2019 Freshman Summer Assignment

Dear Class of 2023:

Welcome!  We are so pleased that you have decided to join us.  This year will be full of challenges and fun. 

Your first challenge as a Tech Valley High School freshman is to nominate an emerging technology as the Coolest On The Planet.  You’ll do this by first exploring some fascinating emerging technologies that are being developed in our own Tech Valley, a region that stretches along the Hudson River almost the entire distance between New York City and the Canadian border. Then you’ll broaden your search to other emerging technologies in other parts of the world.

What do we mean by emerging technologies?  We’re talking about innovative technologies that address  the most pressing issues facing our planet today. The emerging technologies in the Tech Valley region often sound like science fiction, but they are real.  

In order to meet your challenge, you will need to do some research. Below, we’ve included links to articles and videos that present several of the technologies in our region that we think are pretty cool. Explore these resources and see what you think. 

But Tech Valley is not the entire planet, so you’ll need to look further. Try Googling the technology categories below. What other cool emerging technologies can you find?

When you find the tech that is worthy of your nomination (it might actually be one of the ones in our region), then write a one-page letter to your peers, nominating the technology as the coolest. Include a complete explanation of your technology, the criteria you used in your selection, and persuasive evidence that supports your claim of coolest. Print out or copy the source you used to discover your technology. Bring your letter and source with you on the first day of school and be prepared to pitch your technology to your classmates.

Included in this packet is an optional graphic organizer you can use to record and organize your research, and a sample outline for your letter.  Good luck. We can’t wait to hear what you have to say! 

Sincerely,

The Tech Valley High School Community

Emerging Technologies in the Tech Valley Region 

Energy Storage

First there was nano, now there’s batteries

Biotech

BioHarvest Relocates from Israel to Albany

Nanotech

An Inside Look at CNSE

Information Tech

The Brain Does the Writing

Advanced Materials

Are Mushrooms the New Plastic?

Augmented Reality / Virtual Reality

What’s the difference between VR, AR and MR?

The Best VR Apps in 2019

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

IBM Center

Transportation

The Science of Self Driving Cars

Food and Sustainability

Dairy company uses AI to analyze milk quality without the use of chemicals

Space

18 Wild Space Tech Ideas NASA Is Looking At