Standard 1 The Nature Of Technology:
As a result of activities in grades 6-8, all students will increase their understanding of the nature of technology.
Benchmark 1
The students will develop an understanding of the characteristics and scope of technology.
Indicator 1
The student will recognize new products and systems can be developed to solve problems or to help do things that could not be done without the help of technology. For example, engines increase the speed at which people can travel, and pumps move water to locations where it is needed. The use of technology sometimes helps to improve personal lives by lessening threats, such as disease, toil, or ignorance. However, the desire or need for a new product or system can cause negative consequences, such as when people travel long hours to work in order to pay for improvements for their homes or child and healthcare.
Indicator 2
The student will understand that the development of technology is a human activity and is the result of individual or collective needs and the ability to be creative. Making life easier involves generating new products and systems through creativity and innovation. For example, from the time of the first gas cook stove in 1936 to the time of the microwave oven in 1967, the focus was on simplifying the process of cooking and reducing the time of food preparation.
Indicator 3
The student will understand that technology is closely related to creativity, which has resulted in innovation.
Most inventions are inspired by perceived needs and wants - the hairbrush, for example. Other inventions are linked to developing creative ideas and the way a person uses them, not necessarily their intended use. For example, the invention of the tea bag grew out of a packaging strategy to replace expensive tin containers. Although tea was packaged in small silk bags to give away as samples, some users thought it was a new way to brew the tea, and thus the tea bag was born. An invention can always be improved, and trying new ideas is often key to that improvement.
Indicator 4
The student will realize that corporations can often create demand for a product by bringing it onto the market and advertising it.
Although market demand generally determines the success or failure of a technology, companies often develop products or systems before a need is identified. In order for a technology to be profitable, there must be a market for it - either preexisting or created through an advertising campaign. The promotion of a product or system often determines its popularity and demand.
Benchmark 2
Students will develop an understanding of the core concepts of technology.
Indicator 1
The student will recognize that technological systems include input, processes, output, and at times feedback.
The input consists of the resources that flow into a technological system. The process is the systematic sequence of actions that combines resources to produce an output - encoding, reproducing, designing, or propagating, for example. The output is the end result, which can have either a positive or negative impact. Feedback is information used to monitor or control a system. A system often includes a component that permits revising or refining the system when the feedback information suggests such action. For example, the fuel level indicator of a car is a feedback system that lets the user know when the system needs additional fuel.
Indicator 2
The student will understand that systems thinking involves considering how every part relates to others.
Systems are used in a number of ways in technology. Systems also appear in many aspects of daily life, such as solar systems, political systems, civil systems, and technological systems. Analyzing a system is done in terms of its individual parts or in terms of the whole system and how it interacts with or relates to other systems. For example, discussing a computer system may involve the particular parts of a single computer, or it may include the entire computer network. In contrast, discussing the solar system may involve listing the planets, stars, and other celestial bodies, or it may be discussed by comparing our solar system to other solar systems in the universe.
Indicator 3
The student will understand that an open-loop system has no feedback path and requires human intervention, while a closed-loop system uses feedback.
An example of an open-loop system is a microwave oven that requires a person to determine if the food has been heated to the required temperature. An example of a closed-loop system is the heating system in a home, which has a thermostat to provide feedback when it needs to be turned on and off.
Indicator 4
The student will understand that technological systems can be connected to one another.
Systems can be connected with the output of one system being the input to the next system. Sometimes the connection provides control of one system over another system.
Indicator 5
The student will recognize that malfunctions of any part of a system may affect the function and quality of the system.
When part of a system breaks or functions improperly, the results can range from a nuisance to a disaster.
Indicator 6
The student will demonstrate that requirements are the parameters placed on the development of a product or system.
These parameters are often referred to as criteria or constraints.
Indicator 7
The student will recognize that trade-off is a decision process recognizing the need for careful compromises among competing factors.
For example, a comparison may be made between increasing the takeoff power of a spacecraft and using lightweight materials. The increased power may result in larger engines, which may be heavier, while the use of the newly developed materials may offset weight concerns. When trade-offs are made, there is a choice or exchange for one quality or thing in favor of another.
Indicator 8
The student will recognize that different technologies involve different sets of processes.
For example, data processing includes designing, summarizing, storing, retrieving, reproducing, evaluating, and communicating, while the processes of construction include designing, developing, evaluating, making and producing, marketing, and managing.
