
- Technology/Engineering > Construction Technologies (Grade: 9 – 10)
- Technology/Engineering > Construction Technologies (Grade: 9 – 10)
Secondary Connections:
ITEA Standards For Technological Literacy (2000)
(National)
- The Designed World > Manufacturing technologies (Grade: 9 – 12)
- The Designed World > Manufacturing technologies (Grade: 9 – 12)
- The Designed World > Manufacturing technologies (Grade: 9 – 12)
- The Designed World > Manufacturing technologies (Grade: 9 – 12)
- The Designed World > Construction technologies (Grade: 9 – 12)
- The Designed World > Manufacturing technologies (Grade: 9 – 12)
- The Designed World > Manufacturing technologies (Grade: 9 – 12)
- The Designed World > Manufacturing technologies (Grade: 9 – 12)
- The Designed World > Information and communication technologies (Grade: 9 – 12)
- The Designed World > Information and communication technologies (Grade: 9 – 12)
- The Designed World > Information and communication technologies (Grade: 9 – 12)
- The Designed World > Information and communication technologies (Grade: 9 – 12)
- The Designed World > Construction technologies (Grade: 9 – 12)
- The Designed World > Construction technologies (Grade: 9 – 12)
- Abilities for a Technological World > Assess the impact of products and systems (Grade: 9 – 12)
- Abilities for a Technological World > Assess the impact of products and systems (Grade: 9 – 12)
- Abilities for a Technological World > Assess the impact of products and systems (Grade: 9 – 12)
- Abilities for a Technological World > Apply the design process (Grade: 9 – 12)
- Abilities for a Technological World > Apply the design process (Grade: 9 – 12)
- Abilities for a Technological World > Apply the design process (Grade: 9 – 12)
- Abilities for a Technological World > Apply the design process (Grade: 9 – 12)
- Abilities for a Technological World > Apply the design process (Grade: 9 – 12)
- Abilities for a Technological World > Apply the design process (Grade: 9 – 12)
- The Designed World > Construction technologies (Grade: 9 – 12)
- The Designed World > Construction technologies (Grade: 9 – 12)
- Abilities for a Technological World > Assess the impact of products and systems (Grade: 9 – 12)
- The Designed World > Information and communication technologies (Grade: 9 – 12)
- The Nature of Technology > Core concepts of technology (Grade: 9 – 12)
- The Nature of Technology > Core concepts of technology (Grade: 9 – 12)
- The Nature of Technology > Core concepts of technology (Grade: 9 – 12)
- The Nature of Technology > Core concepts of technology (Grade: 9 – 12)
- The Nature of Technology > Core concepts of technology (Grade: 9 – 12)
- The Nature of Technology > Core concepts of technology (Grade: 9 – 12)
- The Nature of Technology > Characteristics and scope of technology (Grade: 9 – 12)
- The Nature of Technology > Characteristics and scope of technology (Grade: 9 – 12)
- The Nature of Technology > Characteristics and scope of technology (Grade: 9 – 12)
- The Nature of Technology > Characteristics and scope of technology (Grade: 9 – 12)
- The Nature of Technology > Core concepts of technology (Grade: 9 – 12)
- The Nature of Technology > Core concepts of technology (Grade: 9 – 12)
- The Nature of Technology > Core concepts of technology (Grade: 9 – 12)
- The Designed World > Information and communication technologies (Grade: 9 – 12)
- The Designed World > Energy and power technologies (Grade: 9 – 12)
- The Designed World > Energy and power technologies (Grade: 9 – 12)
- The Designed World > Energy and power technologies (Grade: 9 – 12)
- The Designed World > Energy and power technologies (Grade: 9 – 12)
- The Designed World > Energy and power technologies (Grade: 9 – 12)
- The Nature of Technology > Relationships among technologies (Grade: 9 – 12)
- The Nature of Technology > Relationships among technologies (Grade: 9 – 12)
- The Nature of Technology > Relationships among technologies (Grade: 9 – 12)
- The Nature of Technology > Relationships among technologies (Grade: 9 – 12)
- The Nature of Technology > Core concepts of technology (Grade: 9 – 12)
References:
ITEA Standards For Technological Literacy (2000)
(National)
- Technology and Society > Effects of technology on the environment (Grade: 9 – 12)
- Technology and Society > Effects of technology on the environment (Grade: 9 – 12)
- Technology and Society > Effects of technology on the environment (Grade: 9 – 12)
- Technology and Society > Role of society in the development and use of technology (Grade: 9 – 12)
- Technology and Society > Role of society in the development and use of technology (Grade: 9 – 12)
- Technology and Society > Effects of technology on the environment (Grade: 9 – 12)
