Lasting Impressions
Theme: Discovery
Grade: 7-9
Introduction
"The real measure of an invention is not just how well it works or how impressively it is engineered, but how it changes our lives."
Time 2001 Inventions of the Year
“Where would we be now if it wasn’t for ___________?” is the question. The Department of Science and Technology is concerned about the shortage of young scientists and inventors and wants the public, and in particular learners, to begin thinking about how inventions can shape and change our lives. The Department of Science and Technology needs help informing and educating the public about the importance of inventors and inventions from the past. They want the public to understand that some technological tools and scientific advances from the past are still valuable. Some are still used today, and some have led to the development of other technological tools and scientific advances of things we use now.
Photo: PDPhoto.org
Task
In this project, your team will be an advertising agency working on a media campaign for the Department of Science and Technology. They would like you to highlight inventions from around the globe, as well as those from South Africa. Your team will present their media campaign to representatives from the Department of Science and Technology.
As your team begins to brainstorm, develop ideas, and gather resources, remember your main task is to work as an advertising agency to develop a media campaign. Your team will inform and educate the public about the contributions of technological tools, scientific discoveries and inventors from the past. In order to begin planning consider these questions:
• Which inventor or scientist will we research?
• How has this invention or discovery impacted upon society?
• What is a media campaign?
• How do we create a global appeal?
Your media campaign should include:
• Newsletter
• Brochure
• Web page
• Photo manual
All of these pieces should include a bibliography.
Process
For this assignment, you will work in teams of four and you will divide your task into roles as follows (click on each role for more information):
Assessment
Conclusion
You and your team have researched inventions and discoveries of the past and analysed the extent to which these have influenced society and still do influence our lives to this day. In so doing you will have realised the importance of scientific discovery and innovation in the modern age, especially with a view to the future.