Indicator 9
The student will understand that maintenance is the process of inspecting and servicing a product or system on a regular basis in order for it to continue functioning properly, to extend its life, or to upgrade its capability.
All technological systems will eventually fail. Maintenance reduces the possibility of failing earlier. If maintenance is not done, failure is certain. The rate of failure depends on such factors as how complicated the system is, what kinds of conditions it must operate in, and how well it was originally built.
Indicator 10
The student will learn that controls are mechanisms or particular steps that people perform using information about the system that causes systems to change. The essence of control mechanism is comparing information about what is happening to what is desired and then adjusting devices or systems to make the desired outcomes more likely. For example, a microprocessor may be used to control the performance of a microwave or traditional oven in cooking food to a desired temperature.
Benchmark 3
Students will develop an understanding of the relationship among technologies and the connections between technology and other fields of study.
Indicator 1
The student will understand that technological systems often interact with one another.
In automated manufacturing, for example, computer systems interact with manufacturing systems.
Indicator 2
The student will recognize that product, system, or environment developed for one setting may be applied to another setting.
For example, a computerized pump based on biological laboratory design for the Mars Viking space probe was modified for use as an insulin delivery mechanism that provides diabetics with an automatic and precise way to control blood sugar.
Indicator 3
The student will recognize that knowledge gained from other fields of study has direct effect on the development of technological products and systems.
Studying the history of technology provides people with a way to learn from the successes and failures of their predecessors. In addition, skills learned from other fields of study enhance technological developments. For example, skills learned in language arts are used in making design presentations. The concepts and principles of drawing are used in designing and rendering examples of technological products and systems. Scientific and mathematical knowledge and principles influence the design, production, and operation of technological systems. Science concepts, such as Ohm's Law, aerodynamic principles, and the periodic table of elements, are used in the development of new materials and designs. Mathematical concepts, such as the use of measurement, symbols, estimation, accuracy, and the idea of scaling and proportion are key to developing a product or system and being able to communicate design dimensions and proper function
Standard 2 Technology And Society:
As a result of activities in grades 6-8, all students will develop understandings of the relationship between technology and society. Benchmark 1 Students will develop an understanding of the cultural, social, economic, and political effects of technology.
Indicator 1
The student will recognize that the use of technology affects humans in various ways, including their safety, comfort, choices, and attitudes about technology's development and use.
People's attitudes toward and knowledge about a product or system, along with their subsequent actions, vary greatly and are influenced by their moral, social, or political beliefs. For example, some might support the construction of a high-voltage electric transmission line because it would provide electricity to people in remote areas, while others who live near the path of the power line might not support it because of potential effects on their health and safety. Sometimes people are well informed about a product or system, while at other times they have limited information to make their choices about whether a technology should be developed or used.
Indicator 2
The student will learn that technology, by itself, is neither good nor bad, but decisions about the use of products and systems can result in desirable or undesirable consequences.
For example, fossil fuels have both desired and undesired consequences. While these fuels provide a good source of energy, their use may damage the environment.
Indicator 3
The student will understand that the development and use of technology poses ethical issues.
People often wonder whether the use of some technologies is ethically acceptable. For example, should we allow everyone to purchase a gun?
Indicator 4
The student will understand that economic, political, and cultural issues are influenced by the development and use of technology.
For example, information technology systems have been used to both inform and influence society. Technology also affects the way people of different cultures live, the kind of work they do, and the decisions they have to make.
Benchmark 2
Students will develop an understanding of the effects of technology on the environment.
Indicator 1
The student will learn that the management of waste produced by technological systems is an important societal issue.
Recycling materials, such as glass, paper, and aluminum has decreased the waste that is sent to landfills, thereby reducing the need for new disposal sites.
Indicator 2
The student will learn that technologies can be used to repair damage caused by natural disasters and to break down waste from the use of various products and systems.
New building technologies and landscaping techniques can be used to reduce the effects of earthquakes and major storms. In addition, innovative ways of reducing waste production can aid in repairing the environment. For example, the use of bacteria in sewage treatment helps to clean human waste prior to being released into rivers or lakes.
Indicator 3
The student will understand that decisions to develop and use technologies often put environmental and economic concerns in direct competition with one another.
For example, decisions on the use of nuclear power, wetlands preservation, and placement of roads and highways are sometimes in direct conflict with many different viewpoints and interests.
Benchmark 3
Students will develop an understanding of the role of society in the development and use of technology.
