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Summaries · Grade 7 Technology › Technology, society and the environment
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Technology, society and the environment

The good and bad effects of technology on people and the environment, e-waste and emergencies. Read one part at a time and tap “I know this”. Then test yourself in the quiz.

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Advantages and disadvantages

TechnologyAdvantageDisadvantage
A new roadBetter accessMore traffic
Factories near housingWork nearbyAir and noise problems
Machines in factoriesFaster workWorkers can lose their jobs
Cellphones in rural areasSend money and get newsE-waste when they are old
  • Accessible design works for people with disabilities and gives them much more independence.
  • Local manufacturing creates jobs in the country.
  • A product that injures someone is badly designed: always think about safety.
E-waste must be recycled.
E-waste must be recycled.
Tap when you could tell someone without looking.

The environment

Raw materialManufactureUseDisposal orrecycling
The harm a product does over its whole life is its environmental impact.
  • Design products to last, to be repairable and to be recyclable.
  • Renewable energy: sun and wind. A solar geyser heats water with free sunlight.
  • An energy-efficient device uses little power; South Africa has little water, so water-saving devices matter.

After a disaster people first need clean water, food and shelter. Early-warning systems can alert people in time before a flood or storm. A drought is hard to plan for, because you cannot tell when it starts or ends.

Tap when you could tell someone without looking.

Remember this and test yourself

Remember this: your summary
  • Machines work faster and more uniformly, but old skills and jobs can disappear.
  • E-waste (old phones, computers) contains toxic substances: take it to an e-waste depot.
  • Sustainable technology does not spoil the future; appropriate technology uses local materials.
  • Four R’s: reduce, reuse, repair, recycle. Try reduce first.
  • Sudden emergency: earthquake. Slow emergency: drought.

Write these points in your book. Read them again the night before the test.

Memory trick

Every technology has two sides, like a coin: an advantage and a disadvantage. Always name both.

Flash cards · Tap to turn over

Important words

First say what the word means, then turn the card over.

Test yourself · Part 2

True or false?

Read the question and the answer. Is the answer right? Tap True or False.

    Now the real quiz!

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    For parents
    • Read one part together and ask your child to tell it back in their own words.
    • The ticks (“I know this”) are saved on this device only. We never ask for names or emails.

    Follows CAPS for Grade 7 Technology (Technology). Always check your teacher’s notes and textbook too.

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