Mathematician, scientist and television personality Jacob Bronowski died in 1974.

Born in Poland, Bronowski emigrated to London with his family at the age of 12. At school in London, he developed a love for both literature and mathematics and served as editor of a literary magazine while attending Cambridge on a mathematics scholarship. As a mathematician, he completed research in geometry and was a pioneer in operational research for the military. In a trip that was to change the focus of his work, Bronowski went to Japan in 1945 to study the effects of the atomic bomb on Nagasaki. Greatly affected by his visit to Japan, he left military research to concentrate on ethics in science. Eventually, after being asked to apply his mathematical skills to a problem in paleontology, Brownowski became interested in life sciences. He also began to work in broadcasting and appeared regularly on a program called The Brain Trust. He wrote a number of books related to mathematics, literature, ethics and science, including The Common Sense of Science and The Identity of Man. He became well known for his breadth of knowledge and for his ability to discuss scientific subjects in ways that were understandable to the general population. Between 1971 and 1973 he worked on a monumental documentary for BBC called The Ascent of Man, in which the technological achievements of humanity throughout human history are chronicled.

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In similar fashion to Bronowski's Ascent of Man, the lesson Technology: Past, Present, and Future (3–5) helps students examine a number of technological innovations that have occurred since the beginning of humanity. As they become familiar with these needs-based inventions, students are prompted to consider how those inventions helped change the way people lived and how societies worked. As students gain an understanding of this ongoing social process, they should come to see how earlier innovations inspired and contributed to later and more modern ones.

Artifacts 2: Artifacts in Context (3–5) helps students explore the importance of context when studying the past. Students examine an archaeological mystery in which factors such as an artifact’s location, its proximity to other artifacts and the number of similar artifacts found can provide strong clues about the possible purpose and origins of the artifact, as well as the physical characteristics and behaviors of people responsible for creating it. This lesson is the second of a two-part series on archaeology.

Bronowski was a man of many trades. The lesson What Do Scientists Do? (6–8) helps students understand that the nature of science is the incorporation of many disciplines within the field. Students learn about the different scientific disciplines, which can help students understand the connection between what they learn in the classroom and what occurs in the enterprise of science. Students then produce a classroom booklet on scientific disciplines, with each student contributing a chapter.