- Technology and Society > Effects of technology on the environment (Grade: 9 – 12)
- Technology and Society > Effects of technology on the environment (Grade: 9 – 12)
- Technology and Society > Cultural, social, economic, and political effects of technology (Grade: 9 – 12)
- Technology and Society > Cultural, social, economic, and political effects of technology (Grade: 9 – 12)
- Technology and Society > Cultural, social, economic, and political effects of technology (Grade: 9 – 12)
- Technology and Society > Cultural, social, economic, and political effects of technology (Grade: 9 – 12)
- Technology and Society > Role of society in the development and use of technology (Grade: 9 – 12)
– View Concise Standard Connections
Primary Connections:
MA Science and Technology/Engineering Framework (2006)
(Massachusetts)
- Technology/Engineering > 7.3 Manufacturing Technologies (Grade: 9 – 10)
Explain the process and the programming of robotic action utilizing three axes. - Technology/Engineering > 5.4 Energy and Power Technologies-Electrical Systems (Grade: 9 – 10)
Determine the voltages and currents in a series circuit and a parallel circuit. - Technology/Engineering > 5.3 Energy and Power Technologies-Electrical Systems (Grade: 9 – 10)
Explain the relationship between resistance, voltage, and current (Ohm's Law). - Technology/Engineering > 5.2 Energy and Power Technologies-Electrical Systems (Grade: 9 – 10)
Identify and explain the components of a circuit including a source, conductor, load, and controllers (controllers are switches, relays, diodes, transistors, integrated circuits). - Technology/Engineering > 5.1 Energy and Power Technologies-Electrical Systems (Grade: 9 – 10)
Describe the different instruments that can be used to measure voltage, e.g., voltmeter, multimeter. - Technology/Engineering > 5.0 Energy and Power Technologies-Electrical Systems (Grade: 9 – 10)
Broad Concept: Electrical systems generate, transfer, and distribute electricity. - Technology/Engineering > 4.5 Energy and Power Technologies-Thermal Systems (Grade: 9 – 10)
Identify and explain the tools, controls, and properties of materials used in a thermal system, e.g., thermostats, R Values, thermal conductivity, temperature sensors. - Technology/Engineering > 4.4 Energy and Power Technologies-Thermal Systems (Grade: 9 – 10)
Explain how environmental conditions influence heating and cooling of buildings and automobiles. - Technology/Engineering > 4.3 Energy and Power Technologies-Thermal Systems (Grade: 9 – 10)
Identify the differences between open and closed thermal systems, e.g., humidity control systems, heating systems, cooling systems. - Technology/Engineering > 5.5 Energy and Power Technologies-Electrical Systems (Grade: 9 – 10)
Explain how to measure voltage, resistance, and current in electrical systems. - Technology/Engineering > 5.6 Energy and Power Technologies-Electrical Systems (Grade: 9 – 10)
Describe the differences between Alternating Current (AC) and Direct Current (DC). - Technology/Engineering > 6.0 Communication Technologies (Grade: 9 – 10)
Broad Concept: The application of technical processes to exchange information includes symbols, measurements, icons, and graphic images. - Technology/Engineering > 7.2 Manufacturing Technologies (Grade: 9 – 10)
Differentiate the selection of tools and procedures used in the safe production of products in the manufacturing process, e.g., hand tools, power tools, computer-aided manufacturing, three-dimensional modeling. - Technology/Engineering > 7.1 Manufacturing Technologies (Grade: 9 – 10)
Explain the manufacturing processes of casting and molding, forming, separating, conditioning, assembling, and finishing. - Technology/Engineering > 7.0 Manufacturing Technologies (Grade: 9 – 10)
Broad Concept: Manufacturing processes can be classified into six groups: casting and molding, forming, separating, conditioning, assembling, and finishing. - Technology/Engineering > 6.5 Communication Technologies (Grade: 9 – 10)
Identify and explain the applications of laser and fiber optic technologies, e.g., telephone systems, cable television, medical technology, and photography. - Technology/Engineering > 6.4 Communication Technologies (Grade: 9 – 10)
Explain the components of a communication system, i.e., source, encoder, transmitter, receiver, decoder, storage, retrieval, and destination. - Technology/Engineering > 6.3 Communication Technologies (Grade: 9 – 10)
Compare the difference between digital and analog communication devices. - Technology/Engineering > 6.2 Communication Technologies (Grade: 9 – 10)
