STS Final Modules

UNIVERSITY OF CAGAYAN VALLEY
(Formerly Cagayan Colleges Tuguegarao)

Tuguegarao City, Cagayan, Philippines
SCHOOL OF LIBERAL ARTS AND TEACHER EDUCATION
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY
(Finals)
Name of Student:____________________________ Year/Section:___________________
Subject: Science, Technology, and Society Teacher: ________________________
MODULE No. M-01
TITLE: Topic 01: The information Age (Gutenberg to Social media)
Overview/ INFORMATION SOCIETY
Introduction: Humans are surrounded on all sides by technology claiming to supply
information: television, smart phones, and internet devices, among
others.
INFORMATION
A word is a combination of sounds that represents something. It is this
significance which makes words distinct from just any kind of vocal
utterance. Words made up of sounds and yet they transmit something
more significant. They transmit message. They are “Informed” because
they carry “information”. Words are informed with meaning given by
the speaker and intended for the listener. They communicate meaning.
Learning At the end of the lesson, the students will be able to:
Objectives: A. link learned concepts to the development of the information age
and its impact on society
B. illustrate how the social media and the information age have
impacted our lives
Discussion/Analysis:
M05- Student handout
THE ROLE OF LANGUAGE

In the human quest for understanding the natural world, the ability to NAME and CLASSIFY
objects found in nature was seen as a first step in knowing.
-Usefulness of language - scientific truth
-Ancient Greeks, language was an object worthy of admiration
-Words have power
- Science- from Latin word “scire” meaning to know is one kind of knowledge the Greeks
wanted to understand
- SPEAKER/ LISTENER - useful in the pursuit of knowledge
- The many seemingly different things in the natural world must have a Unifying Factor. There
was an inside to be “understood”.
- They sought for this Meta phusis, literally meaning “after nature”.
- One and the Many - Plato’s principle which refers to the underlying unity among diverse
beings in the natural world. For Plato, there is common intrinsic nature shared by different
objects, which determines their real sense.
Module (Midterms) Page 1 of 13

MATHEMATICS AS THE LANGUAGE OF NATURE
Mathematics- great contribution of Isaac Newton. Nature can be understood because it speaks
in the language of mathematics and the human brain, to a certain extent, can comprehend this
language.
TECHNOLOGICAL WORLD
The ability to think and conceptually comprehend nature and principles it follows eventually
leads to SCIENCE.
WESTERN THINKERS - Harnessed the forces of nature after understanding them better
Hero of Alexandria - invent a primitive steam engine in the first century (Davies, 1990)
THE PRINTING PRESS AND BEYOND

The power of the eidos (idea), would be witnessed in the succeeding centuries of development
in the west. The ancient fascination with language gave rise to the preservation of the words of
earlier people at the same time when the west weakened itself due to internecine warfare and
conflicts. Throughout this dark period, the importance of the word – the power to be informed
as a human being – led to the transmission of ideas through hand-copying. From this manual
action would arise the technology that would transform cultures – the printing press. The
development of printing press, which may be regarded as the beginning of a true revolution,
could be dated to the 15th century.
WORLD WIDE WEB

-A more modern example of technology feeding upon itself is the 20th century tour de force:
the WORLD WIDE WEB through the internet.
-SIR TIM BERNERS -LEE - invented it as way of addressing data processing and information
sharing needs among scientist for the EUROPEAN ORGANIZATION FOR NUCLEAR
RESEARCH (CERN)
Desired Activity:
Activity 01-A: Discussion paper
1. What are some of the current trends and issues in information technology today (give
at least five)? Provide a brief discussion for such.
2. Cite an example of the misapplication of information technology related to your

choosen field. In what ways can you correct it?
REFERENCES:
 McNamara, D.G., Valverde, V.M., and Ramon Beleno III, 2018. Science
Technology and Society
 YouTube: or Book “An inconvenient Truth: The Planetary Emergency of
Global Warming and What we can Do w
 Book: “The Future: Six Drivers of Global Change” (Al Gore)

SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND SOCIETY
(Finals)
Name of Student: ____________________________ Year/Section:___________________
MODULE No. M-02
TITLE: Topic 02: Biodiversity and the Healthy Society:
Genetically Modified Organisms: Science, Health, and Politics
Overview/ Introduction: Biodiversity is the existence of many different kinds of plants

and animals in an environment.
Taxonomy
-The study of the general principles of scientific classification.
-The process or system of describing the way in which
different living things are related putting them in groups.
- A hierarchical system of classification & naming organisms
devised by Swedish scientist Carl Linnaeus.
-Where several different species and genera cohabitate, there
is rich biodiversity.
-One of the basic laws of the living is that of self-preservation.
-an organism will sacrifice all it has to ensure its survival.
Learning Objectives: At the end of the lesson, the students will be able to:
A. determine the interrelatedness of society, environment,
and health
B. discuss the ethics and implications of GMOs and
potential future impacts
STS MO1 -Students Handout
THE 2010 INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF BIODIVERSITY By: Steffen Thorsen

On December 20,2006 Un general assembly declared 2010 as
-international year of biodiversity
-international year for rapprochement of cultures
-international year of youth
Facts:
-About 1.75 million species are identified, mostly small creatures such as insects
-Some scientists believe that there are actually about 13 million species, though estimates
range from 3 to 100 million.
The loss of biodiversity threatens;
1. Food supplies
2. Opportunities for recreation & tourism
3. Sources of wood, medicines and energy

4. Interferes with essential ecological functions
*tropical rainforest – land ecosystem that has the most biodiversity
The UN General assembly also invited the secretariat

-to work with other UN bodies, environmental agreements, and organizations to bring greater
international attention to the continued loss of biodiversity.
BIOTECHNOLOGY
The use of biological processes for industrial and other purposes, especially the genetic
manipulation of microorganisms for the production of antibiotics, hormones and etc.
BI (Biodiversity International)
-has released a module titled “Law and policy of relevance to the management of plant genetic
resources” which aims to help professionals in managing, conserving, using plant genetic
resources for food and agriculture.
The module provides the following Definitions.

1. BIOTECHNOLOGY uses biological systems, living organisms or derivatives thereof, to
make or modify products or processes for a specific use.
2. GENETIC ENGINEERING is a technique that allows genes and DNA to be transferred
from one source to another. It leads to the production of LMOs (living modified organisms) or
GMOs (genetically modified organisms).
3. MODERN BIOTECHNOLOGY gives scientists molecular tools for obtaining a better
understanding of the structure and function of genes in living organisms.
Modern biotechnology
1) develop new precision tools and diagnostics
2) speed up breeding gains and efficiency
3) develop pest-and disease-resistant crops
4) combat salinity, drought and agricultural problems
5) Enhance the nutritional quality of food
6) Increase crop varieties and choice
7) Reduce inputs and production costs
8) Increase profits
GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS

Based on EVOLUTIONARY THEORY, the concept of survival of the fittest implies that
living organisms have a NATURAL SPECTRUM OF CHARACTERISTICS such as SIZE,
MASS, LENGTH. The characteristics of an organism and its successors can be modified today
by modern technology, giving rise to what are called genetically modified organisms or
GMOs.
A GMO is a Plant, Animal, Microorganism, Other organism whose genetic makeup has been
modified using Recombinant DNA (Gene Splicing), Gene modification, or Transgenic
Technology.

