Fernando M. Reimers et a1.

variations of it, and how it became popular. Students will chart the progress
of the invention over time and examine its impact at each of these differ—
ent points. In addition to performing this analysis and studying existing
environmental problems, students will also engage in imagining what this

technology could look like fifty years hence.

Activity 7.9.1

Designing a Friendly Future

Students work in teams to research an everyday technology. Students could
research lightbulbs, cameras, or some other technology. Their research will
need to cover the following areas:

1. The inventor(s)
a. Biographical information
Training
b. Collaborators
c. Inspirations and/or trailblazers who helped pave the way for the
inventor
2. The idea
a. The first iteration of the idea
b. The idea’s genesis/ conception
c. Early champions of the idea
3. The invention
a. The first incarnation of the invention
b. The resources needed for the invention (including manpower, ex—
pertise, raw materials, and funding)
c. The drawbacks of the initial invention
4. The spread
a. How the invention caught on
b. Who marketed it and to whom
c. How quickly it became popular

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