Indicator 1
The student will realize that throughout history, new technologies have resulted from the demands, values, and interests of individual, businesses, industries, and societies.
The development of the typewriter helped speed the preparation of documents for many businesses, while the development of the photocopying machine revolutionized the process of duplicating documents. The typewriter and photocopying machine were followed by many other innovations including an electronic facsimile (fax) machine, and electronic mail (e-mail), which continue to change the way people correspond and keep records.
Indicator 2
The student will learn that the use of inventions and innovations has led to changes in society and the creation of new needs and wants.
For example, the initial creation of radios, televisions, and sound systems has let to an ever-growing demand for entertainment and information. Thus, the development of technology sometimes creates the demand.
Indicator 3
The student will recognize that social and cultural priorities and values are reflected in technological devices.
For example, an unenthusiastic attitude toward the use of genetically engineered foods has affected the development of this technology, yet many seed-producing companies are pressed to develop insect-and disease-resistant plants. Likewise consumer tastes influence technological designs, such as the color and contours of household appliances. For example, new appliances are not marketed in the rounded shapes of the 1950s or the avocado green color of the 1970s.
Indicator 4
The student will realize that meeting societal expectations is the driving force behind the acceptance and use of products and systems.
Whether or not a technology is accepted by society depends, first, on whether it does its job and, second, on how well it accords with various economic, political, cultural, and environmental concerns. With little regard to underlying technology, people expect buildings to provide shelter, bridges to span water, and dams to provide power and recreation.
Benchmark 4
Students will develop an understanding of the influence of technology on history.
Indicator 1
The student will learn that many inventions and innovations have evolved by using slow and methodical processes of tests and refinements.
For example, during the development of the incandescent light bulb, Thomas Edison and a team of 20 highly skilled technical personnel performed more than 1,000 tests before they narrowed their ideas to the one that worked. Since that first light bulb burned for 13 hours in 1879, there have been many innovations and design changes.
Indicator 2
The student will learn that the specialization of function has been at the heart of many technological improvements.
For example, the early steam engine was originally designed with a single chamber in which steam expanded and then was condensed - thus performing both of the two very different functions of the steam engine in the same place. Fifty years later, by isolating the functions of the cylinder and steam condenser into separate components, James Watt created a more efficient steam engine.
Indicator 3
The student will understand that the design and construction of structures for service of convenience have evolved from the development of techniques for measurement, controlling systems, and the understanding of spatial relationships.
For example, the purpose of Roman aqueducts was to provide a service by moving water from the surrounding hills to the city. The water flowed through channels, some above ground on high arches or tiers, while most were underground and were designed with a slight downward grade. Building the aqueducts required much organization, as well as an understanding of the materials and terrain.
Indicator 4
The student will learn that in the past, an invention or innovation was not usually developed with the knowledge of science.
The introduction of science knowledge combined with technological knowledge led to a great increase in engineering and technological development. The development of a new product or system often happens in areas that have not been analyzed by science or in areas where science knowledge is being gathered alongside the technological development, such as in space programs.
As a result of activities in grades 6-8, all students will increase their understanding of design.
Benchmark 1
Students will develop an understanding of the attributes of design.
Indicator 1
The student will apply design as a creative planning process that leads to useful products and systems.
The design process typically occurs in teams whose members contribute different kinds of ideas and expertise. Sometimes a design is for a physical object such as a house, bridge, or appliance and sometimes it is for a non-physical thing, such as software.
Indicator 2
The student will realize that there is no perfect design.
All designs can be improved. The best designs optimize the desired qualities - safety, reliability, economy, and efficiency - within the given constraints. All designs build on the creative ideas of others.
Indicator 3
The student will learn that requirements for a design are made up of criteria and constraints.
Criteria identify the desired elements and features of a product or system and usually relate to their purpose or function. Constraints, such as size and cost, establish the limits on a design.
Benchmark 2
Students will develop an understanding of engineering design.
Indicator 1
The student will learn that design involves a set of sets, which can be performed in different sequences and repeated as needed.
Each design problem is unique and may require different procedures or demand that the steps be performed in a different sequence. In addition, engineers and designers also have their preferences and problem-solving styles and may choose to approach the design process in different ways.
Indicator 2
The student will learn and demonstrate that brainstorming is a group problem-solving design process in which each person in the group presents his or her ideas in an open forum.