Genetic modification aims to address issues with regard to; 1. FOOD SECURITY, 2.
AGRICULTURE, 3. DRUG PRODUCTION
4. NUTRITION
CARTAGENA PROTOCOL ON BIOSAFETY

-The Protocol is an International agreement which aims to ensure the safe handling, transport,
and use of living modified organisms (LMOs) resulting from modern biotechnology that may
have adverse effects on biological diversity, taking also into account risks to human health.
-It takes a precautionary approach by making sure that countries are provided with the data
necessary to make informed decisions before agreeing to the import of such organisms into
their territory.
Genetically modified Golden Rice falls short on lifesaving promises

By: Gerry Everding
Heralded on the cover of time magazine in 2000 as a genetically modified (GMO) crop with
the potential to save millions of lives in the Third world, Golden Rice is still years away from
field introduction and even then, may fall short of lofty health benefits still cited regularly by
GMO advocates, suggests a new study from Washington University in St. Louis.
“Golden Rice is still not ready for the market, but we little support for the common claim that
environmental activists are responsible for stalling its production. GMO opponents have not
been the problem, ‘said lead author Glenn Stone, professor of anthropology and environmental
studies in Arts & Sciences.
First conceived in the 1980’s and a focus research since 1992, Golden rice has been a lightning
rod in the battle over genetically modified crops.
GMO advocates have long touted the innovation as a practical way to provide poor farmers in
remote areas with a subsistence crop capable of adding much-needed Vitamin A to local diets.
A problem in many poor countries in the Global South, Vit. A deficiencies leave millions at
high risk for infection, diseases and other maladies such as blindness.
Some anti-GMO groups view Golden Rice as an over-hyped Trojan Horse that biotechnology
corporations and their allies hope will pave the way for the global approval of other more
profitable GMO crops.
REFERENCES:
 Life and Biodiversity ppt. Evolution and biodiversity Ecoscience-Biodiversity: an
overview
 Article: “The politics of golden Rice” (Dubock, Adrian GM Crops & Food.
JulSep2014, Vol5 Issue 3 p 210-222 13p.)
 Article: “Ethics in Research with Vulnerable Populations and Emerging Countries: The
Golden Rice Case.” (Duguet, Anne Marie et. al., Journal of International Law and
Commercial Regulations. Summer 2013, Vol. 38 Issue 4, p979-1013, 35p)
Agroecology: What it is and what it has to offer? Is this the future of farming?
 ‘Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) - Myths and Truths’ at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_ztZGbLEJ0

 McNamara, D.G., Valverde, V.M., and Ramon Beleno III, 2018. Science Technology
and Society

(Finals)
Name of Student: ____________________________ Year/Section: ___________________
MODULE No. M-03
TITLE: Topic 03: The Nano World
Overview/ Nanotechnology
Introduction: ‘‘Nano-’’ denotes nanometer 10 -9 m. Having applied in the field of
technology, Richard Feynman introduced it during a meeting of the
American Physical Society (Ganguly and Mukhopadhayay, 2011). Since
then, nanotechnology has been developed into a multidisciplinary field
of applied science and technology. Through nanotechnology, work can
be done on a scale of about 1–100 nm in order to understand, create,
characterize and use material structures, devices and systems with new
properties derived from their nanostructures (Roco, 2000; Duncan
2011).
Objectives: A. discuss the major impacts (both potential and realized) of
nanotechnology on society
B. analyze the issue through the conceptual STS lenses
C. critique the issue on its costs and benefits to society
(M02 - Student Handout)
THE NANO WORLD

In the pursuit of science & technology, humans are now dealing more and more with a world
not seen by the naked eye.
The NANO WORLD, like other scientific principles, provides both knowledge and instrument
to control nature.
NANO - refers to a unit meaning one billionth or ten raised to negative nine (10-9).
-Nanostructures can be found in nature.