Explain how information travels through different media, e.g., electrical wire, optical fiber, air, space. - Technology/Engineering > 6.1 Communication Technologies (Grade: 9 – 10)
Identify and explain the applications of light in communications, e.g., reflection, refraction, additive, and subtractive color theory. - Technology/Engineering > 4.2 Energy and Power Technologies-Thermal Systems (Grade: 9 – 10)
Give examples of how conduction, convection, and radiation are used in the selection of materials, e.g., home and vehicle thermostat designs, circuit breakers. - Technology/Engineering > 4.1 Energy and Power Technologies-Thermal Systems (Grade: 9 – 10)
Differentiate among conduction, convection, and radiation in a thermal system, e.g., heating and cooling a house, cooking. - Technology/Engineering > 4.0 Energy and Power Technologies-Thermal Systems (Grade: 9 – 10)
Broad Concept: Thermal systems involve transfer of energy through conduction, convection, and radiation, and are used to control the environment. - Technology/Engineering > 2.2 Construction Technologies (Grade: 9 – 10)
Identify and explain the purposes of common tools and measurement devices used in construction, e.g., spirit level, transit, framing square, plumb bob, spring scale, tape measure, strain gauge, venturi meter, pitot tube. - Technology/Engineering > 2.1 Construction Technologies (Grade: 9 – 10)
Distinguish among tension, compression, shear, and torsion, and explain how they relate to the selection of materials in structures. - Technology/Engineering > 2.0 Construction Technologies (Grade: 9 – 10)
Broad Concept: Various materials, processes, and systems are used to build structures. - Technology/Engineering > 1.5 Engineering Design (Grade: 9 – 10)
Interpret plans, diagrams, and working drawings in the construction of a prototype. - Technology/Engineering > 1.4 Engineering Design (Grade: 9 – 10)
Apply scale and proportion to drawings. - Technology/Engineering > 1.0 Engineering Design (Grade: 9 – 10)
Broad Concept: Engineering design involves practical problem solving, research, development, and invention and requires designing, drawing, building, testing, and redesigning. - Technology/Engineering > 1.1 Engineering Design (Grade: 9 – 10)
Identify and explain the steps of the engineering design process, i.e., identify the problem, research the problem, develop possible solutions, select the best possible solution(s), construct a prototype, test and evaluate, communicate the solution(s), and redesign. - Technology/Engineering > 1.2 Engineering Design (Grade: 9 – 10)
Demonstrate knowledge of pictorial and multi-view drawings (e.g., orthographic projection, isometric, oblique, perspective) using proper techniques. - Technology/Engineering > 1.3 Engineering Design (Grade: 9 – 10)
Demonstrate the use of drafting techniques with paper and pencil or computer-aided design (CAD) systems when available. - Technology/Engineering > 2.3 Construction Technologies (Grade: 9 – 10)
Describe how structures are constructed using a variety of processes and procedures, e.g., welds, bolts, and rivets are used to assemble metal framing materials. - Technology/Engineering > 2.4 Construction Technologies (Grade: 9 – 10)
Identify and explain the engineering properties of materials used in structures, e.g., elasticity, plasticity, thermal conductivity, density. - Technology/Engineering > 3.6 Energy and Power Technologies-Fluid Systems (Grade: 9 – 10)
Solve problems related to hydrostatic pressure and depth in fluid systems. - Technology/Engineering > 3.5 Energy and Power Technologies-Fluid Systems (Grade: 9 – 10)
Explain the relationship between velocity and cross-sectional areas in the movement of a fluid. - Technology/Engineering > 3.4 Energy and Power Technologies-Fluid Systems (Grade: 9 – 10)
Differentiate between hydraulic and pneumatic systems and provide examples of appropriate applications of each as they relate to manufacturing and transportation systems. - Technology/Engineering > 3.3 Energy and Power Technologies-Fluid Systems (Grade: 9 – 10)
Explain Bernoulli's Principle and its effect on practical applications, i.e., airfoil design, spoiler design, carburetor. - Technology/Engineering > 3.2 Energy and Power Technologies-Fluid Systems (Grade: 9 – 10)
Identify and explain sources of resistance (e.g., 45o elbow, 90o elbow, type of pipes, changes in diameter) for water moving through a pipe. - Technology/Engineering > 3.1 Energy and Power Technologies-Fluid Systems (Grade: 9 – 10)
Differentiate between open (e.g., irrigation, forced hot air system) and closed (e.g., forced hot water system, hydroponics) fluid systems and their components such as valves, controlling devices, and metering devices. - Technology/Engineering > 3.0 Energy and Power Technologies-Fluid Systems (Grade: 9 – 10)