In this process, no person is allowed to criticize anyone else's ideas regardless of how inane they may seem. After all of the ideas are recorded, the group selects the best ones, and then further develops them.
Indicator 3
The student will demonstrate that modeling, testing, evaluating, and modifying are used to transform ideas in practical solutions.
Historically, this process has centered on creating and testing physical models. Models are especially important for the design of large items, such as cars, spacecraft, and airplanes because it is cheaper to analyze a model before the final products and systems are actually made. Evaluation is used to determine how well the designs meet the established criteria and to provide direction for refinement. Evaluation procedures range from visually inspecting to actually operating and testing products and systems.
Benchmark 3
Students will develop an understanding of the role of troubleshooting, research and development, invention and innovation, and experimentation in problem solving. Indicator 1 The student will learn that troubleshooting is a problem-solving method used to identify the cause of a malfunction in a technological system.
These kinds of problems typically require some type of specialized knowledge about how a derailleur works is needed in order to find out why a bicycle does not shift properly. Once the cause of the problem has been identified, the next step is to repair and test it.
Indicator 2
The student will learn that invention is a process of turning ideas and imagination into devices and systems. Innovation is the process of modifying an existing product or system to improve it.
All technological refinement occurs through the process of innovation.
Indicator 3
The student will recognize that some technological problems are best solved through experiments.
These include experimentation with technological products and systems. This process closely resembles the scientific method. The difference between these methods is the goals that each pursue. The goal of science is to understand how nature works, while the goal of technology is to create the human-made world. In both cases, the process is systematic and involves tinkering, hypothesizing, observing, tweaking, testing, and documenting.
Standard 4 Abilities For A Technological World:
As a result of activities in grades 6-8, all students will develop abilities for a technological world.
Benchmark 1
Students will develop the abilities to apply the design process.
Indicator 1
The student will apply a design process to solve problems in and beyond the laboratory-classroom.
Perform research, then analyze and synthesize the resulting information gathered through the design process. Identify and select a need, want, or problem to solve, which could result in a solution that could lead to an invention an original solution) or an innovation (a modification of an existing solution). Identify goals of the problem to be solved . These goals specify what the desired result should be.
Indicator 2
The student will specify criteria and constraints for the design.
Examples of criteria include function, size, and materials, while examples of constraints are costs, time, and user requirements. Explore various processes and resources and select and use the most appropriate ones. These processes and resources should be based on the criteria and constraints that were previously identified and specified.
Indicator 3
The student will make two-dimensional and three-dimensional representations of the designed solution.
Two-dimensional examples include sketches, drawings, and computer-assisted designs (CAD). A model can take many forms, including graphic, mathematical, and physical.
Indicator 4
The student will test and evaluate the design in relation to pre-established requirements, such as criteria and constraints, and refine as needed.
Testing and evaluation determine if the proposed solution is appropriate for the problem. Based on the results of the tests and evaluation, students should improve the design solution. Problem-solving strategies involve applying prior knowledge, asking questions, and trying ideas.
Indicator 5
The student will make a product or system and document the solution.
Group process skills should be used, such as working with others in a cooperative team approach and engaging in appropriate quality and safety practices. Students should be encouraged to use design portfolios, journals, drawings, sketches, or schematics to document their ideas, processes, and results. There are many additional ways to communicate the results of the design process to others, such as a World Wide Web page or a model of a product or system.
Benchmark 2
Students will develop the abilities to use and maintain technological products and systems.
Indicator 1
The student will use information provided in manuals, protocols, or by experience people to see and understand how things work.
This information is helpful in learning how to use a product and determining if it works properly. In addition, many manuals provide tips on how to troubleshoot a product or system.
Indicator 2
The student will use tools, materials, and machines safely to diagnose, adjust, and repair systems.
For many consumer products, federal and state laws require safety information. Safety procedures should be learned through formal education.
Indicator 3
The student will use computers and calculators in various applications.
Computers can be used to control production systems and to research answers to problems.
Indicator 4
The student will operate and maintain systems in order to achieve a given purpose.
The understanding of how a system works is vital if one is to operate and maintain it successfully. Examples of everyday systems could include the Internet, control systems such as robots, and gating circuits for digital processing of information.
Benchmark 3
Students will develop the abilities to access the impact of products and systems.
Indicator 1
The student will design and use instruments to gather data.
