Students will learn about past technologies, acquire historical perspective, think critically, and work cooperatively during this lesson. Students will also use Microsoft Word as a tool to organize information, practice using appropriate Web resources, search the Web, and make proper citations.

A. Students will work in teams of two: One WORD student, and one WEB student.

    1. The WORD student will create a WORD document with proper header and table (Figure 1).
    The table will have 3 columns for: Technology & Date, Reasoning, and Web links found.

        a. To create a table: Go to > TABLE menu  > INSERT TABLE.

        b. SAVE document as Technology Tops in network HOME DIRECTORY.

    2. The WEB team member will use the Web Site resources in Table 1 (below) to find 20th century technologies.

B. Both the WORD and WEB team members will select what they believe are the top five most important technologies of the 20th century.

    1. The WORD team member will fill in the technologies, dates, and reasons why the team believe they are the most important technologies in the 20th century.

    2. The WEB team member will use GOOGLE or DOGPILE to conduct a Web search for each of the top technologies their team has selected. Search strategies for phrases used in a search may include the technology name, along with some of the facts found from the Web Sites in Table 1.

        a. Team members will search, find, and include one new Web Site for all five technologies to add to their WORD table.

A. E-mail the WORD document to Mr. Brown when the table is complete.

B. Grade is based upon:
    1. Effort & cooperation.
    2. Following directions.
    3. Appropriate links that work for all five technologies in your table.
    4. Valid reasons for technology choices written in complete sentences.
    5. Spelling

C. Students will recieve e-mail feedback in the form of a grade and a constructive comment.

A. Students will use Microsoft Excel to compile top technologies, links, reasons, and ratings for every team in the 5th grade. Students will determine what the entire grade-level selected as the most important technologies for the 20th century.

B. Team members will make an informational poster about their top technology from the 20th century.

National Academy of Engineering (2000). Greatest Engineering Achievements of the 20th Century.
URL: http://www.greatachievements.org/greatachievements/

TIME, Inc. (2003). Builders & Titans - 20th Century Technology.
URL: http://www.time.com/time/time100/builder/tech_supp/tech_supp.html

PBS (2000). The American Experience - Technology Timeline 1750-1990.
URL: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/telephone/timeline/f_timeline.html

About, Inc. (2003). Twentieth Century Inventions 1900 to 1999.
URL: http://inventors.about.com/library/weekly/aa121599a.htm?PM=ss11_inventors