Subject: Factors for the location of the advanced technology industry. New spatial forms and their functions

Target group

2nd‑grade student of high school or technical school, extended programme

Core curriculum

XI. Transformations of the industrial sector and construction: location factors for traditional industry and advanced technologies, areas of industry concentration, development and the role of construction in the economy.

Student:

1. On selected examples from the world shows differences between the factors of the location of traditional industry and advanced technologies and explains changes in the significance of these factors in the process of civilization development;

2. indicates areas of industry concentration (more important industrial centers, technopolies, districts) in the world and in Poland, and explains the essence and role of clusters in the construction of a knowledge‑based economy.

General aim of education

The student discusses industrial branches included in the advanced technology industry and knows the location factors of this industry.

Key competences

• communication in the mother tongue;

• communication in foreign languages;

• digital competence;

• learning to learn.

Criteria for success
The student will learn:

• to name the location factors of the high‑tech industry;

• to indicate the location of the major high‑tech industry centres;

• to describe the industry branches considered part of high‑tech industry;

• to name new functions of industrial centres;

• to differentiate between technopolises, clusters and industrial districts.

Methods/techniques

• expository

  • talk.

• activating

  • discussion;

  • brainstorming.

• programmed

  • with computer;

  • with e‑textbook.

• practical

  • exercices concerned.

Forms of work

• individual activity;

• activity in pairs;

• collective activity.

Teaching aids

• e‑textbook;

• interactive whiteboard, tablets/computers;

• projector;

• physical map of Poland.

Lesson plan overview

Before classes

• Students get acquainted with the content of the abstract. They prepare to work on the lesson in such a way to be able to summarize the material read in their own words and solve the tasks themselves.

Introduction

• The teacher gives students the topic and goals of the lesson.

• The teacher plays the recording of the abstract. Every now and then he stops it, asking the students to tell in their own words what they have just heard.This way, students practice listening comprehension.

• The teacher asks the pupils how they understand the concept of the advanced technology industry. This question initiates brainstorming. Students write all the answers on the multimedia board. Then, together with the teacher, they formulate the correct definition. They save it in the form provided in the e‑manual or in the notebooks.

Realization

• The teacher asks students to classify those branches of the industry that are considered part of high‑tech industry. Students use source materials, such as a textbook, e‑textbook, internet resources. Work in pairs.

• The teacher displays on the interactive whiteboard a table showing outlays on research and development in certain countries. Students analyze the data in the table. The teacher summarizes the students' considerations, stating that outlays on research and development are clearly linked to the level of economic development.

• The teacher displays on the interactive whiteboard the map „The world – hi‑tech industry. Selected areas of hi‑tech industry”. Students analyze the map and draw conclusions about the uneven distribution of the high technology industry. They give reasons for this state of affairs.

• Students read the fragment „New spatial forms and their functions” and then define the concept of industrial clusters. The teacher displays the „Aviation Valley – industrial cluster” map and explains the dynamic balance between competitiveness and cooperation. Students indicate on the map of Poland the places included in the industrial cluster of „Aviation Valley”.

• Students using various sources, such as an e‑textbook, geography textbook, resources on the Internet give the difference between an industrial district and industrial clusters, and between a technopole and technopolis. They also describe the functions played by areas and centres of modern technology. Selected persons present the results of their work, the teacher corrects mistakes.

• Students carry out the interactive exercises checking the level of knowledge learned during the lesson. The teacher initiates a discussion during which the correct solutions for all the exercises performed by the students are discussed.

Summary

• The teacher chooses one student by random method and asks him or her to explain in own words the meaning of a given word or concept learned during the lesson.

• The teacher asks the students questions:

  • What did you find important and interesting in class?

  • What was easy and what was difficult?

  • How can you use the knowledge and skills you have gained today?

  Willing/selected students summarize the lesson.

The following terms and recordings will be used during this lesson

Terms

Texts and recordings

Factors for the location of the advanced technology industry. New spatial forms and their functions.

Companies may be big, with departments in many countries, small, cooperating with giants, or taking advantage of market niches on their own.
Their development does not depend directly on access to raw materials, because in many cases their quantity does not need to be great. However, it is necessary to have the know‑how, and highly qualified, educated, creative, and well‑paid employees. In order to develop their potential, they need well‑equipped laboratories, modern workshops, new materials, which means more expenses. In addition, many ideas and inventions do not go to production, despite the cost of their development; therefore, high‑tech industry is very capital‑intensive.
It is essential to collaborate with scientific centres that do basic research. In this way, engineers get the knowledge, and scientists learn what the engineers need.

The table below presents outlays on research and development in certain countries.

The table shows that the outlays on research and development are clearly related to the level of economic development. Highly developed countries allocate a larger percent of their GDP to actions aimed to support development, contrary to the less developed countries. For this reason, high‑tech industry exists mainly in the richest countries. A smaller percentage of a lower value of GDP allocated to research and development results in even deeper gaps between less and more developed regions.

Around the world, there are several dozen centres of high‑tech industry. The most important ones are: The Silicon Valey (Silicon Valley) next to San Francisco, and the Orange County next to Los Angeles in California, as well as Road 128 by Boston. In Europe, some of the major centres are: Silicon Fen by Cambridge and the M4 Corridor between London and Cardiff in the UK, as well as Sophia Antipolis next to Nice, France. In Japan, we can mention the Kyushu Island called the Silicon Island.

High‑tech plants are located in the vicinity of important scientific and research centres. On the one hand, they use research and implement the results in production, and on the other, they get highly qualified employees.

Due to the complex nature of production processes and the large number of components comprising the final product, high‑tech industry plants are often located close to one another. They use the same infrastructure and the same universities; employees can change their workplaces without changing the industry in which they specialise. The final product of one company becomes a component for another company. Therefore, there is a dynamic balance between competition and collaboration. In this way, industrial clusters are formed.