GE117-STS-WEEKS-1-5

SOUTH EAST ASIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, INC.
National Highway, Crossing Rubber, Tupi, South Cotabato
GENERAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

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LEARNING MODULE
GE 117 SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY
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WEEK 1
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GE117 - Science, Technology, and Society
GE 117 Science, Technology and Society
SOUTH EAST ASIAN INSITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
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COURSE OUTLINE
COURSE CODE : GE117

TITLE : SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY
INSTRUCTOR : LEO B. COLOT
Overview:
The course deals with interactions between science and technology and social,
cultural, political, and economic contexts that shape and are shaped by them. (CMO
no.20. series of 2013) This interdisciplinary course engages students to confront the
realities brought about by science and technology in society. Such realities pervade the
personal, the public, and the global aspects of our living and are integral to human
development. Scientific knowledge and technological development happen in the context
of society with all its socio- political, cultural, economic, and philosophical underpinnings
at play. This course seeks to instill reflective knowledge in the students that they are able
to live the good life and display ethical decision making in the face of scientific and
technological advancement.
General Objective:
To understand the general concepts and principles needed to study of science,
technology and society. It designed to enable students acknowledge and appreciate the
scientific and technological development from the perspective of its historical
developments up to 21th century and its impact to humans and its society.
THE FOLLOWING ARE THE TOPICS TO BE DISCUSSED

Week 1 - Science, Technology and Its significance to Society in Contemporary World
Week 2 - Evidences of Science and Technology during Pre-Historic Times Evidences of
Science and Technology during Ancient Times (3500 B.C.-1200 in the world)
Week 3 - Contribution of Greek, Persian, and Romans in the Development of Science
and Technology and the Leap of Science and Technology during the Scientific Revolution
Week 4 - Evidences of Science and Technology during Pre- Columbian Times (1500 B.C.-
A.D. 1500)
Week 5 - The states of Science and Technology during the middle ages (A. D. 400- A.D.
1300 in the Western World).
INSTRUCTION TO THE LEARNERS
Each chapter in this module contains a major lesson involving Science, Technology
and Society. The units are characterized by continuity, and are arranged in such a manner
that the present unit is related to the next unit. For this reason, you are advised to read
this module. After each unit, there are exercises to be given. Submission of task given will
be every weekdays during your scheduled class hour.
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WEEK 1
LESSON 1 SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE TO SOCIETY IN

CONTEMPORARY WORLD
A. The meaning of Science and Technology

Science, technology and society (STS), also referred to as science and technology
studies, is the study of how social, political and cultural values affect scientific research
and technological innovation, and how these, in turn, affect society. STS scholars are
interested in a variety of problems including the relationships between scientific and
technological innovations and society, and the directions and risks of science and
technology.
Science, technology and society refers to the interaction between science and
technology and social cultural, political and economic contexts which shape and are
shaped by them; specific examples throughout human history of scientific and
technological development.
B. Meaning of science
 Science is a systematized body of knowledge
 Science is an organized and dynamic inquiry (following scientific method)
 Science is knowledge gained through observation and experimentation
 Science is a human activity; scientist
 Science is a social enterprise: people, knowledge, skills, facilities, apparatus and
technologies
 Science leads to formation of concepts, methods, and principles, theories law and
procedures which seek to describe and explain nature and its phenomena
C. Meaning of Technology
 Technology as material products; results of scientific inquiry; hardware produced by a
scientist
 Technology as the application of knowledge in solving scientific and practical
problems that will help humans to survive or endeavors
 Technology as a social enterprise-Technology is a complex system of knowledge,
skills, people, methods, tools, materials and resources applied and allocated to the
development, operation and production of a new or improved product, process or
services.
 Technology as modern technology based on the advances of science since the
end of WWII to the present.
D. SOME OF THE NOTABLE HUMAN SUCCESS IN THE FIELD OF SCIENCE AND

TECHNOLOGY
Humans are ingenious species. Humans (Homo sapiens) have dreamed up and

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created some amazing and far-out things. From the moment someone based a rock on
the ground to make the first sharp-edged tool, to the debut of the wheel to the
development of Mars rovers and the Internet, several key advancements stand out as
particularly revolutionary. Here are some of most important inventions of all time along
with the science behind the invention and how they came out.
Wheel
The concept of inventing the wheel
came during 3500 BC. Humans were severely
limited in how much stuff they could transport
over land, and how far. The idea came to
connect a non-moving platform to a rolling
cylinder. People then invented the wheel and
axle which is the concept of making wheels.
Compass
Before, mariners navigate with the star,
but that method didn’t work during the day or
on cloudy nights. The Chinese invented the
first compass sometimes between the 9th and
11th century; it was made of lodestone, a
naturally-magnetized iron ore, and the
attractive properties of which they had been
studying for centuries.
Printing press
It was Johannes Gutenberg, a German who
invented the printing press around 1440. Though
others before him-including inventors in China and
Korea-have developed the movable type made from
metal, Gutenberg was the first to have created a
mechanized process that transferred the ink (which
he made from linseed oil and soot) from the movable
type to paper. Printing presses exponentially
increased the speed with which book copies could be
made, and thus led to the rapid and widespread
dissemination of knowledge for the first time in
history.

