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

The aim of STS is to enable learners to investigate, analyze, understand, and experience the dynamic interconnectedness among 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 towards 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

Each organizer may be developed through a variety of contexts, such as the economy, the 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 linkages with subjects are:

Visual Arts-the demands generated by visual artists have led to the development of new technologies and processes (e.g., new permanent pigments, fritted glazes, drawing instruments)

Language Arts English-many technologies have recently influenced listening, speaking, and writing (e.g., CDs, voice mail, computer-generated speech)

Physical Education-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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