Technologies · Year 1

Active learning ideas

Technology Then and Now

Active learning works well for this topic because students need to see and touch technology to grasp how tools have changed over time. Comparing old and new objects helps them move beyond assumptions about progress and focus on purpose instead.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9TDE2K05

• 15–40 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Gallery Walk
• 30 min · Whole Class

Gallery Walk: The Tech Museum

Set up a 'museum' with old items (a cassette tape, a film camera, a paper map) next to modern ones (a tablet). Students walk around and guess how the 'old' one worked.

Explain how people sent messages before emails existed.

Facilitation Tip

During the Gallery Walk, place artifacts at eye level so students can observe details like size, shape, and materials without touching unless given permission.

What to look for

Show students pictures of a rotary phone and a smartphone. Ask them to point to the object that is older and explain one way they are different in how they work.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

Activity 02

• Think-Pair-Share
• 15 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Grandparent's School

Students imagine what their grandparents used to write with. They share their ideas with a partner and then compare a photo of an old classroom with their own.

Evaluate if technology is always better than the old way of doing things.

Facilitation Tip

For Think-Pair-Share, provide sentence starters like 'My grandparent used... because...' to guide students in sharing meaningful comparisons.

What to look for

Give each student a card with a picture of a historical technology (e.g., a typewriter) and a modern equivalent (e.g., a laptop). Ask them to draw one line connecting them and write one sentence about how they are similar or different.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Activity 03

• Simulation Game
• 40 min · Small Groups

Simulation Game: The Message Race

One group 'sends a message' by writing a letter and walking it across the school. Another group 'sends' a digital message (with teacher help). They discuss the pros and cons of each.

Analyze how the way we learn in school has changed because of computers.

Facilitation Tip

In The Message Race, set a clear timer and emphasize that the goal is to test how quickly messages can travel, not just to finish first.

What to look for

Ask students: 'Imagine you need to tell your friend a secret quickly. Would you rather use a letter, a rotary phone, or a smartphone? Why?' Listen for their reasoning based on speed and ease of use.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Decision-Making

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers should avoid framing old technology as 'worse' by focusing on the context of use, such as how a hand-cranked radio met a community’s needs during a blackout. Research shows that hands-on comparisons help students see technology as solutions to human problems, not just as objects. Use guided questions to push students beyond 'it’s old' or 'it’s new' to 'it was built for this specific need.'

Successful learning looks like students explaining why a tool fits its purpose, not just naming it as old or new. They should compare how tasks were completed in the past versus today using clear details about function and design.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Gallery Walk, watch for students labeling objects as 'bad' or 'dumb' because they are old.

  Redirect them by having them hold a boomerang and explain how its shape makes it perfect for flying in a curved path, showing that old tools are often well-designed for their purpose.

• During Think-Pair-Share, listen for students defining technology only as objects with screens.

  Ask them to point to examples in the room, like a chair or a ruler, and explain how each one is a tool designed to help humans complete a task.

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Methods used in this brief

• Gallery Walk
• Think-Pair-Share
• Simulation Game