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Telephone
Alexander Graham Bell was the first to be
awarded a patent for the electric telephone in 1876.
Though several inventors did pioneering work on
electronic voice transmission, the invention quickly
took off, and revolutionized global business and
communication.
Internal combustion engine

In these engines, the combustions of fuel
releases a high-temperature gas, which, as it expands,
applies force to a piston, moving it. Thus, combustion
engines convert chemical energy into mechanical
work.
Penicillin
In 1928, the Scottish scientist Alexander Fleming
noticed a bacteria-filled Petri dish in his laboratory, the
sample had become contaminated with a mold, and
everywhere the mold was, the bacteria was dead.
The Internet
The internet is the global system of interconnected
computer networks used by billions of people worldwide. It is
impossible to credit the invention of the internet to a single
person, as countless people helped develop it. In the 1960’s,
a team of computer scientists working for the U.S Defense
Department’s ARPA (Advanced Research Projects
Agency)built a communications network to connect the
computers in the agency, called ARPANET. It used a method
of data transmission called “packet switching”. ARPANET was
the predecessor of the Internet that eventually emerged to
become the “Information superhighway”.
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Eco-Friendly Technologies/Advantage: These are sustainable technologies. This
technology utilizes resources from the environment without causing negative effects to it.
Some of these are:
 Solar Energy-use of solar panels to provide electricity
 Geothermal energy
 Wind power-wind mills as source of energy
E. Disadvantages and Ethical dilemmas of Science and Technology
1. Threats to human survival-the invention of nuclear weapons in 1945, like the
nuclear bombing of Nagaski and Hiroshima that caused deaths of many people.
This was a product of chemical and biological warfare (bio-warfare); toxic wastes
produced by manufacturing companies that threaten human survival and stability
of the environment.
2. Ethical dilemmas- exploitation of advanced scientific knowledge and
technological devices and systems gave rise to situations in which advances seem
to have turned against their beneficiaries, creating ethical dilemmas.
3. Disparities in Human well-being there are advanced countries enjoying science
and technology based successes and hold high esteem in contemporary society
(Economic strength), versus millions of people in less developed countries which
have not partaken in these benefits.
4. Social and cultural conflicts-Military power is vital for national security of many
governments; Superior and highly technical weapons dictated the outcomes of
some recent wars.
5. Innovating technologies can have negative consequences for certain sectors or
constituencies:
 Include pollution associated with production processes;
 Increased unemployment from labor-saving new technologies;
 Conversion of agricultural land into urban areas;
 Effect of overused technologies in medical industry that can cause fatal
births and diseases; and
 Global warming.
END

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ACTIVITY #1
(To be submitted on schedule)
Part A: Instruction: Construct creatively a graphic organizer (timeline) showing a

brief history of science and technology in the Philippines from pre-colonial period to
modern/contemporary. Provide at least 3-5 key or most important events for each
period (60 Points).
Criteria:
General Content Accuracy – 20 pts.
Organization – 20 pts.
Visual Impact and Technical Quality (cleanliness, proper spacing and indention) – 20 pts.
TOT: 60 pts.
Part B. Instruction: Co-relate the mutual connection/interrelatedness among the

terms: science, technology, and society. Provide the general goal of the three terms at
the center. (20 pts.)
Science
Technology
Society

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LEARNING MODULE
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WEEK 2

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WEEK 2
LESSON 2 EVIDENCES OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY DURING PRE-

HISTORIC AND ANCIENT TIMES (3500 B.C-1200 IN THE OLD WORLD)
PRE-HISTORIC TIMES
A. The dawn of the First Civilizations
Ancient human were able to discover and invent tools and methods as science
developed and progressed. With the availability of new scientific Instruments and
techniques, archeology excavation has provided us with data and evidences. Facts have
been unearthed and revealed that even during primitive time, people have already
developed skills and technologies which served and supplied their needs for survival.
Mankind existed long before the written records of any kind dated only in about 5000 BC.
People then discovered, learned and developed science and technology as the
consequence of their search for food, and other survival needs, for practical reasons and
even curiosity.
Discovery of mud plaster that led to pottery and mud brick houses; first known
pottery was in Japan around 10,000 BC.
B. Evidence of Science and Technology during Pre-Historic Times (3000-5000 B.C.)
Man’s achievements in science can be categorized as: (a) discovery (recognition and
observation of new objects): (b) invention (mental process wherein man’s various
discoveries, observation and experience are put together to produce new ways
(operation) and means (tools) of obtaining things (useful).
STONE AGE
This period was marked by which stone was widely used to make tools and
implements. Dated roughly 3.4 million years ago, and in about 8000 BC this era was
divided into three separate periods-Paleolithic Period (Early), Mesolithic Period (Middle),
and Neolithic Period (New) –based on the degree of sophistication in the fashioning and
use of tools. It is believed tool making began very early in the olden times. The era of
Australopitthcus and Paranthopus were contmeraneous with the evolution of the genus
Homo. Man was a food gatherer, depended for his subsistence on hunting wild and birds,
fishing, and collecting wolf fruits, nuts, and berries.
Tools developed gradually from single to all-purpose tools to a collection of varied and
highly specialized types of tools, each designed to serve in connection with a specific
function. The trend was from a stage of non -specialization to stages of relatively high
degrees of specialization. In the manufacture of stone implements, four fundamental
traditions were developed by the Paleolithic ancestors.(1) pebble-tool traditions; (2)
bifacial-tool, or hand –axe traditions; (3) flake-tool traditions; and (4) blade-tool traditions.
Stone tools were made from a variety of stones: flint and chart were shaped or chipped
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for use as cutting tools, flakes, blades and weapons. Flaking was able to produce a wide
range of a special tools that was used for cutting, chopping, scraping and sawing. Basalt
and sandstone were used for ground stone tools. Wood, bone, shell, antler and other
materials were widely used, as well.
The early Stone Age includes the most basic stone toolkits made by early humans.
The oldest stone tools, known as the Oldowan toolkit, consist of hammer stones that
show battering on their surfaces; stone cores that show a series of flake scars along one
or more edges; and sharp stone flakes that were struck from the cores and offer useful
cutting edges. Hand axes are cutting tools as well as other kinds of ‘large cutting tools
are characteristic of an Acheulean toolkit.
During middle Paleolithic time, the pace of innovation in stone technology began
to accelerate. Handaxes were made with exquisite craftsmanship, and eventually gave
way to smaller, more diverse toolkits, with an emphasis on flake tools rather than larger
core tools. One of the main innovations was the application of ‘prepared core technique’,
in which a core was carefully flaked on one side so that a flake of predetermined size and
shape could be produced in a single blow. This technique probably raised the level of
standardization and predictability in stone technology.
Middle Stone Age toolkits included points, which could be halted on the shafts to
make spears. When smaller points were eventually made, they were attached to smaller,
sleeker shafts to make darts, arrows, and other projectile weapons.
The Neolithic was characterized primarily by herding societies, as well as bronze

smelting, adoption of agriculture, the shift from food gathering to food producing,
development of pottery using sediments and clay. Agriculture was developed and certain
animals were raised as well.
BRONZE AGE
The Bronze Age is the second principal period of the three-age Stone Bronze-Iron
system and generally followed the Neolithic period. This period is marked with the
beginning of mining and metallurgy.

