Subject: Social Studies
Lesson Length: 1 - 2 hours
Topic: Technology and the Economy
Grade Level: 10, 11, 12, 9
Standards / Framework:
Brief Description: Students will explore how technology increases economic growth in a country.
Know Before You Start: Students should be familiar with basic economic concepts, e.g., supply and demand and economic systems, e.g., capitalism, socialism, etc.
Hook:
- Ask students:
- “Have you ever wondered why some countries have a stronger economy than others? What factors do you think contribute to this difference?
- “How do you think advancements in technology have changed the way we live and work? Can you give examples of technologies that have had a significant impact on our lives?
- “Imagine you are an entrepreneur. How would you use technology to start and grow a business? What challenges and opportunities might you encounter?
Activity:
- Have students explore a timeline of technological advancements throughout history, starting from ancient times to the present day, focusing on significant inventions and innovations.
- In pairs or small groups, have students discuss and identify five technological advancements and analyze how each of these technologies has impacted society and the economy, specifically how they contributed to economic growth and improved standards of living.
- Ask each group to write their information and analysis in a T-Chart.
- Have each group select one technology advancement shared by another group in the previous activity and conduct research to highlight the most significant ways that technology had influenced economic growth and present their findings to the class.
- Have students explore the everyday uses of AI by watching the video from Global Education.
- Have students brainstorm and discuss emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, renewable energy, and biotechnology, and contemplate their potential impacts on various industries and the overall economy in the future.
- Have students create a comic that depicts how technology increases economic growth in our country.
Closure:
- Have students share their comics with the class or in small groups.
- Emphasize that advancements in technology and investments in capital goods and human capital are essential drivers of economic growth and improved standards of living.
Differentiation:
- Allow students to use the speech-to-text feature.
- Allow students to work in pairs or groups as needed.
- Allow students to use the voiceover feature to read their comics aloud.
- Allow students to use the closed-caption feature while watching the video.
Resources:
- Comic to print or display: Comic.
- Timeline: History of Technology - Britannica
- Timeline: Technological Transformation - World Economic Forum
- T-Chart
- Video: AI in Everyday Life: Global Education
- GALE (Open Access through Local Library)
Make a comic about Office Jobs
Make a comic about The Mall
Make a comic about Ancient Egypt
Make a comic about Cyberspace
