In this unit students will explore how ideas and technological innovations can change the human experience. In particular, students should observe that humans possess an innate curiosity which pushes them to better understand and exercise control over the natural world.
By examining the innovations developed by hominids, students will see how tools (and ideas) led to the Neolithic Revolution and the rise of civilizations. This understanding provides students with a historical context for modern urban life.
The unit continues with an exploration of the impact of new ideas on the human experience, particularly those introduced during the Middle Ages and early Modern Era.
During this investigation, students will consider
• how early humans moved from hunter-gatherer nomadic groups to permanent farming settlements;
• the impact of major innovations in transportation, communications, medicine, infrastructure, and warfare; and
• the challenges faced by innovators during the Scientific Revolution as they questioned long held beliefs and established the scientific method.
The ideas examined in this unit will help students understand that innovations in technology and ideas have the power to transform the human experience.
The examples discussed in this unit provide opportunities to examine how modern society came to value reason and innovation as primary routes to knowledge and invention respectively.
Note: the expression ‘rise of civilization’ is not meant to imply that previous periods were ‘uncivilized’ in the sense of their behaviour. Rather, it refers to the rise of social structures and hierarchy in a more urbanized environment