Motivating Science Learners Through Applied Technology and Engineering

"Why do we have to study this? What use is it?"

Questions like these have always surfaced in both learners' and teachers' minds. A science teacher will often reply that "science is all around us." And it is! ...in the forms of technology and engineering. Schooling in a factory/manufacturing economy could not afford to allow students to find individual paths of interest and inquiry. It went against the grain of mass education for factory robot-like jobs.

The ascent of the computer and information/learning-based economy have opened new doors. The collections of web sites on the topic below show some of the richness and depth of the Internet. These sites are ready-made for student projects, developing WEB QUESTS, and individual learning. They also address the parts of the Science Frameworks that Massachusetts and many other states have added. Feel free to use and adapt (parts of) this web page for your needs and interests!


  1. Introduction to Technology

  2. Transportation Technology

  3. Bioengineering; Technology and the Environment

  4. The Science of Construction -- Everything from the Big Dig, bridges and skysrapers to How to Build a House!

  5. Science in Manufacturing

  6. Telecommunications Technology: Light and Communication -- Applied Physics... all around us!

  7. The Evolution of the Universe -- Mega-applications of Science!

  8. The Science of Energy and Power -- Applied Physics, including Engineering Design...all around us!



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