Obj Analyze and Assess the evolution and influence of technology.

Background Information  Begins with first primitive tools developed by man in the Stone Age  Increasing at an exponential rate

Stone Age  250,000 BC – 3,000 BC  Most tools made of stone  Tools used for agriculture and hunting  Time for survival

Bronze Age  3,000 BC – 1,200 BC  Bronze  metal alloy made of copper and tin  Tools easier to shape, more durable and useful

Iron Age  1200 BC – 500 AD  Iron  metal, when alloyed with other materials is stronger than bronze  Many people began to move from farms to develop towns and cities  Tools made of iron and steel  Plow and irrigation enabled fewer farmers to grow more food

Middle Ages  500 AD – 1500 AD  Brought about a number of technological developments that led to industrialization  Agricultural advances produced a surplus of crops  Led to increased trade  Increased trade created bigger markets  Spinning wheel helped jumpstart the textile industry

Renaissance  1450 AD – 1700 AD  Time of rebirth in arts and humanities  Leonardo da Vinci created drawings and written descriptions of things that were later developed in the 20 th Century

 First screwdriver invented as gunsmiths tried to adjust their gun mechanisms  Gutenburg invented the printing press –Enabled information to be disseminated throughout the world –First used for the distribution of the Bible

Industrial Age  1700 – 1940  Factories took over the production of most products  People began to buy items and migrate toward cities for jobs  Trade over long distances increased which led to need for fast, reliable, efficient transportation systems

 Communication advances accelerated information and coordinate systems  Structural systems were forced to improve as cities began to grow up instead of out  Mechanization of the farm  Invention of steam engine  Products gave people more leisure time and children more time to spend in school

Information Age  1940 – present  Marked by development of computer  New developments are often outdated before the finished product arrives at the store  Microchip (integrated circuit) revolutionized the world of electronics and made communication faster, cheaper, more powerful

 Research in energy systems to make them more efficient and less harmful to the environment  Manufacturing systems are highly technical and require specialized education  Structural systems are constantly changing to incorporate new materials and creative approaches to efficient building

 Emphasizes processing and exchanging information  More inventions have been developed during this period than throughout the entire course of history