-Catalysts, minerals, and other particles are measured on a Nano scale.
-Nanoscience deals with materials that are very small using specialized microscopes and other

nanodevices.
NANOTECHNOLOGY refers to the manipulation of matter on an atomic or subatomic scale
-Some innovations developed in this field include, MICOPROCESSORS & STRAIN-
RESISTANT FABRICS
-In the future, as nanoscience and nanotechnology progress, more breakthroughs are expected
to arise in the different fields of science, hopefully resolving problems in HEALTH,
ENVIRONMENT & SECURITY.
.
Desired Activity:
Activity 01-A: Watch the video on You Tube titled “The Next Step in Nanotechnology
(George Tulevski)” by TED Talks. Discuss the following briefly.
1. Why is nanotechnology likened to creating a statue out of a pile of dust?
2. What science governs nanostructures? Why is it different?
3. Why is nanotechnology a difficult science?
4. What does nature show about building organisms from the bottom up?
5. How can chemistry help in nanotechnology?
REFERENCES:
 Movie Clip (YouTube): “The Next Step in Nanotechnology (George Tulevski)” by
TED Talks
 Ppt: Can we build a culture of science through nanotechnology? By Fabian M. Dayrit
(2013)
 McNamara, D.G., Valverde, V.M., and Ramon Beleno III, 2018. Science Technology
and Society


(Finals)
MODULE No. M-04

TITLE: Topic 04: Gene therapy (stem Cells)
Overview/ GENE THERAPY is a way of treating some disorders and diseases that
Introduction: usually involves replacing bad copies of genes with other genes. The
whole vast concerns of human health include the following; disease
treatment & prevention, diet, general lifestyle, and aging.
If new discoveries on the areas of molecular and atomic physics are
applied to the biological basic building blocks-the genes- even greater
technologies for human health may be found.
Objectives: A. describe gene therapy and its various form
B. assess the issue’s potential benefits and detriments to global
health
(STS M03 -Student Handout)
WHAT WE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT STEM CELL TREATMENT IN THE PH

By: TOTEL DE JESUS
MANILA, Philippines- In recent years, it’s common to hear beauty doctors in the Philippines
offering stem cell therapy as if it is a new found medical fountain of youth, the answer to all
medical worries.
In various media platform, there are bombardment of advertisement from various hospitals and
clinics packaging stem cell therapy “cure-all” remedy.
With such medical breakthrough, it begs the question on how equipped we are in offering such
services. We can’t help but ask the parameters on distinguishing the real experts from
seemingly fly-by-night clinics an medical centers.
Filipino-American doctor-lawyer Samuel Bernal, an expert in the fields of generative medicine
and regulatory law, said the public should take a lot of precautions.
“Be careful. Number one, stem cell therapy is not a “cure-all” (medical procedure), “he said in
an interview with the INQUIRER a few weeks after receiving the 2012 Presidential Award for
Filipino Individuals and Organizations Overseas at the Malacanang Palace.
“The goal of stem-cell therapy is not a longevity-anti aging program Stem-cell therapy is
actually trying to allow the body to heal itself, “he said.
Educated at Johns Hopkins’ and Harvard Medical School, Dr. Bernal is currently Professor
Emeritus of Medicine at the University of California- Los Angeles, ,member of American
Association of Clinical Oncologists, the American Association of Cancer Researchers, and a

recognized cancer investigator with US National Institutes of Health.
As a lawyer, his legal expertise includes cases on medical malpractice, medical product
liability, as well as Federal Drug Administration (FDA) and Federal Trade Commission’s
(FTC) regulations in the testing, approval, advertising, and marketing of health products.
He explained stem cell treatment requires “analyzing at the molecular level what is causing the
problem or (what could be done) to prevent the problem.”
“Stem cells are just a small part of the molecular approach to medicine.”
Desired Activity:
Activity 01-A Fact Finding Worksheet

Instruction: Use library and internet resources to learn as much as you can about stem cell
research and current stem cell based therapies. When answering questions, be sure to
document your information sources like all good scientists do.
1. What is the definition of a stem cell?
Source:
2. What is the difference between adult stem cells and embryonic stem cells?
Source:
3. What parts of the human body contain stem cells?
Source:
4. In what ways might the use of embryonic stem cells be better than the use of adult stem
cells?
Source:
5. How can stem cells be used to treat diseases and injuries? List current uses.
Source:
6. What are some of the current experimental ways that stem cells are being used to treat
disease and injuries?
Source:
7. Why is there controversy about using embryonic stem cells

