1. What advantages would a hunter using this throwing stick with his spears have over a hunter using only the spear? (Could throw spears farther, have more accuracy and velocity.)
· Let's think about how this technology might have caused changes in the society of the groups who used the Atlatl.
2. How would this technology effect the native American's ability to acquire food? (Kills could be made at greater distances and more safety for the hunter. Spear penetration would be deeper and kills would be faster so the hunts would generally be more successful.)
3. How would this effect the animal population? (Easier to kill large animals without danger. Probably decrease in animal population.)
4. Once a food source was depleted (hunted animals), how might the group of hunters change their lifestyle? (Learn to hunt other species, become a more agricultural group, or increase their hunting range might be suggested by students. Point out that any travel might result in contact and possible conflict with other tribes.)
· We have been looking at how the technology of the Atlatl affected the society, but what about the role of science?
5. How does the Atlatl relate to any simple machines you may have studied earlier? (It is a lever. The Atlatl is an extension of the effort arm, thereby increasing the mechanical advantage of the hunter's arm.)
6. Do you think that the native Americans who used this device knew the science concepts that explain how a lever works? (They probably had experience with them, but could not explain WHY the Atlatl worked.)