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Polymers and People

We use our senses and the powers of observation to try to answer these questions and make sense of the world around us. However, our ability to observe is limited by both our anatomy and physiology—the human eye can only see so far, the human ear can only hear so much, and the human hand can only touch that which is macroscopic. Thus, the need for technology grows out of our own limitations and desires to understand the phenomena that surround us.

For science, technology is invaluable. It is essential for the purposes of measurement, data collection, treatment of samples, computation, transportation to research sites, sample collection, protection from hazardous materials, and communication. Increasingly, technology is used to advance various lines of scientific research.

However, technology not only provides tools; it may also provide motivation and direction for theory and research. For example, the development of genetic engineering techniques provided the motivation to map out the genetic sequence of the entire human DNA. Thus, technology and science are interdependent-scientific understanding requires the development of new technology and new technology often requires new scientific understanding.

Through two lessons, Polymers and People and Remote Sensing, students will identify historical examples of how science and technology are interdependent. Each lesson is independent and can therefore be done without doing the other. However, if both lessons are to be done, it is suggested that the Polymers and People lesson precede the Remote Sensing lesson.

In the first lesson, students will briefly go over the history of polymer science as a class. The development of plastics is a classic example of how scientific understanding and technological advances are necessary for the success of each. The second lesson in the series focuses on the science of remote sensing, a technology that has become more and more developed and detailed over time in the attempt to understand the world's phenomena.

Research shows that high-school students do not distinguish between the roles of science and technology unless explicitly asked to do so. This is evidenced, for example, by students' view that science serves the public interest. More generally, some students believe science affects society in more positive ways than does technology. That is partly because students associate science with medical research but associate technology with pollution or weapons. Students appear to understand the impact of science on technology but they do not always appreciate the impact of technology on science. (Benchmarks for Science Literacy, p. 334.)

These two lessons attempt to show students that science not only impacts advances in technology but also that technological progress directly affects advances in scientific understanding. For example, the development of the ultracentrifuge allowed scientists to confirm a proposed theory about the chemical structure of polymers. This furthered their understanding of polymers and thus, led to advances in the field of plastic manufacturing. Similarly, the development of telescopes and satellites allowed scientists to observe and thus explain phenomena about the world that would otherwise remain elusive to human understanding.

Ideas in this lesson are also related to concepts found in the following benchmarks:

• 1C The Nature of Science: The Scientific Enterprise (9-12) #1, 2

• Polymers and People student sheet—a copy of this student sheet made into a transparency. If transparencies cannot be made, make a copy of it for each student.
• The Future of Plastics student sheet—one copy for each group of students

• What is plastic?
• How do you think plastic was discovered?
• Why do you think plastic was discovered?

Some ideas that students might come up with are:

• Plastic can be used to make many different items of varying color, shape, and function.
• Plastic is man-made so we don't have to rely on natural resources.
• Plastic is an inexpensive material.

The history of polymer science is presented in three stages: a science or technological question; the research that was done to answer the question; and the findings of the research. There are 12 rows; the scientific/technological question of each row is a result of the findings of the preceding row.

To start the annotated timeline, tell students that they will go over a brief history of polymer science. In scientific endeavors, a basic question is asked. To answer this question, research is conducted and the findings of these experiments are repeated, discussed with colleagues, and finally reported to both scientists and non-scientists. The result of one experiment or one type of research and its resulting findings, however, are not the end of scientific endeavor. Science is a process, where each new finding leads people to ask new types of questions.

Use the following guiding points to lead students through the Polymers and People overhead. Each number represents the corresponding row on the overhead table.

Ask students:

• Point out instances in the history of polymer science when scientific questions led to the development of new technologies necessary to answer the questions.
• Point out instances where technology and technological questions led to advances in scientific understanding.
• What are some new questions that scientists might have for the future of polymers?

1. Each student will pick one of the topics listed that interest him/her the most. The topics listed are:
• Plastic superconductors
• Plastic building materials
• Plastic fuel tanks
• Plastic lasers
• Plastic lumber
• Plastic muscles for robots
• Nanotechnology Meets Nature in the Future of Drug Delivery
• Fireproof plastics for airplane cabins


2. The student will read the online article. (This can be done as homework or in the school computer lab/classroom.)
3. The student will answer the questions based on the reading.

• Why do technology and science depend on one another?
• What are some questions that scientists might have now for the use of plastics?
• What types of technology might be needed to study plastics and their uses for the future?

Created :10/20/2001