Why are nanoscale science and technology important for K-12 education?
The importance of nanoscale science and technology for K-12 education lies in two distinct areas – one being that of fundamental or theoretical impact and the other being that of applications or practical importance. Within the realm of fundamental or theoretical impacts on education, nanoscale science and technology investigations are both expanding our understanding of the very nature of matter and also unifying a broad spectrum of the sciences. Our improved understanding of the nature of matter, revealed through nanoscale science and technology, implies changes in what we teach and how we teach about the matter that makes up our whole universe. As we gain knowledge about how atoms and molecules actually interact and what types of environments and situations promote or inhibit certain types of interactions, we are moving toward a more accurate and comprehensive understanding of our universe. This kind of progressive learning about the universe lies at the core of science (recall that
The importance of nanoscale science and technology for K-12 education lies in two distinct areas – one being that of fundamental or theoretical impact and the other being that of applications or practical importance. Within the realm of fundamental or theoretical impacts on education, nanoscale science and technology investigations are both expanding our understanding of the very nature of matter and also unifying a broad spectrum of the sciences. Our improved understanding of the nature of matter, revealed through nanoscale science and technology, implies changes in what we teach and how we teach about the matter that makes up our whole universe. As we gain knowledge about how atoms and molecules actually interact and what types of environments and situations promote or inhibit certain types of interactions, we are moving toward a more accurate and comprehensive understanding of our universe. This kind of progressive learning about the universe lies at the core of science (recall that