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Man-made tin bronze technology required set production techniques. Tin must be
mined and smelted separately, then added to molten copper to make bronze alloy. The
Bronze Age was a time of extensive use of metals and of developing trade networks.
IRON AGE
Iron Age is the period of time in prehistory when the dominant tool making material
was iron preceded by the Stone Age and Bronze Age, the transition from Bronze Age
occurred at different times in different places on Earth. As the name suggest, Iron age
Technology is characterized by the production of tools and weaponry using ferrous
metallurgy or iron work more specially from carbon steel. Meteoric iron has been used by
humans since 3200 BC, but ancient iron production did not become widespread until the
ability to smelt iron ore, remove impurities and regulate the amount of carbon in the alloy
were developed.
The distinctive dark metal brought with it significant changes to daily life in ancient
society, from the way people grew crops to the way they fought wars. Iron made life a lot
easier in those days, much of Europe had settled into small village life, toiling the soil with
iron farming tools, such as sickles and plough tips, made the process more efficient and
allowed farmers to exploit tougher soils, try new crops and have more time for other
activities.
ANCIENT TIMES (3500 B.C-1200 IN THE OLD WORLD)
First civilizations emerged independent of one another along fertile river valleys in
Mesopotamia (Tigris – Euphrates), Egypt (Nile), China (Huang Ho valley), and India,
People of each civilization developed a unique way of life, religion, form of government,
language and system of writing, arts and crafts, advances of science and technology:
astronomy , agriculture, medicine, mathematics, engineering, and architecture. They
grew plants and domesticated animals and settled down in places.
I. SUMERIAN CIVILIZATION
Location: (Sumer, Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq and Kuwait). It is cradle of the world’s
earliest known civilization and was first established in the region in about 3600 B.C.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT:
a. Cuneiform is the first writing system, it is a set of word pictures depicted in
symbols made of triangular marks around 3100 BC. It is also known as the ‘the
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first cities’ in the world. It transformed families into tribes that occupied territories
which soon became cities and later were called the states.
b. Sumerian clay tablet-contains the Sumerian historical information and culture. It
began as record keeping for trade and evolved into the use of symbols for writing
down laws and stories.
c. The concept of the wheel actually grew out of a mechanical device that the
Sumerians had invented shortly after 3500 B.C-the potter’s wheel. This was a
heavy flat disk made of hardened clay.
d. Sailboat was also first invented by Ancient Mesopotamia. Five thousand years
ago Mesopotamians started using sailing boats. Since Mesopotamia was situated
between two famous rivers, namely the Euphrates and the Tigris, they needed
water transportation for travel and trade.
e. the Sumerians were among the first astronomers, mapping the movement of
stars, planets and moon into sets of constellations, many of which survived in the
zodiac and were also recognized by the ancient Greeks.
f. Sumerians were also recognized for building the foundations of logic,
mathematics, engineering, architecture, agriculture, transportation and medicine.
g. Sexagesimal system of counting in units of 60 which served as the basis of 360
degree circle and the 60 minutes hour.
h. Developed systematized technique of farming: seed plow and irrigation.
i. Wool from sheep made into textiles; mastered the arts of bleaching and dyeing.
II. BABYLONIAN CIVILIZATION

Location: Babylonia was the ancient region bordering the Tigris and Euphrates River
(Iraq). Babylon is the capital, served as commercial and religious center in the Tigris-
Euphrates valley.
a. Hammurabi (1792-1750 B.C), the first leader of the old Babylonian Empire
promulgated the famous law code that served as rule and standards which helped
maintain a period of stability in this region, as well as the establishment of science
and technology.
b. Nebuchadnezzar II was the Neo Babylonian Emperor who ordered the
construction of the famous “hanging Gardens of Babylon” (one of the Seven
Wonders of the World) and the Ishtar Gate.
c. Contributed to the development of science and technology such as: irrigation
system of canals flanked by earthen dikes; system of book keeping, double entry
accounting, multiplication and division tables and calculations using geometry.

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d. Adopted the Sumerian sexagesimal system of counting in units of 60; made
accurate predictions of solar and lunar eclipses and other astronomical
phenomena.
III. EGYPTIAN CIVILIZATION

Location: Situated in the Northeast part of the African continent, Egypt is located along
the Nile River which provided a fertile delta.
Science and Technology Development:
Ancient Egypt depended on the waters of the River Nile, which flows through harsh
and arid desert. The Nile River gave life to the civilization of Egypt. The early settlers were
animal hunters, they were nomadic. Later changed their lifestyle to be farmland settlers.
Ancient Egyptians learned to heat metal ore (copper, gold and bronze) and made
weapons and utensils. They may have been the first people to learn how to make glass
(glass-blowing). They learned how to heat sand in very hot furnace and then blow the
molten sand into glass. They made glass jars and glass beads.
Egyptian writing wrote with ink and brushes on paper made of papyrus reeds; their
writing was in the form of pictorial symbols known as hieroglyphics. Their knowledge of
human anatomy, physiology, surgery and medical plants enabled them to master the art
and science of embalming their dead.
Created the calendar based on the phases of the moon, consisting of 29 and ½
days. The first 365-day calendar was devised by IMHOTER, early in the old kingdom.
They were the first to divide the day into 24 hours, calculated the time by means of water
clock. Their interest in Astronomy was focused on the stars and early calendar was based
on the appearance and disappearance of stars Sirius, the brightest in their horizon which
coincide with annual rise and fall of the Nile River, help them forecast the seasons and
predict the annual flooding on the Nile River.
The Egyptians also engaged in ship building; Construction of canals, dikes and
ditches with outlet system; Planted wheat, barley. Food was broiled, baked, stewed, fried,
grilled or roasted. They bred ducks, geese, pigs, goats, cattle and sheep; Manufactured
soaps, cream, oils, perfumes and eye makeup.

