STS-Module Unit 1
STS-Module Unit 1
-The Authors
Introduction
Human creativity is beyond limit that even our ancestors might not have
imagined that our status of science and technology would be as robust as
today. Our current understanding about the nature and the world is a result of
constant over throwing of paradigm wherein an old paradigm like Geocentric
Model is replaced by a paradigm that has a higher content and explanatory
power like the Heliocentric Model. Such is termed scientific revolution. This
is just one of the many theories that were challenged in the history of Science
and have helped shaped our society.
Development of Science and Technology does not only leave indelible impact
in the history but its trail can be traced by its influence in our society and
country as a whole. In this unit, you will learn how science and technology has
greatly influenced the development of the Philippine society. You will
evaluate different government policies and programs to see how they have
shaped the nation. You will also learn significant inventions and projects
accomplished by Filipinos that greatly develop the countries’ science and
technology, and have been a major contributor to the Philippine nation-
building.
This unit will allow you to time travel through the antecedents of science and
technology; lets you investigate how the present status of science and
technology came into being, and explore the major turns in the course of
global and national history that led it to its exhilarating and captivating
development.
Learning Outcomes
Explain how intellectual revolution change the way how humans see
the world;
Learning Objectives
In order to understand past, one has to look back and revisit it. In like manner,
we are going to take a look at our very rich history and study what are the
major turns in the development of Science and Technology that had led us to
the innovation of cutting edge and sophisticated Technology in the present.
Your task is to fill in the K-W-L chart below by jotting down what you have
known and what are the things that you would like to know about our
historical antecedents in terms of Science and Technology.
Presentation of Contents
To name a few, Sumerian are known for their contribution with the first
writing system called as cuneiform. Challenge to mass produce food, they
invented plowing, irrigation and dikes and wheel for farming. Throughout the
existence of this civilization, their main mode of transportation was through
waterways such as rivers and seas. They are also known to develop the first
road.
Figure 1.1 Sumerian Cuneiform ("Redirect Notice",
2019)
Another civilization that is known for its renowned archeological artifact like
the death mask of Tutankhamen and Pyramid of Giza is the Egyptian
Civilization. Also, ancient Egyptians are known for their earlier contributions
like water clock or clypsedra, paper or papyrus, ink and a system of writing
known as hieroglyphics. They have also invented cosmetics for aesthetic
reason. Meanwhile, during this time, wigs were worn by wealthy Egyptians to
protect the shave of the heads from the harmful rays of the sun.
Apart from being the birthplace of western philosophy, some of the major
achievements of Greeks include in-depth works on Philosophy and
Mathematics. They are also celebrated for their contribution to the world like
coliseum, Olympics, alarm clock and water mill.
Perceived to be the strongest political and social entity in the west, Roman
Empire was considered to be the cradle of politics and governance. Other
civilizations looked up to it as a model in terms of codified laws and
legislation. They are also celebrated for the invention of newspaper, bound
books or codex. In terms of architecture and engineering, Romans are known
for building elaborate churches, basilicas, aqueducts, coliseums, amphitheaters
and residential houses. They have also devised their own number system
which is the Roman Numeral System.
Considered to be the oldest civilization in Asia, China is known for the silk
trade, tea production, gun powder and the living legend great wall of China.
The start of the middle ages was marred by massive invasions and migrations.
Wars are prevalent during this time. As such, great technology was needed in
the fields of weaponry, navigation, food and farm production and health. The
wars have resulted to population decline. However, in the later part of this
period, there was significant increase in population. Trade and commerce
among nations increased, which resulted in greater demands for transportation
technology. Some of the most innovative minds came from this period.
Since the Middle Age was also known as the Age of Exploration, the need for
nautical inventions was high. The invention of the telescope, an optical
instrument that helps in the observation of remote objects, was a great help for
navigators during this time.
Great development in the weaponry technology also occurred in this era. This
include cross bows and long bows. Additionally, in close range hand-to-hand
combat, soldiers should wear something to protect themselves, a need
addressed by the creation of iron body armors. However, body armors were
heavy and limited the movements of the soldiers, chainmail was invented to
solve the problem.
The more people got connected by trade and exploration, the more they
needed a way to easily maintain these connections and communicate with each
other in real time. Governments likewise needed some kind of communication
system which would allow them to administer their states well. Important day-
to-day decisions must be discussed and addressed at the fastest time possible.
Thus, the invention of telephone by Alexander Graham Bell was one of the
most important inventions at that time.
Your task
1. Write down the top 10 invention in the World and in the Philippines
2. Determine persisting needs which were addressed by each invention
3. Discuss briefly the impact of each invention to society
Feedback
1. Fill in “What I have Learned” column by writing down what you have
learned from this topic
What I already Know What I Want to know What I have Learned
Learning Objectives
You may have read about different theories that worked and were believed to
be true during ancient times. In Astronomy, for example, you have learned
that Sun is the Center of the Solar System and that the planets, including
Earth, are revolving around it in an elliptical orbit. However, people in ancient
times believed that the earth was the center of the universe. Early beliefs also
claimed that human beings were created through “Divine Creation” but this
was replaced by Darwin’s Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection. These
are just some of the examples of early theories that were challenged in the
history of Science.
What were the great Intellectual Revolutions that significantly shaped our
Society? What made these new theories controversial? Who were these people
or groups of people behind these upheavals that permanently changed the
course of history of Science? What were their needs, and what were their
struggles that motivated them to engage in such scholarly contribution?
This topic will lead you to some of the answers of these aforementioned
questions. Moreover, this topic describes how science and technology theories
paved the way for the Enlightenment and our current understanding of some of
the fundamental concepts of Science and of the world.
