Technology and Society: A Futuristic Perspective. Teacher's Guide. Preparing for Tomorrow's World.

"Technology and Society: A Futuristic Perspective" is one of the "Preparing for Tomorrow's World" (PTW) program modules. PTW is an interdisciplinary, future-oriented program incorporating information from the sciences and social sciences and addressing societal concerns which interface science/technology/society. The program promotes responsible citizenry with increased abilities in critical thinking, problem-solving, social/ethical reasoning, and decision-making. In this module, students (grades 10-11) consider ways in which technology has changed our lives and anticipate future changes. Provided in the teaching guide are discussions of the socio-scientific reasoning model (theoretical basis of PTW); module overview (including purpose; strategies employed, focusing on the dilemma/debate discussion technique; module structure/objectives; and its use in the school curriculum) and suggested time schedule. Also provided are guidelines for conducting dilemma discussions (including basic steps in the process), a chart indicating moral issues (as defined by Kohlberg) presented in the dilemmas, and teaching strategies for each of the three module parts: examination of science/technology/society relationships, study of five technologies, and simulation of a future technology. A selected bibliography is also included. The module may be used as a separate unit of study, as a mini-course, or incorporated into existing social science, history, language arts, general science, or chemistry courses. (JN)