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IV. CRETAN (MINOAN) CIVILIZATION
Location: arose on the island of Crete and other Aegean islands such as Santorini and
flourished from approximately 2600 to 1400 BC. It was rediscovered at the beginning of
the 20th century through the work of British archeologist Arthur Evans. Will Durant referred
to it as “the first link in the European chain”. Minoan civilization was an Aegean Bronze
Age civilization, ruled by King Minos. Knossos was the capital of Crete, the grandest site
of Bronze Age palaces, built between 2100 and 1575 B.C. Crete is a mountainous island
with natural harbors located midway between Turkey, Egypt and Greece.
The Minoans were primarily a mercantile people engaged in overseas trae. Their
culture, from 1700 BC onward, shows a high degree of organization. Many historians and
archeologists believe that the Minoans were involved in the Bronze Age’s important tin
trade; tin, alloyed with copper apparently was from Cyprus. Crete became importers of
raw materials and food. In the process they built the first major navy ship in the world. Its
primary purpose, however, was trade, not war or conquest.
ACTIVITY #2
Direction: Write your answer in a long bond paper (Hand written) and attach it to the last
page of this module.
1. Make a timeline of the events of the development of science and technology for the
following civilizations;
a. Sumerian civilization
b. Egyptian civilization
c. Cretan civilization
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LEARNING MODULE
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WEEK 3

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WEEK 3
LESSON 3: CONTRIBUTION OF GREEK, PERSIAN, AND ROMANS IN THE

DEVELOPMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
I. THE CLASSICAL GREEK PHILOSOPHERS (400 B.C-400A.D)

Location: Greece is a country in Southern Europe located at the crossroads of Europe,
Asia, and Africa. Its mainland is located at the southernmost tip of the Balkan Peninsula.
Science and Technology Developments:
Here are some of the Great Greek Philosophers that helped in the development of science
and technology during Ancient times.
a. Thales of Miletus (638-548 B.C) developed the theory of matter based upon
water.
b. Socrates (470-399 B.C) emphasized the study of human nature in relation to
society; established the theory of skepticism.
c. Empedocles (493-433 B.C) assumed that there were more than one kind of
matter and postulated four roots of elements: earth, air, fire and water.
d. Hippocrates about 400 B.C started the science of medicine and is known as the
greatest physician of antiquity and regarded as the father of medicine. He stated
that diseases have natural causes and the body has the power to repair itself.
e. Aristotle (384-322 B.C) regarded as the father of Biology, undertook a large-scale
classification of plants and animals. He introduced a method of scientific thinking
that still plays a role today.
f. Archimedes (287-212 B.C)-performs experiments which led him to discover the
laws of the lever and the pulley that resulted in the invention of machines which
could easily move loads.
g. Ptolemy about 100 A.D-one of the greatest astronomers who founded the
Geocentric theory (Earth-centered) and wrote the Almagest.
h. Democritus developed atomic theory; elaborated idea that matter consisted of
atoms.
i. Pythagoras (497-581 B.C)-Mathematicians, held that numbers were basic to
matter; the Pythagorean Theorem.
j. Plato dealt with the nature of the universe; ascribed geometric forms composed
of bounding planes to the elements of earth, fire, air and water based upon their
physical properties.
k. Aristarchus. Both a mathematician and an astronomer, Aristarchus discovered
new theories about the way the planets move in their orbits.
l. Hipparchus discovered the length of the month which is only one second off from
the length that we use today.
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m. Eratosthenes determined that the circumference of (the distance around) the
earth was 28,000 miles, which is only three thousand miles more than what we
know today.
n. Theophrastus regarded as father of plant science, wrote “History of Plants” in
which he described the forms, behavior, morphology, and properties of some 500
food and medicinal plants.
II. PERSIAN CIVILIZATION

Location: Persia is the former name of Iran. The Persian Empire, founded by Cyrus the
Great in the 6th century BC, was the largest empire of the ancient world, stretching from
the borders of India and China in the east to large parts of Greece and Libya in the west.
The culture of Persians is one of the oldest in the Middle East.
Persia has one of the richest art heritages in world history and encompasses many
disciplines including architecture, painting, weaving, pottery, calligraphy, metalworking
and stonemasonry. Persian rugs have always been a vital part of the Persian culture.
a. Nas’taliq is the most beautiful Persian Calligraphy style and also technically the
most complicated. Even the second popular Persian calligraphy style i.e. “Cursive
NAs’taliq” or “Shekasteh Nas’taliq”.
b. Pottery-the taste and talent of the Persian people can be seen through the
designs of their earthen wares, ceramic art objects such as figures, tiles, and
tableware made from clay and other raw materials.
c. Domes were an important part and constructed on the first large-scale in Persia.
The outer surfaces of the domes are mostly mosaic faced, which creates a
magical view.
d. Various Structures such as mosques, mausoleums, bazars, bridges, and different
palaces have mainly survived from this period.
e. A wind tower is a chimney-like structures positioned above the house to catch
the prevailing wind.
III. ROMAN CIVILIZATION

