1. Welcome to 6th Grade Technology Education!
Concepts and Vocabulary

2. Defining “Technology”
Technology is the use of knowledge and resources to meet a human need/want or to solve a problem.
Essentially: every man made object counts as a technology. We used our brains and the stuff we had available to create an object for a purpose.

3. Organizing Technologies
We can organize technologies into groups based on the MAIN job they are meant to do.
Biotechnologies
Construction Technologies
Energy and Power Technologies
Information Technologies
Manufacturing Technologies
Transportation Technologies

4. Biotechnologies
Biotechnologies are used mainly in ways that directly affect the health of a living organism. Examples include…
Vaccines (to prevent diseases)
Medicine (to treat diseases)
Medical research technologies (Cancer studies etc)
Prosthetics (Fake arms/legs etc.)
Agriculture (Healthier crops and animals etc.)

5. Construction Technologies
Construction technologies are mainly used to building large objects “on location”, which means that the item is built where it is needed, and it stays there. The objects themselves are included in this category. Examples include…
Construction equipment (bulldozers, cranes, asphalt spreaders, etc)
Buildings
Roads/Sidewalks
Bridges

6. Energy and Power Technologies
Energy and Power technologies are used primarily to power other items. Examples include…
Electrical Generators
Power Plants (Nuclear, Coal, Hydroelectric, Wind, Geothermal)
Batteries
Fuel Cells

7. Information Technologies:
Information technologies are used mainly to transmit, receive, or save information. Examples include…
Telephone / Cellular Phones
Computer Software (computer programs)
Computer Hardware (hard drive, sound systems, etc)
Internet / Computer networks
Television / Radio
Books, magazines, and other printed media

8. Manufacturing Technologies
Manufacturing technologies are mainly used to build items that will be sold to a customer and be sent to that location, and the items themselves. Examples include…
Materials Processing Equipment (table saws, drills, industrial ovens, and other factory equipment)
Processed foods
Clothing
Furniture

9. Manufacturing: Additional Info
If you can buy it in a store, and it isn’t something that grows, it probably counts as a manufactured item.
Nearly every technology in all of the other categories is probably manufactured; but they are sorted by their main job.

10. Transportation Technologies
Transportation technologies are used to take items or people from one location to another. Examples include…
Cars
Boats
Planes
Trains
Trucks

11. Our Focus in Grade 6 Technology Education
This year we will be focusing on topics from three of the 6 types of Technology
The Information Technology we will learn the most about is Mechanical Drawing
The Biotechnology we will learn the most about is Hydroponics
The Energy and Power Technology we will learn the most about is Electricity Production

12. Mechanical Drawing
Definition: A scale drawing of an object, created using drawing tools, from which someone can tell the dimensions of the object.
Tools used to draw these by hand: Ruler, graph paper, pencil
Tools used to draw these on the computer: CADD software (Computer Aided Design and Drafting)

13. Hydroponics
Hydroponics is any technology used to grow plants without the use of soil
There are 6 different types of hydroponic gardens that we will learn about later this quarter.
Here is a picture of one
very simple hydroponic
garden; do you know
what it is?

14. Energy and Electricity Production
The Energy and Power topic we will cover is how electricity is produced by power plants
There are 5 major types of power plant we use to generate electricity…
Fossil Fuel Powered Electrical Generators
Wind Powered Electrical Generators
Hydroelectric Generator
Geothermal Electrical Generators
Nuclear Powered Electrical Generators