Appendix
C: Cross-Curricular Interests -
Science-Technology-Society
Science-Technology-Society
(STS) addresses our understanding of inventions and discoveries and how science
and technology affect the well-being of individuals and our global society.
The study of STS includes:
- the contributions of
technology to scientific knowledge and vice versa
- the notion that science
and technology are expressions of history, culture, and a range of personal
factors
- the processes of science
and technology such as experimentation, innovation, and invention
- the development of a
conscious awareness of ethics, choices, and participation in science and technology
Value of Integrating
STS
The aim of STS is to enable
learners to investigate, analyse, understand, and experience the dynamic interconnection
of science, technology, and human and natural systems.
The study of STS in a variety
of subjects gives students opportunities to:
- discover knowledge and
develop skills to foster critical and responsive attitudes toward innovation
- apply tools, processes,
and strategies for actively challenging emerging issues
- identify and consider
the evolution of scientific discovery, technological change, and human understanding
over time, in the context of many societal and individual factors
- develop a conscious awareness
of personal values, decisions, and responsible actions about science and technology
- explore scientific processes
and technological solutions
- contribute to responsible
and creative solutions using science and technology
The organizing principles of
STS are: Human and Natural Systems, Inventions and Discoveries, Tools and Processes,
and Society and Change. Each organizer may be developed through a variety of contexts,
such as the economy, environment, ethics, social structures, culture, politics,
and education. Each context provides a unique perspective for exploring the critical
relationships that exist and the challenges we face as individuals and as a global
society.
Examples of curriculum
integration include:
Visual Arts
- recognizing that demands generated by visual artists have led
to the development of new technologies and processes (e.g., new permanent pigments,
fritted glazes, drawing instruments)
English Language
Arts - analysing the recent influence of technologies on listening,
speaking, and writing (e.g., CDs, voice mail, computer-generated speech)
Physical Education
- studying how technology has affected our understanding of the
relationship between activity and well-being
This summary is derived
from Science-Technology-Society - A Conceptual Framework , Curriculum
Branch, 1994.
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