Examples of these instruments could be a data-collection instrument for interviews, questionnaires to be mailed, or computer-based forms on the World Wide Web. Assessment tools also could include devices designed to conduct tests on such things as water quality, air purity, and ground pollution.
Indicator 2
The student will use data collected to analyze and interpret trends in order to identify the positive or negative effects of a technology.
Technologically literate citizens are able to fulfill their personal and social responsibility to assess technology.
Indicator 3
The student will identify trends and monitor potential consequences of technological development.
Trends are patterns of technological activities that show a tendency or take a general direction. Trends are used to provide direction in deciding if a product or system should be used.
Indicator 4
The student will interpret and evaluate the accuracy of the information obtained and determine if it is useful.
Developing specific criteria for what is useful is important in making these judgments. Sometimes determining accuracy is easy - taking information from physical measuring devices like a water-purity tester, for example. At other times accuracy is more difficult to determine, as when assessments are based on public opinion, which can differ greatly from group to group and from time to time.
Standard 5 The Designed World:
As a result of activities in grades 6-8, all students will develop abilities for a designed world.
Benchmark 1
Students will develop an understanding of and be able to select and use medical technologies.
Indicator 1
The student will learn that advances and innovations in medical technologies are used to improve healthcare.
A super-quick, ultra-low radiation digital X-ray machine, originally developed to detect diamond smugglers has been adapted to save lives. Patients undergo a full-body X-ray, which can locate bullets and pinpoint fractures in seconds.
Indicator 2
The student will learn that sanitation processes used in the disposal of medical products help to protect people from harmful from harmful organisms and disease, and shape the ethics of medical safety.
Proper handling and management of hazardous materials, such as medicines, clothing, and instruments, help to protect people from unnecessary harm and increase risk-free environments.
Indicator 3
The student will understand that the vaccines developed for use in immunization require specialized technologies to support environments in which sufficient amount of vaccines are produced.
Immunization is the process of systematically vaccinating people through a series of shots to prevent disease. The technological system designed to create the proper environments in which a vaccine may be cultured is paramount to the success of the large quantity of the vaccine needed for immunization. Increasing the production of a vaccine requires understanding how an organism is tailored to produce a vaccine and how a vaccine works, in addition to addressing the quantity needed for all concerned and providing enough materials for proper production of the vaccine.
Indicator 4
The student will learn that genetic engineering involves modifying the structure of DNA to produce novel genetic make-ups.
Genetic engineering is done in a laboratory using reagents and other tools that allow researchers to make controlled changes in genetic information and structure. A practical example in the area of molecular pharmaceutical industry involves the process to remove the human insulin gene from human cells and to move it into bacterial cells (E. coli) with other genetic signals that instruct the bacteria to make human insulin. Large amounts of human insulin can be produced by this recombinant DNA method. The human insulin (Humulin) has been found to be superior to that derived from the pancreas of pigs (porcine insulin) because patients using pig insulin can develop allergies that can compromise the effectiveness of diabetic treatment.
Benchmark 2
Students will develop an understanding of and be able to select and use agricultural and related biotechnologies. Indicator 1 The student will know that technological advances in agriculture directly affect the time and number of people required to produce for a large population.
New tools and machinery, such as milking machines, trucks, and combines are designed to make work easier and more productive. Today, fewer people are involved in producing food, while more people are needed for processing, packaging, and distributing it.
Indicator 2
The student will know that a wide range of specialized equipment and practices are used to improve the production of food, fiber, fuel, and other useful products and in the care of animals.
For example, farmers use lasers to level their fields and the global positioning system (GPS) for precision farming. Wildlife habitats create special environments that encourage beneficial insects that in turn increase plant pollination and pest control.
Indicator 3
The student will understand that biotechnology applies the principles of biology to create commercial products or processes.
Advances in the area of molecular genetic biotechnology have been made in the pharmaceutical industry (improved therapeutic drugs), agricultural industry herbicide-resistant, pesticide resistant, and climate-adapted crops), as well as in medicine (gene therapies).
Indicator 4
The student will understand that artificial ecosystems are human-made complexes that replicate some aspects of the natural environment.
For example, a terrarium is used to raise plants or animals in an enclosed habitat The terrarium acts as a total environment using all the systems of life, such as food, water, shelter, and space. Managing an artificial ecosystem requires gathering data to plan, organize, and control processes, products, and systems. For example, operating a hydroponics system within a closed (or open) environment requires total control and cultivation. Temperature, nutrients, light, air circulation, and monitoring of insects all need management in order for the system to function properly.
