K-12 Science Curriculum Strands 2. Science, Technology and Society Technology has always played a role in the growth and development of scientific knowledge. Scientific tools help scientists extend their own senses to accurately record and communicate observations and to design experiments.
Technology currently provides almost instant access to an increasing store of information.
The development of technology has also been crucial to continued economic growth throughout history. Recently, however, there has been an increasing shift within highly industrialized countries toward research and development within the area of technology itself. It is almost as if improvements in technology are occurring so rapidly that we are not sure how to best harness them, nor can we always adapt them to our personal and professional needs or accurately predict their consequences. It is important that students learn how to use technology as a tool to extend their senses and, at the same time, experience the power and limitations of newer forms of technology to assist them in their understanding of scientific knowledge and support their creativity during scientific investigations. In the early grades, students can use simple tools such as magnifying glasses and rulers to extend their senses when observing the world around them.