Broad Concept: Fluid systems are made up of liquids or gases and allow force to be transferred from one location to another. They also provide water, gas, and oil, and remove waste. They can be moving or stationary and have associated pressures and velocities. - Technology/Engineering > 2.6 Construction Technologies (Grade: 9 – 10)
Calculate quantitatively the resultant forces for live loads and dead loads. - Technology/Engineering > 2.5 Construction Technologies (Grade: 9 – 10)
Differentiate the factors that affect the design and building of structures, such as zoning laws, building codes, and professional standards.
Secondary Connections:
ITEA Standards For Technological Literacy (2000)
(National)
- The Designed World > 19.O Manufacturing technologies (Grade: 9 – 12)
Manufacturing systems may be classified into types, such as customized production, batch production, and continuous production. - The Designed World > 19.P Manufacturing technologies (Grade: 9 – 12)
The interchangeability of parts increases the effectiveness of manufacturing processes. - The Designed World > 19.Q Manufacturing technologies (Grade: 9 – 12)
Chemical technologies provide a means for humans to alter or modify materials and to produce chemical products. - The Designed World > 19.R Manufacturing technologies (Grade: 9 – 12)
Marketing involves establishing a product's identity, conducting research on its potential, advertising it, distributing it, and selling it. - The Designed World > 20.J Construction technologies (Grade: 9 – 12)
Infrastructure is the underlying base or basic framework of a system. - The Designed World > 19.N Manufacturing technologies (Grade: 9 – 12)
Durable goods are designed to operate for a long period of time, while non-durable goods are designed to operate for a short period of time. - The Designed World > 19.M Manufacturing technologies (Grade: 9 – 12)
Materials have different qualities and may be classified as natural, synthetic, or mixed. - The Designed World > 19.L Manufacturing technologies (Grade: 9 – 12)
Servicing keeps products in good operating condition. - The Designed World > 17.Q Information and communication technologies (Grade: 9 – 12)
Technological knowledge and processes are communicated using symbols, measurement, conventions, icons, graphic images, and languages that incorporate a variety of visual, auditory, and tactile stimuli. - The Designed World > 17.P Information and communication technologies (Grade: 9 – 12)
There are many ways to communicate information, such as graphic and electronic means. - The Designed World > 17.O Information and communication technologies (Grade: 9 – 12)
Communication systems are made up of source, encoder, transmitter, receiver, decoder, storage, retrieval, and destination. - The Designed World > 17.N Information and communication technologies (Grade: 9 – 12)
Information and communication systems can be used to inform, persuade, entertain, control, manage, and educate. - The Designed World > 20.K Construction technologies (Grade: 9 – 12)
Structures are constructed using a variety of processes and procedures. - The Designed World > 20.L Construction technologies (Grade: 9 – 12)
The design of structures includes a number of requirements. - Abilities for a Technological World > 13.L Assess the impact of products and systems (Grade: 9 – 12)
Use assessment techniques, such as trend analysis and experimentation, to make decisions about the future development of technology. - Abilities for a Technological World > 13.K Assess the impact of products and systems (Grade: 9 – 12)
Synthesize data, analyze trends, and draw conclusions regarding the effect of technology on the individual, society, and environment. - Abilities for a Technological World > 13.J Assess the impact of products and systems (Grade: 9 – 12)
Collect information and evaluate its quality. - Abilities for a Technological World > 11.R Apply the design process (Grade: 9 – 12)
Evaluate final solutions and communicate observation, processes, and results of the entire design process, using verbal, graphic, quantitative, virtual, and written means, in addition to three-dimensional models. - Abilities for a Technological World > 11.Q Apply the design process (Grade: 9 – 12)
Develop and produce a product or system using a design process. - Abilities for a Technological World > 11.P Apply the design process (Grade: 9 – 12)
Evaluate the design solution using conceptual, physical, and mathematical models at various intervals of the design process in order to check for proper design and to note areas where improvements are needed. - Abilities for a Technological World > 11.O Apply the design process (Grade: 9 – 12)
