CHAPTER

LESSON 3: Middle Age and Modern Age

1

Did you know that between 500 C.E -1400s:

 Popes are more powerful than a king?
 Eels were sometimes used as currency?
 Animals could be tried and convicted for crimes, and if found guilty will be sentenced
to death?
 Archery practice was compulsory for every Englishman?
 Their bread could get you high or kill you? (Sometimes they use stored rye which was
frequently infected with a fungus with LSD like qualities that causes hallucinations,
gangrene and - in extreme cases- death.)
 Their shoes could be up to two feet long?

MIDDLE/ MEDIEVAL AGE

Middle or medieval age, is a millennium from 500 CE to 1400 A.D. (some references extend it to
1600), is considered as “Dark Ages.” Unfortunate events such as invasion, wars and immigration were
prevalent in this period. Focusing in Europe, this is the period when the established civilization of Greeks and
Romans were destroyed by barbarians. As described by Edward Gibbon, this is a period of “Barbarism and
Religion.” During this time, one of the most powerful institution are the churches, Roman Catholic Church in
Europe and Islam in Central Asia. By 11th century, crusades were conducted by knights of Roman Catholic
Church in order to expel Muslims out of Jerusalem.
In 1300s a mysterious disease, called as Black Death also known as bubonic plague, spread across
Europe and resulted in the death of around 30%-60% of Europe’s population. This disease made its way to
Europe when ships trading in Asia docked in Sicily port. There is no exact account in how this disease was
eradicated but accordingly, it was stopped by the isolation of those uninfected.

RENAISSANCE PERIOD
Renaissance was a period in Europe from late 1400s to 1600s. The term renaissance is a French word
which means rebirth. It symbolized the beginning of a new era of art, rebirthing the classical models of
Ancient Greek and Rome periods while using the modern techniques. Renaissance is also described as
period of enlightenment. There was a cultural, political, scientific and intellectual explosion which gave a
new perspective to people. There was a shift in the view of people regarding nature. Some important
contributions during this period are the following:
 Invention of the printing press by Johannes Guttenberg in 1440. This invention led to information
revolution and enabled the mass production of printed books.
 Improvement of lenses- This led to the invention of microscope and telescope, enabling the
observation of heavenly bodies and tiny particles.
 Development of scientific method- Galileo used controlled experiments and analyzed data to
prove, or disprove, his theories. The process was later refined by scientists such as Francis Bacon and
Isaac Newton.
MODERN AGE
Early modern period began approximately at the beginning of the 1700s. In this period, the major
historical milestones including the Age of Discovery since the ancient period are tackled. Simple tools and
animals aid in human labor and activities. As science progressed, tools were replaced with simple machines
resulting in the significant increase of output. In the late 1600s, steam engine was invented and was
improved by James Watt in 1765. The discovery of steam engine propelled and improved industry
operations and the transport system. The work done by human hands and feet were transferred to
machines. This period is also known as the Industrial Revolution.
 During the modern age, several people made important contributions in the field of Science. Here
are some:

Person Contribution Year

Blaise Pascal Invented the first mechanical calculator, also known as Pascaline. 1642

Robert Hooke Described cells for the first time. 1665

Anton Van First observed bacteria 1683

Leeuwennhoek
discovered microorganism 1696

Gabriel Fahrenheit Constructed first mercury thermometer 1714

Benjamin Franklin Distinguished negative and positive charge 1751

Proposed the conservation of charge

Alessandro Volta Invented galvanic cell (battery) for storing and as a source of 1800
electricity

Hans Oersted Discovered that electric current generate magnetism 1820

Andre Marie Ampere Formulated Ampere’s law that tells us how electric current 1820
generates magnetism

Michael Faraday Discovered electromagnetic induction 1830

Samuel Morse Developed Morse code which is used in wire telegraph 1830

Robert Brown Discovered the nucleus in the cell 1831

Louis Pasteur Discovered pasteurization 1856

Developed vaccine against anthrax and rabies 1885

Thomas Alva Edison Notable for inventing the first long-lasting incandescent light bulb 1870

Alexander Graham Bell Invented telephone 1876

Heinrich Hertz Discovered that light and heat are electromagnetic waves 1887

Daniel Williams Conducted the first open heart surgery 1893

William Roentgen Discovered x-ray 1895

Henri Becquerel Discovered natural radioactivity 1896

Guglielmo Marconi Developed wireless telegraph 1897

Martinus W. Beijerinck First to recognize that viruses are reproducing entities that are 1898
different from other organisms