Source:
8. Why has government funding for stem cell research been limited?
Source:
9. Describe the process used for harvesting embryonic stem cells.
Source:
10. Describe the process used for harvesting adult stem cells.
Source:
REFERENCES:
 McNamara, Daniel Joseph, Vida Mia Valverde, Ramon Baleno III. 2018. Science,
Technology, and Society. Quezon City: C and E publishing, Inc.
 Article: What we should know about stem cell treatment in the ph by: Totel de Jesus
 Youtube: Science Friction: Stem Cell Research
 TEDTalk: Susan Lim on “Transplant Cells Not Organs”
 TED Talk: Juan Enriquez on “the Next Species of Human”

SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY

(Finals)
MODULE No. M-05
TITLE: Topic 05: Climate Change and the Energy Crisis:
Environmental Awareness
Overview/ CLIMATE CHANGE

Introduction: Climate- not similar to weather which is constantly changing. Climate
refers to a long-term weather patterns prevailing over a given area of the
planet.
The term Climate comes from a Greek word Klinein meaning “to
slope”. It evolved into Klima- connoting a zone or region of the earth as
characterized by its atmospheric conditions
Weather- the state of the atmosphere with respect to heat or cold,

wetness or dryness, calm or storm, cleanness or cloudiness.
Objectives: A. identify the causes of climate change
B. assess the various impacts of climate change including
economic, geopolitical, biological, meteorological, etc
C. apply STS concepts to the issue of climate change
M04- Student handout
EARTH’S MOVEMENT AROUND THE SUN

- Ellipse - resembles a flattened circle
- The earth spins around its own axis, an imaginary line from the north pole to the south pole,
which dips and wobbles gradually.
- The earth could then be imagined like a spinning top or trumpo, turning and wobbling in its
path about the sun.
The elements of interaction between the sun & the earth

1. Aphelion - refers to the point in the orbit of the earth farthest from the sun
2. Perihelion - point in the orbit of the earth closest to the sun
3. Earth’s axial tilt - the inclination angle of the earth’s rotational axis in relation to a line
perpendicular to its orbital plane
4. Precession - the change of the orientation of the rotational axis of the earth

5. Equinox - refers to the time the sun at noon is directly over the equator. It happens twice a
year and causes an almost equal length of day and night.
6. Solstice - happens when the sun at noon sits above the Tropic of cancer or Tropic of
Capricorn. (summer solstice- has the longest period of daylight in the year and winter solstice-
has the shortest period)
7. Precession of the equinoxes - refers to the motion of the equinoxes relative to the
precession of the Earth’s axis of rotation.
Happens over thousands of years.
SUN - center of earth’s orbital motion
MILANKOVITCH PARAMETERS
MILUTIN MILANKOVITCH
-1930’s, Slovak scientist and meteorologist
- interest in the daily weather patterns led him to investigate the deeper issues:
 Do weather and climate come ultimately from the sun so that it is the sun and its relation
to earth that accounts for the change in the climate?
 Is it possible that as the distance of the sun to the earth changes, the Earth is affected
enough to cause climate change?
- His contemporary scientists critiqued his work, saying the effects of the change in the radius
of earth’s orbit, the change in the tilt of the spin of the earth, and the wobble in the spin axis
(now called the MILANKOVITCH PARAMETERS)
-THE LAWS OF NATURE - first enunciated by Isaac Newton in the 17th century.
-The equations of the Laws of nature allow for cumulative or summative effects.
-HENRI POINCARE - French mathematical physicist, showed that mathematically, this
simple cumulative or summing process need not be as straightforward as it might seem.
CHAOS THEORY - new science

-With the advent of chaos theory, it seems that the Milankovitch theory might in fact be
relevant to the question of long-term climate change.
GLOBAL WARMING
-Most of the scientists who study climate change agree that the average temperature of the
earth’s atmosphere has been increasing by over 90 % in the latter part of the 20th century.
-Two opposing arguments on the issue of whether or not this global warming is just natural.
1. Nature, simply acting according to its laws with no reference to human beings and their
actions.
-Global warming will happen naturally as the suns rises and sets.
2. Global warming is caused or greatly abutted by the actions of human beings.
-It lays the blame on the actions of humanity past, and present.
GREENHOUSE GASES
The so called greenhouse effect refers to how certain gases (water vapor, carbon dioxide,
methane, NO2 etc.) in the atmosphere trap the heat of the sun.