Indicator 5
The student will know that the development of refrigeration, freezing, dehydration, preservation, and irradiation provide long-term storage of food and reduce the health risks caused by tainted food.
For example, the process of irradiation involves bombarding food with low doses of high-frequency energy from gamma rays, X-rays, or accelerated electrons. The purpose of the process is to extend shelf life for weeks instead of days by inhibiting maturation and decay.
Benchmark 3
Students will develop an understanding of and be able to select and use energy and power technologies.
Indicator 1
The student will learn that energy is the capacity to do work.
Energy is required for a broad range of actions, from walking to running a diesel engine. Energy is an important input to many technological systems. Work is the product of force multiplied by the distance through which the force acted. Work is measured in foot-pounds in the English system and in Newton-meters, or joules, in the metric system.
Indicator 2
The student will learn that energy can be used to do work, using many processes.
For example, electricity can be generated by using geothermal energy to turn a turbine, which subsequently turns a generator to produce an electrical voltage. Another example involves an internal combustion engine: gasoline vapor is combined with air and ignited with a spark plug; the spark plug explodes inside the cylinder creating high pressure and temperature; the pressure acting on the piston is connected to a piston rod that turns the crankshaft.
Indicator 3
The student will know that power is the rate at which energy is converted from one form to another or transferred from one place to another, or the rate which work is done.
Power is calculated by dividing the energy provided by the time taken to provide it. Common power measurements are horsepower and kilowatt. An example of the difference between the concept of energy (or work) and power can be seen in a student climbing a set of stairs. To climb from one floor of a building to another takes the same amount of energy to do the same work no matter how fast the student climbs. However, to climb twenty stairs in 30 seconds is quite different from climbing the same twenty stairs in 10 seconds. Climbing faster requires the same amount of energy but more power, in the previous example three times more power.
Indicator 4
The student will understand that power systems are used to drive and provide propulsion to other technological products and systems.
A portable generator, for example, can be used to provide electricity to remote dwellings.
Indicator 5
The student will recognize that much of the energy used in our environment is not used efficiently.
Conservation is the act of making better use of energy. Individuals can conserve energy by car pooling, driving the speed limit, and turning off lights. Builders can conserve energy by installing better insulation, and manufacturers can conserve energy by building more energy-efficient products. The rate at which energy is being used in the world is increasing. This rapid increase has created a concern that natural resources may be depleted in the future before other energy resources are available to replace them.
Benchmark 4
Students will develop an understanding of and be able to select and use information and communication technologies.
Indicator 1
The student will know that information and communication systems allow information to be transferred from human to human, human to machine, and machine to human.
People create information and communication technology systems to gather data manipulate, and communicate information more effectively. Information is transmitted and received using various systems (e.g., telecommunications, digital, and printed). Transmission involves sending signals in a form, such as electromagnetic waves or fiber-optic cable, that can travel over a distance.
Indicator 2
The student will know that communication systems are made up of a source, encoder, transmitter, receiver, decoder, and destination.
A communication system is similar to other systems in that it includes input, processes, outputs, and sometimes feedback. Information is encoded using symbols and graphics. "To encode" means to change the form of a message (as in pushing a key on a keyboard to produce a binary signal or changing a signal from analog to digital). Information must be decoded in order to be understood by the receiver. "Decoding" is the reverse of encoding, with data being converted back to symbols and graphics. Switching circuits allow signals to be sent back and forth in the communication process. A network is a system connected by communication lines to move information from one device to another. An example of a network is a local area network (LAN), which connects computers to a server. Computers are the primary tools used for networking information and communication technologies.
Indicator 3
The student will recognize that the design of a message is influenced by such factors as the intended audience, medium, purpose, and the nature of the message.
These factors should be taken into account when the message is created and transmitted to a particular audience. Communication technology systems enhance the ability of handicapped people to communicate. Some examples include audio tapes, the Internet, and closed-captioned television.
Indicator 4
The student will demonstrate the use of symbols, measurements, and drawings to promote clear communication by providing a common language to express ideas. Technological systems use specialized symbols and terminology. For example, an engineer uses specific symbols to represent doorway openings, pipe openings, and road widths. Symbols or icons are used on many computers, elevators, and telephones - the pound sign, asterisk, and the letter "x", for example, - to represent ideas and to communicate what should be done when the symbol or icon is pressed or used.