Discovered new types of bacteria from soil and described

biological nitrogen fixation
REFERENCES:

Balter M. (2005, May) The Seeds of Civilization. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-seeds-

of-civilization-78015429/

Elshaikh E. M., Schroeder S.( 2016, April 24). Early Civilizations.

https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/world-history/world-history-beginnings/birth-
agriculture-neolithic-revolution/a/introduction-what-is-civilization

History.com editors. (2010, April 22). History. Retrieved from

https://www.history.com/topics/middle-ages/middle-ages

History.com Editors (2019, August 13). Neolithic Revolution. https://www.history.com/topics/pre-

history/neolithic-revolution

Jiménez M. (13, August, 2020) The Maya, an introduction. https://smarthistory.org/maya-intro/

Macnamara, A. (2018, November 30). Made in (ancient) China: amazing inventions from the far
east. BBC Science Focus Magazine. Retrieved from https://www.sciencefocus.com/future-
technology/made-in-ancient-china-amazing-inventions-from-the-far-east/
Macnamara, D., Valverde, V., & Beleno III, R. (2018). Science, Technology, and Society. Quezon
City: C&E Publishing, Inc.

Mosteiro, Arnaldo P. Science, Technology and Society. Second Edition. Educational Publishing
House. 2006.

National Geographic Channel (2018, April 22) Ancient Greece 101/ National Geographic.
https://www.youtube.com/natgeo

National Geographic Channel (2018, February 24) Ancient Rome 101/ National Geographic.
https://www.youtube.com/natgeo

National Geographic Channel (2017, December 18) Ancient Egypt 101/ National Geographic.
https://www.youtube.com/natgeo

Pakipak, Kenneth B. History and Philosophy of Science. Revised Edition. Benguet State University.
2015

Serafica, J. J., Pawilen, G. T., Caslib, B. N., & Alata, E. P. (2018). Science, Technology, and
Society. Sampaloc, Manila: Rex Book Store, Inc.

Taguiling, M. (2019). Science, Technology and Society. Plaridel, Bulacan: St. Andrew Publishing
House.
Name:_________________________________________________________

Program, Yr., and Section:________________________

CHAPTER EVALUATION: Answer the following. Detach the worksheet once finished.

1. Choose an invention or discovery from renaissance period to modern age. You can
look for inventions or discoveries which were not discussed. Give its importance and
uses to the society at present. Write your answers in the box provided below.
2. Write “T” if the statement is true and “F” if the statement is False. If the statement is false, write the word
or phrase that made it incorrect and beside it write the correct answer.

The Neanderthals were early hominids discovered in

France. They were tool makers and invented the burin to
make better weapons for hunting.

During the Neolithic era sticks and stones were

sharpened into useful tools for hunting and other jobs.

The axe heads which were fixed into a wooden handle

and used like axes at present time were invented during
the Mesolithic period.

Scrapers are flat pieces of stones with one longer slightly

curved edge. The edge is sharpened by "knapping" or
“banging off “flakes with another rock.

The three sided blade points make the clearing of land

much simpler and allowed the spread of agriculture.
Moreover, these tools were also effective weapons.

Paleolithic people started seed planting and large

animal domestication and eventually became food
producers.

Perachora wheel was created in the thirteenth century

BC in Greece and was invented by the contemporary
Greek engineer Philo of Byzantium.

Speedometer measures the speed at which you are

traveling while Odometer measures the distance that
you have travelled.

Arches went on to become pivotal engineering

constructions that laid the foundation for many of the
subsequent structural highlights of ancient Greece.

The first Roman aqueducts were built around 312 BC and

were used to transport water from rivers, springs, and
reservoirs.

Wood and papyrus were used to make lightweight

sailboats during the ancient Egypt. The main reason is for
them to move on water easily.

Cuneiform script was the first writing system to be

developed by the Sumerians. This style of writing was
wedge-shaped. A stylus was used to produce different
figures and pictorials by making cuts into soft clay.

The Sumerians used geometry for the calculation of the

areas of rectangles, triangles and trapezoids as well as
 the volumes of simple shapes such as bricks and
cylinders.

The Ox- drawn plough has a curved blade used for

cutting and harvesting grain, such as wheat and barley.

The Egyptians constructed canals and irrigation ditches

to harness Nile River’s yearly flood and bring water to
distant fields.

3. Explain some of the monuments/ architecture that were developed during the ancient period. Think of
how architecture changed.
4. Why was writing important during the ancient civilization and how did it change the lives of people?