Location: Rome is the capital of Italy, Roman civilization is characterized by a
government headed by emperors and large territorial holdings around the Mediterranean
Sea in Europe, Africa and Asia. Today it is known as the “the eternal city’. Latin is the
language spoken by Romans.
a. The Romans used water power, and watermills for making cereals milling, sawing
timber and crushing ore. They exploited wood and coal for heating.
b. The romans made great use of aqueducts, dams, bridges, and amphitheaters.
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c. The Romans constructed numerous aqueducts to supply water. The city of Rome
itself was supplied with eleven aqueducts made of limestone that provided the city
with over 1 million cubic metres of water each day, sufficient for 3.5 million people
even in modern-day times.
d. Romans dedicated their many resources to the study of astronomy, astrology,
geography, and other sciences. Their contributions were crucial to future
generations and have helped us collect the knowledge we have today.
e. Ancient Roman used sundials to tell time and even created portable versions. They
also used tools for measuring manual drills, and metal spikes (used as nails).
f. Advanced glassblowing techniques brought new technology to Rome in the form
of window glass, hanging glass oil lamps, and other objects made of glass.
g. Rome’s military benefited from technological improvements to weapons, shields,
amour, and other items.
SOME OF THE NOTABLE ROMAN SCIENTISTS

1. Galen (129-199 AD)-great physician and surgeon; Galen influenced the
development of various scientific disciplines, including anatomy, physiology,
pathology, pharmacology, and neurology, as well as philosophy and logic.
2. Vitruvius is another writer whose work has provided us with important knowledge
about Ancient Rome. He was also an architect and an engineer sometimes
referred to as the first architect.
3. Pliny- described almost a thousand species of plants, most of which were highly
valued for their medicinal uses.
LESSON 4: CONTRIBUTION OF ARABS, CHINESE AND HINDU IN THE

DEVELOPMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
I. ARABIC CIVILIZATION
Location: Originated in the Arabian Peninsula, Saudi Arabia in 622 A. D. Arabic is the
written and spoken language of the Arabs. At present there are 22 Arabic-speaking
countries: Algeria, Bahrain, Comoro Islands, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait,
Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia,
Syria, Tunasia, UAE and Yemen. Their religion Islam means “submission to the will of
God.” God Allah conveyed to Muhammad, a tradesman, a series of revelations which
were to form the basis of the new faith.
 Trigonometry, sine, Tangent, Co-tangent- Ibn Moosaa’s work Hisaab-Al Jab –Wal
MUdaabala (The Calculation of Integration and Equation) presented 800 examples
in the 8th century CE, it was Europe’s main textbook on the subject.
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 Astronomy-invented an instrument used to observe star called Astrolable.
 Architecture-built before the great Mosque of Damascus
 Water wheel
 Water Irrigation
 Algebra and Geometry- Muhammad bin Moosa Al-kwawaarizmi is considered to
be one of the founders of Algebra. The word ‘Algorithm’ or ‘Algorizm’ is a corruption
of his name or the name of the town Khwaarizm (Kheva), in what is now
Uzbekistan, where he was born.
 Physics and chemistry-Kamaludden examined the refraction of sunlight in
raindrops and offered an explanation of the genesis of primary and secondary
rainbows.
 Haroon Ar-Rasheed was associated with the story of the invention of the pendulum
and the presentation of a water clock to Emperor Charlemagne.
 Science of Mechnics- The development of the science of mechanics in Islam is an
act of genius. Moosaa bin Shaakir described one hundred pieces of mechanical
equipment in his book of artifices.
 Camera Obscura-In the field of optics, this was invented by Ibn Haytham in 1038
CE.
 Theory of Relativity-Qaadhi Abu Bakr developed the theory of relativity in the 8th
century CE in terms of time and space by means of mathematical equations and
astrophysics.
 Paper Making-This was one of the earliest skills attained by the Muslims, As early
as the 8th century CE, high quality paper was being manufactured in Samarqand.
Egypt was known to have its first paper mill in the year 900 CE.
 Advances in Industry-Muslims were leading in weaving wool, producing skills,
pottery, jewelry, and in leather and perfume industry.
II. CHINESE CIVILIZATION
Location: Ancient China was built along the two main rivers- first the Yellow River (Huang
He) in the north, and later the Yangtze in the south. China is one of the oldest civilizations
and the world’s most populous country (Asia), with a population of over 1.35 billion.
Various forms of sciences such as astronomy, physics, chemistry, meteorology,
seismology, have originated from China.
Chinese contributions to science and technology:
 Paper and Chinese calligraphy began writing about 1500 BC. The earliest writing
that we know of from China was on animal bones, which are called “oracle bones
because they were used to tell the future.