Benchmark 5
Students will develop an understanding of and be able to select and use transportation technologies.
Indicator 1
The student will realize that governmental regulations often influence the design and operation of transportation systems.
For example, the movement of a product from one part of the country to another may involve the person shipping the item, a delivery truck, a bus, plane, or train, the people involved in controlling the product's location, as well as those who made the road, the car, and the fuel.
Indicator 2
The student will know that processes such as receiving, holding, storing, loading, moving, unloading, delivering, evaluation, marketing, managing, communicating, and using conventions are necessary for the entire transportation system to operate efficiently.
Structural systems are the framework and body of a transportation vehicle or system. Propulsion systems provide the energy source, energy converter, and power transmitter to move a vehicle. Suspension systems connect or associate a vehicle with its environment. Guidance systems provide information to the operator of a vehicle. Control systems receive information from the guidance system to determine the changes in speed, direction, or altitude of a vehicle. Support systems provide life, legal, operational, maintenance, and economic support for safe and efficient operation.
Benchmark 6
Students will develop an understanding of and be able to select and use manufacturing technologies.
Indicator 1
The student will learn that manufacturing systems use mechanical processes that change the form of materials through the processes of separating, forming, combining, and conditioning them.
Separating includes cutting, sawing, shearing, and tearing. Forming includes bending, shaping, stamping, and crushing. Combining includes gluing, welding, riveting, and using fasteners (e.g., nuts, bolts, and screws). Conditioning involves processing materials, such as by heating or cooling, to improve their structures. Tempering metals is an example of conditioning.
Indicator 2
The student will know that manufactured goods may be classified as durable and non-durable.
These classifications are based on the life expectancy of a product or system. Durable goods include automobiles, kitchen appliances, and power tools, while non-durable goods include toothbrushes, disposable diapers, and automobile tires. Manufactured goods have lifecycles, including initial planning and design, and continuing to their eventual disposal. Factors to be considered include what by-products were created, when the item was made, and how the item will be disposed of at the end of its life cycle.
Indicator 3
The student will understand that the manufacturing process includes the designing, development, making, and servicing of products and systems.
This process includes the use of materials (natural and synthetic), hand tools (e g., hammers and scissors), human-operated machines (e.g., drills, sanders, and sewing machines), and automated machines (computer-controlled). Manufacturing systems have greatly increased the number of products available while improving quality and lowering costs. In general, machines, many of which are computer controlled, are capable of producing higher quality goods than an expert craftsperson could do individually. Services include those activities that provide support for a product or system after it is sold or leased. These services could include installing, troubleshooting, maintaining, and repairing.
Indicator 4
The student will know that chemical technologies are used to modify or alter chemical substances.
The products of chemical technologies include synthetic fibers, pharmaceuticals, plastics, and fuels.
Indicator 5
The student will know that materials must first be located before the can be extracted from the earth through such processes as harvesting, drilling and mining. Because few materials occur in nature in a usable state, they must be changed into new forms before they can be used as inputs in the manufacturing process. There also are other resources that are needed for manufacturing systems to operate properly, such as finances, people, tools and machines, information, and time. Natural (raw) materials are typically converted into standard stock items, which, in turn, become the resources that are used by manufacturers.
Indicator 6
The student will understand that marketing a product involves informing the public about it as well as assisting in selling and distributing it.
Marketing entails assessing what the public wants and then advertising and selling products to the buyers.
Benchmark 7
Students will develop an understanding of and be able to select and use construction technologies.
Indicator 1
The student will recognize that the selection of designs for structures is based on factors such as building laws and codes, style, convenience, cost, climate, and function.
Building laws and codes are part of the city or county regulations for construction.
Indicator 2
The student will know that structures rest on a foundation.
The structures determine the type of foundation needed. Foundations can be made from such materials as concrete, steel, and wooden poles.
Indicator 3
The student will learn that some structures are temporary, while others are permanent.
Many times, temporary structures are built to aid the construction of permanent structures. For example, scaffolding is often assembled to support workers who lay bricks, and forms are used as containers to hold poured concrete. There are many different types of interior and exterior building materials. These materials include brick, rock, stone, siding, log, wood, brick veneer, plywood, metal, wallboard, concrete, glass, and straw and mud.
USD
250 Home Page
General info:
Vicki Horton
Tech info:
Rick Duling
Webmaster:
Noah Grotheer
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