Introduction

In our last lesson we thought about the technology that is in our homes, how some of those devices use the internet and how technology has changed over time. 

 

In this lesson we’re going to think a bit wider, about technology in the world around us. We’ll look at how it can be useful to people in everyday life, and also in businesses and other organisations. 

 

Your journey to school

Think about your journey from home to school, can you think of any technology you see on the way?  

 

Depending on the type of journey students take you may get a variety of answers that might include:

• Mobile phones
• Traffic lights and level crossings
• Digital advertising boards
• Calling a taxi with an app 
• Ticket machines for buses, trains or car parks
• Technology in cars - entertainment systems, sat navs, sensors to assist the driver etc
• WiFi on the bus or train
• Traffic cameras
• Automatic doors in shops or at school
• CCTV security cameras on buildings

 

Display this list with the lesson slides. 

 

There really is technology everywhere around us now. Some of these are to keep us safe, some are to automate a service (where a machine does the job instead of a person) but often the goal of technology is to try and make our lives easier. Which of the things on the list are designed to make things easier for people? 

 

• Taxi apps, 
• technology in our cars, 
• automatic doors and barriers

 

How do people use computers at work? Show the students this short video from BBC bitesize which shows lots of examples. As they watch, ask them to try and remember as many of the examples as they can: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zymykqt/articles/zcmyvcw

 

 

Can you remember some examples of how computers are used at work from the video? 

The following are all mentioned in the video:

• Email
• Buying things in shops
• Taking photos
• Sports trackers for athletes
• Making music and films
• Helping with learning in schools
• Flying aeroplanes
• Sending astronauts to space

 

Technology in a supermarket

Let’s focus on one type of business in particular, supermarkets! Look at each of the different types of supermarket technology shown on the lesson slides and ask the children what is it? Why do you think it's used in a supermarket? Have you seen them anywhere else?

 

Scales  are for weighing some foods like fruit, vegetables, meat and cheese. Labels can then be printed my the computer so you pay the correct money for the amount of food you have. 

 

 

Barcodes are scanned at the checkouts so you can pay for your shopping. The barcode tells the computer at the checkout what the item is and how much it costs. Barcode self scanners are available in some supermarkets now, these let you scan the items as you put them in your bags so you don’t need to go through the checkout in the same way at the end. 

 

 

Security gates make an alarm sound if a security tag is not taken off some items. They are designed to stop people stealing high value items that have a tag on them.

 

 

Loyalty cards track what you like to buy, how much you spend, what days you do your shopping so the shop can get to know their customers, send them special offers and try to make sure they keep doing their shopping at that store. 

 

 

Fridges and freezers are for keeping food chilled or frozen. This makes it last for longer and stops it going bad. 

 

 

Cameras are used around the store for security. They help the shop keep an eye out for thieves or any other problems in the store. 

 

 

 

A supermarket network

Most shops have a network of computers and other devices that can all pass information between them. They help the shop run smoothly and make sure they don’t run out of their products. 

 

The shop has a big list called a database on their computers. This list contains every item that is for sale in their shop. It includes what is on the shelves and also what they have in the stock room. 

 

When someone scans an item at the checkout, the database will be updated to show that one has been sold.

 

 

This means the supermarket managers will always know how much they have of everything in store. When the amount of items gets low the computer will order more from the warehouse so they can be delivered to the shop in lorries. The computer might also order things based on what time of year it is and what the weather is going to be like. 

 

What might the computer order more of in summer? What might the computer order more of in winter? 

 

Sort and Stick activity

Give the children each a copy of 

Technology in the supermarket - sort and stick activity’  Version 1  or

Technology in the supermarket - sort and stick activity - Version 2

 

Version 1 is designed for most students to use and has the six images you have just discussed, plus name labels. Students should cut out all the cards, sort them into the correct pairs and stick them down on a sheet or in a book. They should add a sentence to each pair as they go to explain in their own words why it is used in the supermarket.  

 

Version 2 of the sheet is designed for less able students and also has the same six images and name labels, but it also has descriptions of each item provided. Students using this sheet should cut out all the cards and match them into sets of three (image, label, description) and them stick them down on a sheet or in a book.

 

Plenary

Review the sort and stick activity: what each item is and how they are used in a supermarket.

 

Ask the children, how do you think supermarket shopping might change in the future? Do you think this technology will change and improve? What might be different?

 

Finally have a look at these videos about ‘Amazon Go’ , a new service that Amazon are trialling in some parts of America. They have very clever technology in the shop that knows when you pick something off the shelf and put it in your bag, you don’t even need to scan it. Just pick up what you want and walk out and it's all charged to your Amazon account and a receipt sent to you.

• Amazon Promo video 
• CNET explanation video