Communication future

This activity allows students to look at some past events where better communications might have led to better outcomes. They’ll then think about how technologies might develop in the future to improve how we can communicate.

From founding communications, such as the fire beacon, to being able to communicate with space, there is no denying that developments in communication have advanced at a rapid speed. This lesson presents students with communications of the past, present and future, helping them to understand the principles that form the basis for these developments.

This is one of a set of resources developed to aid the teaching of the secondary national curriculum, particularly KS3, supporting the teaching in science and design & technology (D&T).  

Activity: Exploring the use of communications technology and potential future developments

Using our Light Brigade handout, students will first discuss past events where better communication technology could have led to less-disastrous outcomes. They'll then explore message misinterpretation through the classic game 'Chinese whispers'. Following this, students will have a brainstorming session on the best aspects of modern communication technology, comparing it with sci-fi film technology such as communicators from Star Trek. They'll be encouraged to speculate about future developments, focusing on specific devices like smartphones, interactive displays, navigation devices, and messaging services. Finally, they'll design what they think a personal device might look like in 100 years and present their designs to their classmates.

Download our activity overview for a detailed lesson plan for teaching students about future communication technologies.

The engineering context

Innovations and inventions from engineers shape modern communications, from social interactions over messaging services to transferring information globally. This lesson will get students to reflect on the engineering motivations behind past developments and also inspire them to think about what the world might look like in the future.

Suggested learning outcomes

Students will learn that there can be different views on the development and use of technology. They’ll also understand why products are developed and how advancements in technology relates to this.

Download our activity sheet and other teaching resources

The activity sheet includes teachers’ notes, useful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in each of the four devolved nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

All activity sheets and supporting resources are free to download, and all the documents are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students’ and your schools’ needs.

Download our classroom lesson plan and presentation below.

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