Inventions, Science and Technology

What this page covers

The resources here look at how ideas and machines change the world. Many are mind maps. The mind map called INVENTIONS groups inventions into transportation and communication, with items such as the wheel, the submarine, the telegraph and printing. Others look at single people or objects, such as Thomas Edison, planes, the Walkman and the cellphone.

Where to start

Begin with a broad map, then narrow down. These three are good first steps:

1. INVENTIONS for a wide overview of transport and communication.
2. Inventors and inventions to link people with what they made.
3. Unit 9. Progress for health and industry, including RNA-based vaccines and gene therapy.

Science, space and big questions

If you want the wider story of science, try the flashcard deck Ch. 2 Science and Society. It runs from Greek philosophy and Thales of Miletus through Copernicus, Sir Isaac Newton and Darwin to modern science. The deck To Shoot For The Moon - Science and Technology - WSC looks at moonshots, from Polynesian exploration to the creation of the internet.

Two mind maps on space set AGREE against DISAGREE points about whether space exploration is worth the risk and cost. They are useful for discussion and for building an argument.

Using quizzes and maps together

Read a map first, then take a quiz to see what stuck. There are only a few quizzes, including Discovery and Invention, Science, Technology and Society, and Hungarian inventors 2. Go back to the map for anything you missed. Then turn the gaps into flashcards. Teachers can use a map as a class starter and a quiz as a quick check.

Where it fits

This unit sits in the strand Science, Places and People, within General knowledge, trivia and entertainment. It suits curiosity and general study rather than a set course. Pick one map today and see what you can add to it yourself.