Module 1
General Concepts and STS Historical Developments
Outcomes:
By the end of this module, you will be able to:
1. discuss the interactions between S&T and society throughout history,
2. discuss how scientific and technological developments affect society and the
environment, and
3. reflect on the contribution of Filipino inventors & scientists for the advancement of
science and technology
Readings:
Ancient Age
The ancient age is considered to have started when written history is yet to be established, until
the fall of the Roman Empire around 500 CE. The period in history when human life has already
thrived but with no documented activity is known as the prehistoric era or simply, pre-history. This
era is categorized into three periods namely: Stone age, Bronze age, and Iron age.
First is the Stone age. It is an era where the early human ancestors have started to use tools in
gathering food and the change from a nomadic lifestyle towards a permanent settlement equipped
with farming and food production. The Stone age is subdivided into periods: Paleolithic period,
Mesolithic period, and Neolithic period.
Paleolithic period – also known as the Old Stone Age, a period which is characterized by the use
of early stone and bone tools for hunting. Early humans left artworks in caves using charcoal with
water and blood. This period ended at the same time with the last Ice Age resulting to early mode
of human migration.
Mesolithic – also known as the Middle Stone Age, where humans have had fairly polished tools
which help in developing agriculture.
Neolithic – the New Stone Age, a period in which the early humans switched from being
hunters/gatherers with a nomadic lifestyle into permanent settlements. This change of living was
influenced by agriculture and the domestication of animals.
Second is Bronze Age. A period where there is a subtle advancement of metalworks, where tools
were made primarily from bronze – an alloy made from copper and tin. Aside from gathering food,
the tools were now made for weapons and agricultural innovations as bronze offered stronger
metal. Organized forms of government also arose in this period.
Last is the Iron Age. Further developments in metallurgy sparked in this period as new ways to
forge iron were discovered. Advancements in architecture as well as art, religion and writing
systems emerged in this period.
Middle Age
The Middle age is described as the time when the Roman Empire crumbled up to the beginning
the Renaissance in the 14th century. However, some historians the notable events that took place
in this period were characterized by the wars, plagues and feudal systems. It is a period where the
Church became the most powerful institution backed up by the alliances amongst the monarchies
of Europe. This is one of the reasons why the Crusades, the ‘holy war’ between Christians and
Muslims became the hallmark of the Middle Age. Another horrible event from this period is the
Bubonic Plague, also known as the ‘Black Death’, which killed roughly 30 percent of Europe’s
population at that time.
Modern Age
The Modern age is the period in history which began at the beginning of Renaissance up to the
present. The early part of the Modern age is characterized by the ‘age of discovery’ in science
mathematics and philosophy often called as the Age of Reason, or just simply, ‘Enlightenment’.
This intellectual movement spanned from 17th and 18th highlighted by Newton’s understanding
of gravity. Moving on towards the early 18th century, complex machines dominated the
agricultural and economic society giving birth to the Industrial Revolution. It is also the time when
colonization and global trade bloomed.
The latter part of the modern age is represented by the rise of capitalism and communism, the two
World Wars, the Atomic Age, Space Age, and the Information Age.
• Atomic Age began just months before the Second World War ended when the United States
of America successfully detonated their first atomic bomb in their top-secret project called
the “Trinity Test”.
• Space Age began when the now defunct USSR launched the first-ever space probe Sputnik
1 in 1957.
• Information Age saw its beginnings in the 1970’s where there a shift from traditional
industry to information technology-based economy. The importance and availability of
information is a necessity in this period.
APPLICATION (Let’s Play Cards!)
This activity will test your creativity in making cards. However, the card you will be
making is not your usual card used for greetings for a particular occasion. The card you will be
making is a trading card. It is a card that shows a certain image of a person, place, or object and a
short description along with some trivia and statistics. If you have watched the anime “Yu Gi Oh,”
you know trading cards well.
You will make a trading card which will feature either an invention or a person, which
made a great impact on society and is related to science and technology as well. The important
details of the trading card must be seen, such as the name, image, and description (must be less
than 80 words) of the invention/person. You have the freedom to customize your trading cards
using different designs. A picture of the finished trading card must be submitted to the instructor
along with a short video (not more than 90 seconds) of you holding output while explaining the
details of your trading card. In addition, during the online session, three (3) students will have to
present his/her trading card.
Name of the Picture: M01Application_Surname
Name of the Video: M01ApplicationVideo_Surname