In their introduction to Human Technologies, our Year 7 students have kicked off with our Ground Zero unit.

This serves as a foundation for their exploration into the world of human technologies, encompassing both material and immaterial tools and devices that humans draw on to live their lives. These technologies are a necessary part of survival, given that humans are weakly instinctivised beings who, unlike most other creatures, rely on technologies to survive and thrive in the world.

For each of the HT units, we aim to provide a "lived experience": an activity whereby students get practical, hands-on experience, and get to grips with the technologies at the centre of their inquiry.

One of the "lived experiences" for this unit is an exploration of fire technologies. With the support of the Outdoor Team, students were challenged with the task of visiting five different stations, each containing a fire tool from the ages. As well as being tasked with the challenge of being able to use the technology to ignite a fire, they were also asked to consider the interconnectedness of technologies that were required at each stage of its evolution, in order for it to progress to its most advanced stage .

This has set the stage for their continued exploration and engagement with human technologies, empowering them to become critical thinkers of the technologies they use.