Module 1 Intro

Module 1—Chemical Foundations

Lesson 1—Science and Technology in Society

 

Get Focused

 

Incorporating technology may have unforeseen consequences. During World War II, an insecticide called DDT was used to prevent insects from transmitting disease (specifically typhus and malaria). An unforeseen effect of using DDT was the large decline in raptor populations, such as the peregrine falcon, due to a weakening of their egg shells. DDT was banned in most developed nations in the 1970s and 1980s, and raptor populations are now recovering. This example demonstrates the importance of doing a risk-benefit analysis when considering the use of technology or a change to processes.

 

Even today, DDT is still used in many developing nations where malaria continues to be a problem. Malaria annually affects millions of people worldwide. Due to this, the benefit of using DDT to prevent malaria and save lives is given a greater priority than the risk posed to the environment and to sensitive bird populations.

 

In this lesson you will examine the relationships between science and technology. Pay particular attention to how the introduction of a technology might affect society. Recent concerns about climate change have focused attention on the possibility of using nuclear reactors for the production of electricity—even in Alberta. Such important decisions require careful consideration, often involving multiple perspectives. In this lesson you will review the different perspectives often considered when examining complex situations involving the application of technology.

 

Essential Questions

• What is the nature of science and technology, and what is their relationship?

• How should science-related societal, political, economic, ethical, and environmental issues be addressed?

• Can scientific knowledge lead to the development of new technologies? Can new technologies lead to or facilitate scientific discovery?

Assessment

 

In this lesson you will begin your module project. Create a folder on your computer in which you will store all your work during this course. For now, you can use this folder to store all your research and save any work you create as you complete the project. Later in the lesson you will receive more information about how to complete this part of the project. For additional information about the project, view the Module Summary and Assessment section.

 

The other questions in this lesson are not marked by the teacher; however, you should still answer these questions. The Self-Check and Try This questions are placed in this lesson to help you review important information and build key concepts that may be applied in future lessons.

 

After a discussion with your teacher, you must decide what to do with the questions that are not part of your assignment. For example, you may decide to submit to your teacher the responses to Try This questions that are not marked. You may decide to record the answers to all the questions in the lesson and place those answers in your course folder.

The choices you make about responding to the Self-Check and Try This questions will depend upon your learning style, your abilities in this subject, and your goals for the course.

 

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