For an interesting discussion with your students on the effects of technology on society, consider the impending solar flares.
As the article states:
The so-called "X-flare" could also cause radio signals to jam, satnavs to fail and electrical power grids to falter. Electromagnetic storms are already reported to have stopped shortwave radio communications in southern China.
- What can be done?
- What are the possible consequences if we can’t do anything?
- How likely are they to occur, and will it matter? (= risk analysis)
- What does this issue suggest for our future use of/reliance on technology?
- Can English students write stories or poems about it?
- Can drama students write a play about it?
- What do the Religious Education students have to say about it?
- Can ICT and/or Mathematics students construct a spreadsheet to aid our understanding of the phenomenon and its associated risks?
- And why didn’t the Science students warn of this earlier?!
I think you’ll agree that there is plenty of scope for some rich, even cross-curricular, work around this. And not just with older students.
Are you able to think of any other ideas?
