Indiana Social Studies S.2.9

Social StudiesGrades 9–12Culture

The Standard

Discuss how innovations in science and technology affect social interaction and culture.

2026 Indiana Academic Standards: K-12 Social Studies

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students explain how a new tool changes the way people communicate and spend time together. They connect those changes to customs, language, or shared habits using specific examples.
What Mastery Looks Like: Given group messaging, students explain how instant replies can change plans and expectations about being available. They give an example and explain why someone without a smartphone may experience the change differently.
Common Misconceptions: Students may assume faster contact always makes relationships closer. They may credit technology alone for a cultural change or assume everyone has equal access to it.
How to Assess It: Exit ticket: How did group messaging change the way people plan gatherings? Name one change in how people interact, one change in a shared habit, and one group that may experience it differently.

Lesson moves

Give pairs printed party invitations and mock group chats; have them highlight who responds, response speed, and expectations about availability.
Ask: Has the smartphone changed friendships or just made old habits faster? Write one example supporting each view.
Hand out cards naming the printing press, radio, and video calls; students match each tool to a social habit and explain the link.
Show a printed menu and a nearby restaurant's QR menu; students compare ordering talk and access for diners with and without phones.

Free download

A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to S.2.9, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.

PDF, US Letter, prints cleanly in black and white.

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