Page 20 of 32
 Place value number system-decimal or base system was first developed by the
Chinese. The earliest invention was the abacus, a calculator that used sliding
beads to help compute math problems quickly.
 The first recorded observations of comets, solar eclipses, were done in China
 Invented kites and lanterns
 The clock was first devised for astronomical purposes. The first ever clock had a
puppet which could hold up a plate that would tell the time. Also giant water clocks
which rang every 15 minutes were invented.
 Magnetic Compass: The compass was wooden circle with markings on it, and a
magnetic spoon on top, used for religious purposes.
 Gunpowder: Scientists made gunpowder by mixing sulphur, charcoal and
potassium nitrate. The reason gunpowder explodes is that it burns very fast, and
when it burns it releases gases that are bigger in volume than the original powder.
 Fireworks were actually bamboo cases filled with gunpowder with gunpowder with
a fuse on the side. Fireworks were initially used only for shows. Later on they were
used to scare off enemies during the war.
 Kites were first invented in China during Chou dynasty. Kites were first made of
bamboo and silk.
 Seismological detectors- Zhang Heng invented the earthquake detecting tool
called Seismoscope. His seismoscope was a giant bronze vessel resembling a
kettle almost 6 feet in diameter.
 Cross bow is a bow set horizontally on a stock. When the shooter releases a
mechanism, the crossbow fires arrows or bolts forced by the mechanical energy
of previously stretched bowstring.
 Fans were made of bamboo spines than stick out in the shape of a semicircle with
silk wrapped around it. Fans were mostly used by women and soldiers.
 Paper and Printing. Their early script contained 80,000 different characters. They
went on to invent books and had book shops in every city by the end of the Tang
dynasty.
 Seed Drill: Seed drills were used by farmers to plant seeds into the soil at uniform
depth. Without this tool, farmers otherwise would toss the seeds with hands over
the ground resulting in wastage and uneven growth.
 Iron Plough: This was one of the major developments in ancient Chinese
agriculture. It was first developed in 4th century BC. Later on it was more popular
and used commonly during the Han dynasty.
 Porcelain: This is made of special white clay which has a lot of kaolin in it. The
clay is put on fire at very high temperature. The temperature is kept so high that
some of the clay melts and becomes shiny and translucent like glass (Pottery).
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 Silk was made from the cocoons of silkworms. The Chinese managed to keep the
process for making silk a secret for hundreds of years. Silk was a soft and light
material much desired by the wealthy throughout the world.
 Wheelbarrows are basically hand driven vehicles with two handles on the rear side
for a person to push ahead. It is mostly used in the Construction Industry.
 Other inventions included umbrella, iron casting, hot air balloon, matches, stirrups
for riding horses, and acupuncture. A clear coating called lacquer was also made
to protect and enhance certain works of art and furniture. Paper money was first
developed and used in China during the Tang dynasty (7th century).
III. INDUS-HINDU CIVILIZATION
Location: Early civilization in India emerged in river valleys, the valleys of the Indus River
supported a flourishing civilization that extended hundreds of miles from the Himalayas
to the coast of the Arabian Sea.
Science and technology Development:
Two of the major cities: Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro. At its height, Harappa had
35,000 inhabitants and Mohenjo-Daro had perhaps 35,000 to 40,000 inhabitants. Both
cities were planned carefully, most building were constructed of mud bricks baked in oven
and were square shaped, forming a grid pattern.
Evidence showed that Indus valley civilization have public wells provided with
regular supply of water for all the inhabitants and sanitation. All houses had their own
private toilet which was connected to a covered sewer networks constructed on brickwork
held together with a gypsum based mortar that emptied into the surrounding or into a
cesspit. Also evident was the presence of public and private baths, sewage and
sophisticated water management system.
In 500 AD, Aryabhata presented astronomical and mathematical system that took
the earth to spin on its axis and considered the motions of the planets with respect to the
sun (Heliocentric) are elliptical. He also made an accurate approximation of the Earth’s
circumference and diameter, and also discovered how the lunar eclipse and solar eclipse
happen for the first time. He also propounded the heliocentric theory of gravitation,
thus predating Copernicus by almost one thousand years.
Brahmagupta (598-668) was the head of the astronomical observatory at Ujjain;
estimated in the 7th century that the circumference of the earth was 5000 yojanas or the
estimate of 36,000 km which comes quite close to the actual circumference known today.
In 1984, Rakesh Sharma became the first Indian to go to outer space.
The Hindus use a system of 27 or 28 Nakshatras (Lunar constellations) to calculate
a month. Each month can be divided into 30 lunar tithis (days). There are usually 360 or
366 days in a year.
The Jantar Mantar in Jaipur is actually is actually one of six major observations
Page 22 of 32
built by the Maharajah. The one in Jaipur not only follows the movements of the sun and
the moon to help determine auspicious dates of events, it also helps map out the position
of the stars in the sky.
ACTIVITY #3
BLOG IT
Instruction:
Choose one remarkable development from Arabic, Chinese and Hindu science and
technology and make a flyer/poster interpreting their contributions.
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___________________________________________________
LEARNING MODULE
_____________________________________________________
WEEK 4

Page 24 of 32
WEEK 4
LESSON 5: EVIDENCES OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY DURING PRE-COLUMBIAN
TIMES (1500 B.C.-A.D. 1500 IN THE NEW WORLD)
I. OLMEC CIVILIZATION
Location: The first great Mesoamerican civilization. They thrived along Southern gulf
coast of Mexico, mainly in the present-day states of Veracruz and Tabasco, from about
1200 to 400 B.C. Culture was greatly influential on later societies, such as the Maya and
the Aztec.
The name “Olmec” means “rubber people” in Nahuatl, the language of the Aztec.
The term “rubber people” refers to the ancient, spanning from ancient Olmecs to Aztecs,
of extracting latex from Castilla elastica, a rubber tree in the area. The juice of a local
vine, Ipomoea Alba, was then mixed with this latex to create rubber as early as 1600 BCE.
Olmecs constructed permanent city-temple complexes at San Lorenzo
Tenochtitlan, La Venta,Tres Zapotes, and Laguna de los Cerros. The principal
architectural structure found in La Venta ruins was the vast clay pyramid decorated with
elaborate carvings. Common among places is the colossal heads that is made from basalt
which symbolizes thrones. There are also monuments and other major pieces of Olmec
art such as mask and figurines.
Olmecs are known to cultivate cacao, rubber, and salt. It is also observed that they
are using an elaborate water and draining system. They manufacture chocolate drinks.
There are evidences that suggest the Olmec practiced human sacrifice and
cannibalism; the calendar used in Mexico may also have originated from the Olmec. They
also studied astronomy since they are obsessed with the timing of religious ritual Animal
gods were features of Olmec culture.
Olmec traded goods such as obsidian, ceramics, jade, serpentine, mica, rubber,
pottery, feathers and polished mirrors of limonite and magnetite.
La Venta went into decline around 400 B.C. and the Olmec civilization vanished along
with it.
II. MAYA CIVILIZATION
Location: The ancient Mayans are a diverse group of indigenous people who lived in
parts of present-day Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras. It is regarded
as one of the most important pre-Columbian Mesoamerican cultures. The Mayas are
credited with a number of remarkable scientific achievements in various scientific field
such as astronomy, engineering, medicine, and mathematics.
a) The Mayan not only made the great progress in agriculture, but also made a big
break in technology.
Page 25 of 32
b) The architecture and engineering skills were manifested in the grandeur of their
tall pyramids of limestone, with small temples on the top constructed like an arch
supported by two side walls bridged by a row of flat stones and ornamented by
steeples or roof combs. They are usually made of charts, obsidian, silicified
limestone, and jade.
c) As far as astronomy was concerned, they tracked the movement of the stars and
planets across the sky, and were able accurately predict celestial events such as
eclipses. To the Mayan, Venus was the most important astronomical object.
d) The Mayans also discovered an accurate calendar. The ritual calendar that
developed in Mesoamerica used a count of 260 days.
e) The written language of the Mayan was made up of about 800 glyphs, or symbols.
Each one represented a word or a syllable, and could be combined with others in an
almost infinite number of ways. As a result, there were three or four different ways to write
almost every word in the Mayan language.
The Mayans were also talented in building elaborate temples and great cities without
the essential tools like metal. It is believed that Mayans were producing rubber products.
III. AZTEC CIVILIZATION
Location: The Aztecs established their city of Tenochtitlan, present-day Mexico City in
1325 A.D. The Aztecs are best known as a violent people who expanded their empire
through ruthless warfare.
a) The advances demonstrated in Aztec technology are so remarkable that they are
still looked upon adoringly to this day. Just a few of the Aztec accomplishments
have been the development of mathematics, the canoe, the highly specialized
Aztec calendar, and remarkably helpful forms of medicine.
b) Aztec tools were made with obsidian and chert. Near the time they were
overcome by Spanish conquistadors, advances in Aztec technology led to the
experimentation of making tools with copper.
c) Aztec technology were familiar with the wheel. The wheel, however, was only
used in toys.
d) Aztecs developed dugout canoes with which they transported themselves and
their goods throughout the many canals, lakes, and waterways, found in the valley
of Mexico.
e) The Aztecs were very advanced scientific thinkers and mathematicians. The
Aztec number system was far more advanced than other cultures at the time.
f) Aztec astronomy was also an important component of their calendar, which
reflected heavily on their gods.