Refine a design by using prototypes and modeling to ensure quality, efficiency, and productivity of the final product. - Abilities for a Technological World > 11.N Apply the design process (Grade: 9 – 12)
Identify criteria and constraints and determine how these will affect the design process. - Abilities for a Technological World > 11.M Apply the design process (Grade: 9 – 12)
Identify the design problem to solve and decide whether or not to address it. - The Designed World > 20.N Construction technologies (Grade: 9 – 12)
Structures can include prefabricated materials. - The Designed World > 20.M Construction technologies (Grade: 9 – 12)
Structures require maintenance, alteration, or renovation periodically to improve them or to alter their intended use. - Abilities for a Technological World > 13.M Assess the impact of products and systems (Grade: 9 – 12)
Design forecasting techniques to evaluate the results of altering natural systems. - The Designed World > 17.M Information and communication technologies (Grade: 9 – 12)
Information and communication systems allow information to be transferred from human to human, human to machine, machine to human, and machine to machine. - The Nature of Technology > 02.FF Core concepts of technology (Grade: 9 – 12)
Complex systems have many layers of controls and feedback loops to provide information. - The Nature of Technology > 02.EE Core concepts of technology (Grade: 9 – 12)
Management is the process of planning, organizing, and controlling work. - The Nature of Technology > 02.DD Core concepts of technology (Grade: 9 – 12)
Quality control is a planned process to ensure that a product, service, or system meets established criteria. - The Nature of Technology > 02.CC Core concepts of technology (Grade: 9 – 12)
New technologies create new processes. - The Nature of Technology > 02.BB Core concepts of technology (Grade: 9 – 12)
Optimization is an ongoing process or methodology of designing or making a product and is dependent on criteria and constraints. - The Nature of Technology > 02.AA Core concepts of technology (Grade: 9 – 12)
Requirements involve the identification of the criteria and constraints of a product or system and the determination of how they affect the final design and development. - The Nature of Technology > 01.M Characteristics and scope of technology (Grade: 9 – 12)
Most development of technologies these days is driven by the profit motive and the market. - The Nature of Technology > 01.L Characteristics and scope of technology (Grade: 9 – 12)
Inventions and innovations are the results of specific, goal-directed research. - The Nature of Technology > 01.K Characteristics and scope of technology (Grade: 9 – 12)
The rate of technological development and diffusion is increasing rapidly. - The Nature of Technology > 01.J Characteristics and scope of technology (Grade: 9 – 12)
The nature and development of technological knowledge and processes are functions of the setting. - The Nature of Technology > 02.W Core concepts of technology (Grade: 9 – 12)
Systems thinking applies logic and creativity with appropriate compromises in complex real-life problems. - The Nature of Technology > 02.X Core concepts of technology (Grade: 9 – 12)
Systems, which are the building blocks of technology, are embedded within larger technological, social, and environmental systems. - The Nature of Technology > 02.Y Core concepts of technology (Grade: 9 – 12)
The stability of a technological system is influenced by all of the components in the system, especially those in the feedback loop. - The Designed World > 17.L Information and communication technologies (Grade: 9 – 12)
Information and communication technologies include the inputs, processes, and outputs associated with sending and receiving information. - The Designed World > 16.N Energy and power technologies (Grade: 9 – 12)
Power systems must have a source of energy, a process, and loads. - The Designed World > 16.M Energy and power technologies (Grade: 9 – 12)
Energy resources can be renewable or nonrenewable. - The Designed World > 16.L Energy and power technologies (Grade: 9 – 12)
It is impossible to build an engine to perform work that does not exhaust thermal energy to the surroundings. - The Designed World > 16.K Energy and power technologies (Grade: 9 – 12)
Energy can be grouped into major forms: thermal, radiant, electrical, mechanical, chemical, nuclear, and others. - The Designed World > 16.J Energy and power technologies (Grade: 9 – 12)
