Museums tell us about ourselves and the world in which we live.
Natural History museums demonstrate the physical world and how we relate to it.
Art Museums illustrate how man has creatively interpreted his world.
Science museums explain how man has systematically interpreted the world around him.
What do history museums tell us?
History museums show how things used to be done.
Why is it important to know how things used to be done?
Knowing how things used to be done can help us maintain our perspective on why we do things the way we do. By considering the level of a society's technology, as represented by the tools they use, and analyzing the evolution and advancement of that technology, we can gain a better understanding of why a society moved in one direction rather than another.
During our presentation we asked the visiting students this question and most gave an example of current electronic technology, such as a computer or a laser beam.
The students were then offered the definition of technology as the systematic knowledge of the industrial arts and applied science, and the definition of industry as skills and ingenuity. Based on these definitions, a caveman's club could be considered technology. It made it faster and easier to kill food and to defend oneself.
The students were then asked to consider the following:
Beginning with the cave man's club, think about the evolution of technology. What other influences affected the caveman that might have raised his level of technology?
What happened to the caveman when he reached a new level of technology?
Perhaps the greatest influence on the caveman's way of life was fire! Fire changed his way of life. He no longer had to eat raw meat; he no longer had to huddle together with others in the cave to share warmth. And, as the individual's way of life changed, so did the life of the entire culture!
When we study culture we are really studying the level of its technology and the affect of that technolgy on the lives and behaviors of the people who make up the culture. By preserving the products of past technological ages, we can ascertain what affect the changing technology had on the lifestyles and behaviors of the people within a society.
Click
here to view the technological evolution of the iron
Click
here to retrieve Quick Time images
via e-mail at cchmus@c-u.net
NOTE: The images contained in these web pages are for use by Museums in the Classroom participants only. When used, reference must be made to the Champaign County Historical Museum in a caption. All other users must obtain express written permission from the Champaign County Historical Museum.© 1997
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