Technology changes over time — Technology, 4–6 years
People use new ways to do familiar jobs, while older technologies show how life was different.
Old and new ways
People have always made things to help with work, travel, cooking and play. A candle and an electric lamp both make a room brighter, but they use different ways to do it. Older technology is not automatically bad, and newer technology is not automatically best for every job.
Why do ways change?
People notice problems in an old way of doing something: it may be slow, heavy, smoky or difficult to use. They try another way that might be easier or suit a new need. Change does not mean the old object was foolish; it means people found a different answer to a problem.
From candle to lamp
1. A candle gives light when its wick burns. 2. It can help someone see, but its flame is hot and it may go out. 3. An electric lamp uses a bulb to give light when it is switched on. 4. The lamp answers the same need in another way, often with less smoke and a steadier light. Each technology has limits.
New does not mean perfect
It is reasonable to think that the newest object must be the best, because it may have more features. But a newer thing can be costly, hard to use or unsuitable for a particular job. An old wooden spoon may still be better for stirring than a complicated machine. Ask what the job needs.
Technology tells stories
A museum may show a typewriter, an old telephone or a hand-washing board. These objects reveal how people once wrote, spoke to one another or cleaned clothes. At home, comparing an old photograph with a modern device can show what changed and what job stayed the same.
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