Understanding Technology

BASIC SCIENCE JSS1 First term

Sub-Theme: Safety, Material and Processing

Theme Understanding Basic Science and Technology

WEEK 1 

Understanding technology 1

Performance objectives

Students should be able to:

1. Define technology
2. Identify the types of technology

Content

Understanding technology

Technology refers to methods, systems, and devices which are the result of scientific knowledge being used for practical purposes. 

We live in a global village and technology has made things very easy for every mankind. People continue to search for ways and means to make life more comfortable for themselves; we all enjoy the product of technology such as cars, trains, aeroplanes, ships as a means of transportation of people and goods. In the olden days, people made boats and used them to travel on water. Man uses horse and camel to travel on land. Man uses hoes and cutlass for farming in the olden days. However, due to development in technology, the man now uses ploughing machine, harrowing, planter, harvesters, tractors etc. for farming.

In the olden days, we use dane guns spears and arrows for hunting. With the help of the latest development in technology, the mechanized process is used instead of the manual process. The use of town criers and gong as a means of communication in the olden days was the common practice. Nowadays, a message from one part of the world can be received in matters of telephones, fax, e-mail, internet, radio etc.

Types of technology

We have two types of technology namely,

1. The highly developed technology: this is the type of technology that involves the use of a machine in doing things. To replace human labour. They are also called mechanized process.

 

2. The underdeveloped technology: This is the type of technology which involves the use of manual process i.e. (the use of hand). The country with underdeveloped technology sells its raw materials and buys the end products of the similar raw materials sold at low price

To highly developed countries at high prices. Such countries will have a poor economy, poor infrastructural facilities, poor health and insecurity.

Difference between highly developed and underdeveloped technology

	Economic activities	Highly developed technology	Underdeveloped technology
1.	Education	Formal education, school, illiterate, learned.	Informal education, illiteracy.
2.	Farming	Planter, tractor, harvester etc.	Hoe, axe, cutlass
3.	Fishing	Fast-moving vessels	Hook and nets
4.	Housing	Blocks, Bricks, steels, bungalow, storey building, duplex etc.	Bamboo, mud and wood.
5.	communication	Newspaper, magazines, journals, television and radio	Gong, town crier, drum beating and oral message.
6.	Electricity	Lamp, generator, electric bulb, rechargeable lamp.	Kerosene latern, otupa etc.
7.	Security	Machine guns, bullets, armoured cars and bombs	Armour, spear, bow, catapult, knife and cutlass.