The way people think about Solar System has changed many times throughout
history. Before the development of telescope astronomy beliefs were based on
what can be seen by the naked eye. One of the earliest ideas on how Solar
System was structured was introduced by Claudius Ptolemy. He posited that
planets as well as the sun and the moon, moved in a circular motion around the
Earth, a concept which is known as geo-centrism. This geocentric model,
considered to be one of the greatest discoveries of all time, was widely
accepted by the people and became the astronomical dogma in Western
civilization for 1,400 years.
In the past, the field of Psychology was always classified under philosophy.
Psychology was considered more of an art rather than a science. In the late 19th
century, Sigmund Freud was able to change people’s perception of psychology
with his revolutionary theory of psychoanalysis.
Application
What’s New
What we had just studied are the major intellectual revolutions in the past. At
present, what are the widely acceptable theory that could explain
1. Celestial Mechanics
3. Psychoanalysis
Learning Objectives
At the end of this topic, students will be able to:
Now, let us see what you know about the role of science and technology by
completing the concept map below. But before that, you may want to watch
the movie clips and read the short article listed below to get some ideas.
Happy watching and reading!
Questions to Ponder:
1. What roles do science and technology play in the developmental
progress of the country?
Read: 1. Ratnasiri, N., 2006. The role of Science and Technology in nation
building. Journal of the National Science Foundation of Sri Lanka,
34(3), p.113. DOI: http://doi.org/10.4038/jnsfsr.v34i3.3640
From your readings and from the videos you watched, complete the diagram
below by enumerating the roles of science and technology in shaping the
nation. Then, choose one from your list and explain it to the class.
Presentation of Contents
Even before the Spain colonized the country, some indigenous science and
technology has already existed with regards to agriculture like farming, animal
– raising, and the utilization of plants and herbs as medicines. The use of
technology is evident in the in handicrafts, pottery, weaving, and tools used by
ancient Filipinos in their everyday life.
Innovation and ingenuity were unmistakable by the way native Filipinos built
the rice terraces by hand. They also developed tools for planting, hunting,
cooking, fishing, and also for fighting enemies during tribal conflicts. They
used indigenous technology in building houses, irrigations and transportation,
both on land and on waterways.
The ancient practices in science and technology by our ancestors are now
considered as indigenous science or folk science.
Colonial Period
The American colonial rule modernized almost all aspects of life in the
country. They established the Bureau of Science to initiate the development in
the field of science and technology.
Here is a list of some Filipino scientists and inventors, together with their
contributions in shaping the science and technology of the Filipino nation.
Felix Maramba
Emerita De Guzman
Application
Form groups of 5 and choose 1 role of S & T from the diagram you did at the
beginning of this topic, then perform a simple role-play that manifests the role
of S & T that you have picked. Below is a rubric to rate your performance. Do
this within 15 minutes. Enjoy acting!
Exceeds
Meets Expectation Needs Improvement
Expectation
Criteria
(2 points) (1 point)
(3 points)
A. This activity is meant for you to revisit our country’s rich historical
background on its journey to scientific and technological progress.
Your class will be divided into 5 groups, where each group shall
choose one period to elaborate the development of S&T in each period
and its contributions and implications to the present society. Complete
the table below.
Science Implications
Contribution culture and of S&T and
State of
of the period practices/ science
S&T
Period in the Society’s culture of
during the
development norms each period
period
of S&T during the to the
period present
Exceeds
Meets Expectation Needs Improvement
Expectation
Criteria
(2 points) (1 point)
(3 points)
Utilizing internet resources, find photos of modern Filipino scientists and their
respective inventions/ discoveries. Describe the inventions and their major
contributions in the development of our nation.
2.
4.
The advent of technology opens the door for more scientific endeavors in the
quest of unravelling the mysteries of the natural world, and hence the birth of
scientific revolution. The revolution had sparked human creativity and critical
thinking, and by this time, many a discovery and scientific ideas were
developed, and new scientific paradigms were generated which had
overthrown previous paradigms. This manifests that scientific knowledge is
not permanent, and subject to constant change through careful research and
experimentation.
In the Philippines, even before period of colonization, our society has been
faring on its improvement in terms of Science and Technology especially in
agriculture, handicraft and medicine. During colonization, there was a slow
growth of S&T since majority of its sophistication is brought about by the
foreign invaders. The establishment of Bureau of Science by Americans paved
the way for the initial growth of S&T in the country. During post-colonial
period where Philippines had given the autonomy for executive,
administrative, judicial and legislative operations, different programs and
policies of the government gear towards reinforcing progress of S&T. Many
Filipinos were renowned not only in the national but also around the global
society for their outstanding feat.
3. What value of a scientist have you learned from the major revolutions?
Why?
5. Did science and technology change your way of life? Was it in a good
way, otherwise, or both? Explain how.
McNamara, D., Valverde, V., & Beleno, R. (2018). Science, Technology, and Society
(1st ed., pp. 1-128). Quezon City: C&E Publishing Inc.
Ratnasiri, N., 2006. The role of Science and Technology in nation building. Journal of
the National Science Foundation of Sri Lanka, 34(3), p.113. DOI:
http://doi.org/10.4038/jnsfsr.v34i3.3640
Web Sources:
Redirect Notice. (2019). Retrieved from https://bit.ly/2xrHBDz
Image: Papyrus in Ancient Egypt | Essay | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art ... (2019).
Retrieved from https://urlzs.com/zFc6U
Image: Ιnventor of the Telephone: Alexander Graham Bell - Learning History. (2019).
Retrieved from https://urlzs.com/ASZiC
Image: Occult Science 4.0 - Heliocentric vs. Geocentric Astrology - YouTube. (2019).
Retrieved from https://urlzs.com/jFeHS