British engineer John Tyndall states that the atmosphere contains certain gases that naturally
capture the heat from the sun and hold it in so the temperature of the Earth’s atmosphere
becomes hotter than it would be otherwise. The mentioned mechanism is good for the
biosphere because without it, the earth’s atmosphere would be like that of Mars or Antarctica
– extremely cold.
Industrialization - conversion of an agrarian economy into an industrialized one on a large

scale.
CHARLES DAVID KEELING - American scientist in the mid-20th century. To find out if the
increased burning of fossil fuel and the consequent release of CO2 in the atmosphere were
changing the global temperature of the atmosphere, He began to measure the amount of CO2
in the atmosphere of a place far away from the industrialized nations- on extinct volcano on
the island of Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean.
KEELING CURVE - graph that plots the continuous measurements of data taken at the Mauna
Loa Observatory in Hawaii.
*china- emits the most carbon dioxide
*14% - greenhouse gas emission of transportation sector.
*1.69 degrees (in Fahrenheit) – rise of global temperature since year 1880
REFERENCES:
 McNamara, D.G., Valverde, V.M., and Ramon Beleno III, 2018. Science
Technology and Society
 YouTube: or Book “An inconvenient Truth: The Planetary Emergency of
Global Warming and What we can Do About It” (Al Gore)
 Book: “The Future: Six Drivers of Global Change” (Al Gore)

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UNIVERSITY OF CAGAYAN VALLEY

(Formerly Cagayan Colleges Tuguegarao)

THE ROLE OF LANGUAGE

Module (Midterms) Page 1 of 13

THE PRINTING PRESS AND BEYOND

WORLD WIDE WEB

2. Cite an example of the misapplication of information technology related to your

Module (Midterms) Page 2 of 13

Overview/ Introduction: Biodiversity is the existence of many different kinds of plants

THE 2010 INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF BIODIVERSITY By: Steffen Thorsen

Module (Midterms) Page 3 of 13

The UN General assembly also invited the secretariat

The module provides the following Definitions.

GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS

Module (Midterms) Page 4 of 13

CARTAGENA PROTOCOL ON BIOSAFETY

Genetically modified Golden Rice falls short on lifesaving promises

Module (Midterms) Page 5 of 13

SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND SOCIETY

THE NANO WORLD

-Nanostructures can be found in nature.

Module (Midterms) Page 6 of 13

1. Why is nanotechnology likened to creating a statue out of a pile of dust?

2. What science governs nanostructures? Why is it different?

3. Why is nanotechnology a difficult science?

5. How can chemistry help in nanotechnology?

Module (Midterms) Page 7 of 13

SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND SOCIETY

MODULE No. M-04

WHAT WE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT STEM CELL TREATMENT IN THE PH

Module (Midterms) Page 8 of 13

Activity 01-A Fact Finding Worksheet

3. What parts of the human body contain stem cells?

Module (Midterms) Page 9 of 13

9. Describe the process used for harvesting embryonic stem cells.

Module (Midterms) Page 10 of 13

SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY

Overview/ CLIMATE CHANGE

Weather- the state of the atmosphere with respect to heat or cold,

EARTH’S MOVEMENT AROUND THE SUN

The elements of interaction between the sun & the earth

Module (Midterms) Page 11 of 13

CHAOS THEORY - new science

Module (Midterms) Page 12 of 13

Industrialization - conversion of an agrarian economy into an industrialized one on a large

Module (Midterms) Page 13 of 13

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