Lesson 5: Societal Impact

This lesson centers around the How Blockchain Works: Why Blockchain? video - watch this video first before exploring the lesson plan. In this particular lesson, students watch the video last which helps summarize and codify their experiences during the lesson.

(Optional) If you want to dive deeper into blockchain and cryptocurrency concepts to be prepared for student questions, consider reading the Teaching How Blockchain Works - Tips & Resources doc.

If you intend to teach all of the lessons and this is your first time using Code.org, consider watching our Getting Started with Code.org video series for an overview of how to navigate lesson plans, setup a classroom section, and other important features of the Code.org platform. Each video also has a support article if you'd prefer to read or print instructions - click here to learn more.

Two Warm-Up Options: This lesson has two warm-up options, depending on whether or not this lesson is being taught in sequence with the other Blockchain lessons or if this lesson is being taught independently from the other Blockchain lessons.

Option 1 is for classrooms that are teaching this lesson as part of the other Blockchain lessons and assumes students have already seen several applications of Blockchain. This warm-up relies on prior knowledge and experiences from previous lessons to generate a discussion.

Option 2 is for classrooms that are teaching this lesson independently from other Blockchain lessons and assumes students may not have much context behind how Blockchain works. This warm-up emphasizes focuses on the impact of technology in general before pivoting to Blockchain specifically in the lesson.

You've learned a lot about blockchain! Let's think about how it can be used in society.

Prompt: What are possible applications of blockchain in society?

Discussion Goal: This can be a quick discussion to activate prior knowledge. Students share applications for blockchain they’ve seen over the course of the lessons

Prompt: Can you think of times when these applications of blockchain has been helpful? Can you think of times when these applications have been harmful, even if unintended?

Discussion Goal: This prompt is intentionally open-ended to allow students to reflect on what they’ve learned about Blockchain throughout the last few lessons. Students may recall how the cryptographic elements of Blockchain help people exchange goods and services in a trustworthy manner, but they may also recall how financial investments could have a harmful impact due to the volatile nature of blockchain assets. Give students space to explore these labels of “harmful” and “helpful” and try to hear from a wide variety of voices in your classroom.

Any kind of technology can have many impacts, both intended and unintended. Some of these may be beneficial to people and society, and some of them may be harmful. Today we’ll explore some of the impacts Blockchain has already had on the world, then discuss ways it’s been helpful and ways it has been harmful to society.

Big Question: What are the societal impacts of blockchain?

Two Warm-Up Options: This lesson has two warm-up options, depending on whether or not this lesson is being taught in sequence with the other Blockchain lessons or if this lesson is being taught independently from the other Blockchain lessons.

Option 2 is for classrooms that are teaching this lesson independently from other Blockchain lessons and assumes students may not have much context behind how Blockchain works. This warm-up emphasizes focuses on the impact of technology in general before pivoting to Blockchain specifically in the lesson.

Prompt: Can you think of an example of how a new piece of technology has improved your life, or improved the life of someone you know?

Discussion Goal: This can be a quick discussion to activate prior knowledge about ways technology impacts the world around us. Students may share examples of recent technologies, or technology they only recently got access to (for example: having a newer cell phone with a better camera)

Prompt: Can you think of an example where one of these pieces of technology has had an unintended effect that may have been helpful or harmful to a different group of people?

Give students a chance to discuss in small groups before sharing as a class. Their responses may depend on the examples the rest of the class shared.

Discussion Goal: This prompt is intended to help students consider the impact of technology beyond how we may typically see or use it, and to empathize with people outside their immediate experience. For example, students may talk about how AI-generated artwork has helped them be creative or help create projects for school, but another student may know an artist or designer whose job has been affected by the increased use of AI-generated artwork.

Technology can have many impacts, both intended and unintended. Some of these may be beneficial to people and society, and some of them may be harmful. Today we’re going to talk about a particular type of new technology: Blockchain. We’ll explore some of the impacts Blockchain has already had on the world, then discuss ways it’s been helpful and ways it has been harmful to society.

Big Question: What are the societal impacts of blockchain?

Video: Show the Blockchain: Societal Impact video

Group: Place students in groups of three or four

Distribute: Digitally distribute copies of the Societal Impact Research Areas handout.

Do This: As a group, choose an area of application. Each group is encouraged to pick different topics if possible.

Do This: Within that area of application, each person chooses an article or video to review. Students can also use the internet to find new articles or videos to research.

Distribute: Give each group a copy of the Societal Impact Research Reflection handout.

Do This: Review the instructions for the Blockchain Research Reflection handout. Each student will research a particular resource and discuss what they find with their group. The handout should be completed as a group, pulling from different research articles and videos that each person investigates.

Skimming and Summarizing: Encourage students to skim articles for key ideas, take notes, and pose additional questions as they read articles.

Yes, And: The research articles provided are jumping-off points to motivate questions and key ideas, but students are encouraged to use search engines to continue searching and researching. Using these articles as a starting point, there will often be new updates and current events relevant to their research that they can discover in their research.

Circulate: Monitor groups as they complete their research, encouraging groups to share what they discover with group members. Make sure groups are filling out the activity guide as they research, incorporating ideas from each group member as they discover different articles and areas of research.

Give students a 2-minute warning before transitioning to the next activity.

As you discovered, there are a variety of applications for blockchain technology that can be both helpful or harmful. Considering all of your research together, we're going to decide if we think blockchain is mostly helpful... or mostly harmful.

Do This: As a group, decide if blockchain is helpful or harmful in their area of research, then move towards that side of the room. Groups can also move to anywhere in between the two sides.

Alternative Ways to Engage: This activity can also be done without physical movement for different classroom setups. You could ask students to give a thumbs up, side, or down.

You can also run this activity by drawing a line on a whiteboard with one side labeled “helpful” and the other labeled “harmful”, and students use post-it notes to write down their application and rationale for why it’s helpful or harmful. Then the following discussion turns into a gallery walk where students read each other’s post-its.

Prompt: What did you learn about your application of blockchain? Why did you choose your application as "helpful" or "harmful"?

Discussion Goal: Ask students from different ends of the spectrum to respond to the question, sharing different perspectives. Try to curate a conversation where multiple viewpoints are represented, emphasizing that the technology is neither “inherently helpful” or “inherently harmful” but depends on how it’s used.

Do This: Students return to their seats.

Prompt: Imagine two of your friends are having an argument - one says “Blockchain is terrible - everything it touches is bad!” but the other says “Blockchain is amazing! It can improve every aspect of society”. If they asked for your opinion, what would you say?

Discussion Goal: This prompt is purposefully open-ended, but is designed to focus students on the gray area of technology and see the nuance in these types of arguments. Listen for responses that can push back against both points of view in this fictitious argument, or that consider larger issues beyond just blockchain technology.

We'd love to learn more about the folks teaching these lessons and the classroom experience. Please let us know in this How Blockchain Works Teacher Survey.

Depending on your goals and student interests, you may decide to offer optional extensions related to blockchain and cryptocurrencies. Additional resources and the rest of the How Blockchain Works video series are available on https://code.org/blockchain, including a Blockchain & Cryptocurreny Hour of Code Activity.