Who Turned on the Lights?...From Dark to Light

An Integrated, Interdisciplinary, Thematic History and Science Unit In the Dark Ages there were very few advancements made in tools, technology, medicine, trade, education, communication and transportation. The main obstacle preventing advancement was the lack of communication. The threat of being robbed and killed by the highwaymen prevented the sharing of new ideas, problems and solutions. Education was provided to only the chosen few, namely nobility, priests, and philosophers. Superstitions and religious beliefs rather than reasoning guided the daily actions of the people of the times. Reasoning or divergent thought was discouraged and even purged to prevent the rules of the system from being challenged. Students need to understand that technology has always existed. Changes in technology arise out of the needs and or problems facing a civilization based on cultural, geographical, or physical needs. This integrated interdisciplinary unit on the Scientific Revolution and The Period of Enlightenment is designed to teach students about the historical beginnings of scientific reasoning and its connection to modern day society.