Page 26 of 32
g) The Aztecs were also advanced in the development of medicine. In fact, Aztec
medicine was found in many forms, such as ointments, drinks, and salves.
h) This spectacular area of Aztec technology has been recorded in the Badianus
Manuscript, which was created by Aztec artists in 1552.
IV. INCA CIVILIZATION

Location: Flourished in the Andean region of South America from the early 15th century
A.D. up until its conquest by the Spaniards in the 1530s. One of the Inca civilization’s
most famous surviving archeological sites is Machu Picchu, which was built as a retreat
place for an Incan emperor. The Incas called their empire Tawantinsuyu, the “Land of the
four Corners”, and its official language was Quechua; it was the largest empire in pre-
Columbian America. The Inca Empire originated at the city of Cuzo in what is today Peru.
To support this empire, a system of roads stretched to almost 25,000 miles.
a) They are rich in maize (corn) and dried Ilama, coca leaves and alcohol; other
consumable goods include sweet potatoes, quinoa, beans and chili peppers. Coca
leaves were used in moderate amounts to lessen hunger and pain during work,
but were mostly used for religious and health purposes as well as during surgeries
as an anesthetic.
b) Mummification of individuals was an important part of Inca funerary rites.
c) November is described as being the “month of carrying the dead,” a time when
people would try to feed the mummies of their ancestors.
d) striking artistry were its textiles; finest grade of cloth was called cumpi, being
reserved for the emperor and nobility. Clothes were woven out of wool from dried
Ilamas and alpaca or vicuna wool and cotton.
e) Objects were made out of gold and silver. Inca stone-working was also considered
to be very fine.Their craftsmen fitted building stones together perfectly without
using any mortar, such that an object as thin as a razor blade could not be inserted
between the stones.
f) Inca calendars were strongly tied to astronomy. The Inca calendar was essentially
lunisolar, as two calendars were maintained in parallel, one solar and one lunar.
Twelve lunar months fall 11 days short of a full 365-day year.
g) The Inca used assemblages of knotted strings, known as Quipu, used as
mnemonic devices or to record numerical data and also believed to record history
and literature.
h) The Inca made many discoveries in medicine. They performed successful skull
surgeries, which involved cutting holes in the skull in order to alleviate fluid buildup
and inflammation caused by head wounds.

Page 27 of 32
i) Physical measures employed by the Inca were based upon human body parts.
Fingers, the distance between thumb to forefinger, palms, cubits, and wingspans
were among those units used. The most basic unit of distance was thatkiy or
thanki, or one pace.
j) The Inca weaponry included: Bronze or bone-tipped spears; Two-handed wooden
swords with serrated edges; Clubs with stone and spiked metal heads; Woolen
slings and stones; Stone or copper head battle-axes; Bolas (stones fastened to
lengths of cord.
ACTIVITY #4
Direction: Write your answer in a long bond paper (Hand written) and attach it to the last
page of this module.
Criteria for Persuasive writing:
Criteria Percentage (%)
1. Focus 20
2. Context 30
3. Organization 20
4. Convention (Usage, Grammar, Mechanics) 30
Total 100
Explain briefly: (50 points)

1. What are the means of livelihood and survival of the people during that time?
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Page 28 of 32

___________________________________________________
LEARNING MODULE
_____________________________________________________
WEEK 5

