Work by yourself to answer the following questions. Record your answers in your technology notebook.
A designer is planning a new house. She calls the builder of the house and asks, “What is the probability of a tornado happening where the house will be built?”
- Why did she ask this question?
- Which features might she include in her design if the answer to the question is, “There is a 60 percent chance each year”? Why?
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During this activity, you categorized some features as important for appearance rather than function. Should designers of technology worry about the appearance of their designs, or should they worry only about the function? Explain your answer.
Answers to Reflect and Connect
Allow students time to answer these questions. Once they have had time to complete their responses, you may want to hold a class discussion on some or all of them.
A designer is planning a new house. She calls the builder of the house and asks, “What is the probability of a tornado happening where the house will be built?”
Why did she ask this question?
Students should think back to their work on probability in Chapter 3. They should realize that the designer may make different choices for the house if the probability of a tornado is high.
Which features might she include in her design if the answer to the question is, “There is a 60 percent chance each year”? Why?
Students may have different ideas. Some of the ideas may be unrealistic, but the point of this question is to have students think about how different factors affect designs. Accept any reasonable answers.
During this activity, you categorized some features as important for appearance rather than function. Should designers of technology worry about the appearance of their designs, or should they worry only about the function? Explain your answer.
As with Question 1, this question is intended to initiate students’ thinking about an issue that comes up again later in this chapter. At this point, students may have different ideas. They may respond that only function is important, or they may respond that design is important because it will encourage people to use the technology.