The Question:
"What is technology?""How does technology impact human society?"
Background Information.
Working in groups, students will do an experiment to determine if the use of a familiar toy will enhance their ability to throw a ball a long distance. An analogy may be drawn to the atlatl, a throwing stick used 8,500 to 9,000 years ago in North America to help hunters throw spears (refer to website of THE MAYAN ATLATL). Many middle level history textbooks also have illustrations of the atlatl. Students can discuss the implications of using the atlatl in "their Native American society," such as: increased hunting accuracy and range, improved personal safety and tribe nutrition, caused game depletion, etc.For teachers with time and space constraints, the experiment can be done using paper balls and plastic rulers in place of rackets and wiffle balls.
This lesson might be integrated with the history curriculum or historical novel reading. Invite a collector of Native American artifacts or an antique dealer into the classroom to share items that might be unfamiliar to students.
Before beginning this activity.
Refer to website of THE MAYAN ATLATL:http://www.crl.com/~mjr/stick5.html
Make copies of BALL TOSS LAB sheet for each student (below).
Make copies of ATLATL QUESTIONS FOR STUDENT GROUPS for each group
(below, answers follow).
Collect badminton rackets, toys, and materials for each group.
Procedure.
Follow the Instructional Procedures for the Foundation/Awareness Lesson 4, in the Global Atmospheric Change curriculum
Assessment 1.
BALL TOSS LAB
Assessment 2.
ATLATL QUESTIONS FOR STUDENT GROUPS