Posted: Friday, 30 May 2008 10:59AM
Sundials for Spring
Dr. Michael McVey Reporting
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This is a project young learners can do on a bright sunny day. Find a flagpole or some tall object to cast a shadow. Throughout the day beginning in the morning and every hour, mark where the shadow touches the ground. You will find that you have created a set of points.
If you have a digital camera, you can take pictures of your child standing along the line each holding the time of day where the sun had cast a shadow. If possible, try to leave a permanent mark such as a dab of paint. A month later, do the same project again and you will find that the line has moved.
If you do this project throughout the year, and your marks stay on the ground, your class will have created a sundial.
Additional Tips:
- Be sure to be safe when you’re outside with the children
- Trace out the evolution of the shadow before you try this with your child as the shadow may end up in an awkward place at the end of the day
- If the shadow lands on grass, consider using little flags or colored popsicle sticks to mark the ground
- Before you began, have your child create a map of the area so that they can record the points as best as possible back inside the classroom
- This project is a great opportunity to discuss the Earth’s axis, and to practice sun safety
- For a challenging project, keep track of the sun’s shadow once every week or so at exactly the same time of day throughout the course of a year. The resulting figure 8 shape is called an analemma. More info about analemmas.
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