Adaptive+and+Assistive+Technology



** Introduction ** **I****n a perfect world, there would be no sickness, infirmity, or deformity. In a perfect world, there would be no hunger or lack of water. In a perfect world, people wouldn't need medicines or surgeries or prosthetic limbs or organ transplants. No smog or pollution would foul our air. There would be enough food and clean water for everyone everywhere. We don't live in a perfect world.** **In our world, all those problems exist and must be addressed. Fortunately, (though it cannot solve all the world's problems), science, in particular bioengineering, has made life much, much better for many, many people. Scientists have bioengineered plants so that they produce larger fruit, grow faster, resist disease, and repel insects. New uses for old medicines have brought about aggressive treatments and even cures; researchers develop new medicines almost every day that treat life-threatening illnesses. Stem cell research has given hope to those with organ failure, severe burns, or loss of limb. Scientists are hard at work developing alternative fuels for vehicles that will eliminate the need for fossil fuels, creating a cleaner environment for everyone. Though we will never live in a perfect world, advances in science make our world a better place.** **﻿ **   **Activity One ** **View the  presentation. You will be given a worksheet along with this presentation. Do the required research on the genetic altering of salmon. Write a paragraph presenting both points of view and giving your opinion on the issue.** **Discussion will follow. Please be prepared to take notes.**     ** Activity Two ** **Access the [|Glencoe] site on assistive and adaptive technology. Answer the following questions: **
 * 1) Explain the meaning of assistive technology.
 * 2) Give five examples of assistive technology.
 * 3) Explain the meaning of adaptive technology.
 * 4) Give five examples of adaptive technology.
 * 5) Compare and contrast the two types of technology.
 * 6) What effect has Congress's definition of assistive technology had on organizations that work with these technologies?
 * 7) What is the relationship between assistive/adaptive technologies and bioengineering?

** Activity Three **  Access the [|Academic Kids] website. Click on each of the topic areas listed under Examples. Choose one of these topics and write a one-page report, giving the following information: If the websites provided by Academic Kids do not provide sufficient information -- and this probably will be the case -- Google it!
 * the name of your area of bioengineering
 * a description of the technology involved
 * how this technology is used to solve a problem
 * what problems it solves
 * its importance to humankind (if it serves specific groups, name those groups)

SPI 0807.T/E.2 Evaluate a protocol to determine if the engineering design process was successfully applied. SPI 0807.T/E.3 Distinguish between the intended benefits and the unintended consequences of a new technology. SPI 0807.T/E.4 Differentiate between adaptive and assistive engineered products (e.g., food, biofuels, medicines, integrated pest management).
 * This is a 25-point grade, based on the following criteria:**
 * 10 points for clearly describing the technology in non-technical language**
 * 5 points for thoroughly researching your topic**
 * 5 points for providing all sources used**
 * 5 points for having an error-free report** [[image:0060-0808-2402-3816_Man_in_a_Wheelchair_Clip_Art_clipart_image.jpg width="61" height="70"]]    ** Activity Four ** ** Lab Activity ** **Your lab will consist of a series of assistive/adaptive stations. The purpose of the lab is to study the design features of adaptive/assistive technologies and evaluate their usefulness. At the end of the lab, each student will complete a lab assignment.**  Tennessee Standards (state performance indicators) addressed:  ﻿﻿  SPI 0807.T/E.1 Identify the tools and procedures needed to test the design features of a prototype.