Lesson 1
Objective:
1. Students will explore the factors that lead to social change.
2. Students will be able to explain how technological advancements serve as a catalyst for change in society.
Material: Transparency depicting the main points of the mini-lecture
Strategies:
1. Students in this senior Sociology class will begin examining the question, how does technology affect society? Some sociologists believe that technological advancement is the major catalyst that ignites societal change.
Teacher and students will begin a dialogue exploring the monumental changes that occurred between the Paleolithic Age and the Neolithic age in early human history. During the Paleolithic Age, people lived in small hunting and food gathering bands that wandered from place to place in search of food. Overtime, people learned to make tools, clothes, developed language and discovered how to make fire. These "technological achievements" had significant implications for the course of human history. During the Neolithic Age a revolutionary thing occurred. Humans were able to use the technology they had developed to grow most of their food.
The change from food gathering to food producing brought many changes in the way people lived. For one thing, food production made it possible for people to settle in one place and develop villages. Increased food supplies in the Neolithic age resulted in increased population and specialization.
2. Students will be broken up into groups of four for a brainstorming session. One student will be the Scribe, responsible for writing while another student will be the Spokesperson, responsible for reporting to the class.
Create a list of answers to this brainstorming question: What are some events, inventions, movements that have led to social change in America?
Students will compile their lists on the board after five-eight minutes. Students will be encouraged to explain their answers.
Closure:
Today we began exploring how advancements in technology cause changes in the way people live. What effect did technology have on the evolution of early humans?