Energy cannot be created nor destroyed; however, it can be converted from one form to another. - The Nature of Technology > 03.J Relationships among technologies (Grade: 9 – 12)
Technological progress promotes the advancement of science and mathematics. - The Nature of Technology > 03.I Relationships among technologies (Grade: 9 – 12)
Technological ideas are sometimes protected through the process of patenting. - The Nature of Technology > 03.H Relationships among technologies (Grade: 9 – 12)
Technological innovation often results when ideas, knowledge, or skills are shared within a technology, among technologies, or across other fields. - The Nature of Technology > 03.G Relationships among technologies (Grade: 9 – 12)
Technology transfer occurs when a new user applies an existing innovation developed for one purpose in a different function. - The Nature of Technology > 02.Z Core concepts of technology (Grade: 9 – 12)
Selecting resources involves trade-offs between competing values, such as availability, cost, desirability, and waste.
References:
ITEA Standards For Technological Literacy (2000)
(National)
- Technology and Society > 05.J Effects of technology on the environment (Grade: 9 – 12)
The alignment of technological processes with natural processes maximizes performance and reduces negative impacts on the environment. - Technology and Society > 05.K Effects of technology on the environment (Grade: 9 – 12)
Humans devise technologies to reduce the negative consequences of other technologies. - Technology and Society > 05.L Effects of technology on the environment (Grade: 9 – 12)
Decisions regarding the implementation of technologies involve the weighing of trade-offs between predicted positive and negative effects on the environment. - Technology and Society > 06.H Role of society in the development and use of technology (Grade: 9 – 12)
Different cultures develop their own technologies to satisfy their individual and shared needs, wants, and values. - Technology and Society > 06.I Role of society in the development and use of technology (Grade: 9 – 12)
The decision whether to develop a technology is influenced by societal opinions and demands, in addition to corporate cultures. - Technology and Society > 05.I Effects of technology on the environment (Grade: 9 – 12)
With the aid of technology, various aspects of the environment can be monitored to provide information for decision-making. - Technology and Society > 05.H Effects of technology on the environment (Grade: 9 – 12)
When new technologies are developed to reduce the use of resources, considerations of trade-offs are important. - Technology and Society > 05.G Effects of technology on the environment (Grade: 9 – 12)
Humans can devise technologies to conserve water, soil, and energy through such techniques as reusing, reducing, and recycling. - Technology and Society > 04.K Cultural, social, economic, and political effects of technology (Grade: 9 – 12)
The transfer of a technology from one society to another can cause cultural, social, economic, and political changes affecting both societies to varying degrees. - Technology and Society > 04.J Cultural, social, economic, and political effects of technology (Grade: 9 – 12)
Ethical considerations are important in the development, selection, and use of technologies. - Technology and Society > 04.I Cultural, social, economic, and political effects of technology (Grade: 9 – 12)
Making decisions about the use of technology involves weighing the trade-offs between the positive and negative effects. - Technology and Society > 04.H Cultural, social, economic, and political effects of technology (Grade: 9 – 12)
Changes caused by the use of technology can range from gradual to rapid and from subtle to obvious. - Technology and Society > 06.J Role of society in the development and use of technology (Grade: 9 – 12)
A number of different factors, such as advertising, the strength of the economy, the goals of a company, and the latest fads contribute to shaping the design of and demand for various technologies.
Engineering the Future
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Engineering the Future
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Engineering the Future
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Format:
Book
Book
Grades:
9 - 12
9 - 12
- Engineering the Future
- Engineering the Future: Science, Technology, and the Design Process is a full-year high school course developed by the Museum of Science, Boston. The course introduces students to the engineering profession through hands-on design challenges and readings about working engineers. It also prepares students ... (details)
