Fernando M. Reimers et al.

as the product of individuals’ work in contexts that support
innovation.

2. Inspire students to be curious about emerging technologies and to
anticipate their likely social impact.

3. Evaluate the main technological innovations of the twentieth cen—
tury and demonstrate an understanding of how the process of tech—

nological innovation improves well-being.

Skills and Knowledge

1. Students will identify the major emerging technological innovations
in the twentywfirst century.

2. Students will explain and describe the likely social consequences of
at least one major emerging technological innovation, what tech—
nologies it replaced, the costs and benefits associated with it, and
how it might be used to address one of the global challenges identi—
fied in the SDGs.

This unit introduces the topic of invention and examines how it addresses
social challenges. Using episodes from Planet Green TV’s Dean ofInvmtz'on, in
which inventor Dean Kamen discusses emerging technologies, students exam—
ine some of the current technological innovations and discuss their applica-
tions. They then examine the contributions of Kamen himself as an inventor.

Activity TIG.1.1.

In small groups students select one of the episodes featured in “Dean of
Invention” (http://planetgreen.discovery.com/tv/dean—of—invention/dean—
of—invention~episode—guides.html) and study one invention of their choos—
ing. Students might focus on microbots, bionic bodies, wired brains, robots,
energy, motion, or flight, for example.

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