Page 29 of 32
WEEK 5
LESSON 6: THE STATE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY DURING THE MIDDLE AGES
(A.D. 400-A.D. 1300 IN THE WESTERN WORLD)
Medieval Times, Middle Ages, and Dark Ages are generally referring to the
same period of time from 500 to 1500 AD. That’s 1000 years! It covers the time from the
falloff the Roman Empire to the rise of the Ottoman Empire. Europe experienced an
intellectual revitalization especially with regard to the investigation of the natural world.
The Medieval period saw major technological advances, including the invention of
vertical windmills, spectacles, mechanical clocks, greatly improved water mills, building
techniques like the Gothic style and three-field crop rotation.
HERE ARE SOME OF THE FAMOUS INVENTIONS DURING MEDIEVAL TIMES:
1. Military technologies such:
a. Counterweight trebuchet is a revolutionized medieval siege weapon which
uses counterweights and hurling of huge stones to very far distances. It was
first used in the eastern Metirranean basin.
b. Longbow with massed, disciplined archery was used by the English against the
French during the Hundred Year’s War (1337-1453). The longbow was
powerful, accurate and contributed to the eventual demise of the medieval
knight class.
c. Steel crossbow was the first hand-held mechanical crossbow. This European
innovation came with several different cocking aids to enhance draw power.
d. Complete Full plate armour appeared by the end of the 14th century. The
armour chain mail was made from thousands of metal rings and the armour
was a long cloak called a hauberk.
2. Agricultural Innovations such as the heavy wheeled plough, three-field system,
horse collar, the stirrup, and horseshoe were developed.
a. Heavy wheeled plough was important in the cultivation of rich, heavy, often wet
soils of Northern Europe that advanced their agricultural practices.
b. Horse collar went through multiple evolutions from the 6th to 9th centuries. It
allowed more horse pulling power, such as with heavy ploughs, while
Horseshoes let horses adapt to rocky terrain, mountains and carry heavier
loads. They may have been known to the Romans and Celts as early as 50 BC.
c. Artesian well is composed of a thin rod with a hard iron cutting edge placed in a
borehole and repeatedly struck with a hammer. Underground water pressure
forces the water up the hole without pumping. Artesian wells are named as such
for Artois, a region in France, where the first was drilled by Carthusian monks in
1126.

Page 30 of 32
d. Wheelbarrow is used in construction, mining, and farming for carrying materials
from place to place. Wheelbarrows appeared in stories and pictures between
1170 and 1250 in North-western Europe.
3. OTHER INVENTIONS
a. Blast furnace or cast iron first appeared in Middle Europe around 1150.
b. Hourglass was made from a dependable, affordable and accurate measure of
time, believed to be a medieval innovation first documented in Siena,
Italy.Mechanical clocks is a European innovation, these weight-driven clocks
were used primarily in clock towers.
c. Vertical windmills is a pivot able post mill efficient at grinding grain or draining
water.
d. Spectacles is composed of convex lenses to help far-sighted people to see.
e. Chess-it is said that the earliest predecessors of the game originated from
India, in the 6th century AD and spread through Persia and the Muslim world to
Europe. The game evolved to its current form in the 15th century.
f. Mirrors were made in 1180 by Alexander Neckham who said “Take away the
lead which is behind the glass and there will be no image of the one looking in”.
g. Oil point was invented by a Flemish painter Jan van Eyck around 1410 who
introduced a stable oil mixture.
h. A tide mile is a special type of water mill driven by tidal rise and fall. A dam with
a conduit is created across a suitable tidal inlet, or a section of river estuary is
made into a reservoir. As the tide comes in, it enters the kill pond through a one
way gate, and this gate closes automatically when the tide begins to fall.
i. The spinning wheel was probably invented in India, though its origins are
ambiguous. It reached Europe via the Middle East in the European Middle
Ages. It replaced the earlier method of hand spinning, in which the individual
fibres were drawn out of a mass of wool held on a stick, or distaff, twisted
together to form a continuous strand, and wound on a second stick, or spindle.
By 1000s, the first universities were developed-they trained the middle class of the
cities in theology, medicine, and law. By 1100s, modern universities emerged throughout
Western Europe such as Oxford and Cambridge in England.
In the 14th century, crisis of the Late Middle Ages was underway. A plague called
Black Death came, it wiped out so many lives it affected the entire system. It brought a
sudden end to the previous period of massive scientific change. The plague killed 25-
50% of the people in Europe, especially in the crowded areas of the towns, where the
heart of innovations lay. Quarantine technique was established, initially a 40-day-period,
the Quarantine was introduced by the Republic of Ragusa to prevent the spreading of

Page 31 of 32
diseases like the Black Death. Venice began quarantines, then the practice spread
around in Europe.
ACTIVITY #5
Instruction: 1. Make a reflective journal of some of the notable inventions made during
the medieval ages that are still useful nowadays? Justify your answer.
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Page 32 of 32

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SOUTH EAST ASIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, INC.

National Highway, Crossing Rubber, Tupi, South Cotabato

GENERAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

COURSE CODE : GE117

THE FOLLOWING ARE THE TOPICS TO BE DISCUSSED

LESSON 1 SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE TO SOCIETY IN

A. The meaning of Science and Technology

D. SOME OF THE NOTABLE HUMAN SUCCESS IN THE FIELD OF SCIENCE AND

GE 117 Science, Technology and Society

GE 117 Science, Technology and Society

Internal combustion engine

GE 117 Science, Technology and Society

Part A: Instruction: Construct creatively a graphic organizer (timeline) showing a

Part B. Instruction: Co-relate the mutual connection/interrelatedness among the

GE 117 Science, Technology and Society

GENERAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

GE 117 Science, Technology and Society

LESSON 2 EVIDENCES OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY DURING PRE-

The Neolithic was characterized primarily by herding societies, as well as bronze

GE 117 Science, Technology and Society

II. BABYLONIAN CIVILIZATION

GE 117 Science, Technology and Society

III. EGYPTIAN CIVILIZATION

GE 117 Science, Technology and Society

GE 117 Science, Technology and Society

GENERAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

GE 117 Science, Technology and Society

LESSON 3: CONTRIBUTION OF GREEK, PERSIAN, AND ROMANS IN THE

I. THE CLASSICAL GREEK PHILOSOPHERS (400 B.C-400A.D)

II. PERSIAN CIVILIZATION

III. ROMAN CIVILIZATION

SOME OF THE NOTABLE ROMAN SCIENTISTS

LESSON 4: CONTRIBUTION OF ARABS, CHINESE AND HINDU IN THE

GE 117 Science, Technology and Society

GE 117 Science, Technology and Society

GENERAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

GE 117 Science, Technology and Society

GE 117 Science, Technology and Society

IV. INCA CIVILIZATION

GE 117 Science, Technology and Society

Explain briefly: (50 points)

GE 117 Science, Technology and Society

GENERAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

GE 117 Science, Technology and Society

GE 117 Science, Technology and Society

GE 117 Science, Technology and Society

GE 117 Science, Technology and Society

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