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Whatyou’llneed
Sun–thisactivitycanonlybedoneonasunnyday
Aplaceinyourhomethatisinthesunallday
Aclock,watchorphonetotellthetime
Card–suchasanemptycerealbox
Overview
SUNDIAL
Canyoutellthetimewithoutlookingatyourwatchorphone?Thisactivityusessomecard,twopencilsand
somestickytacktoletyoutellthetimeusingtheSun.
Thispagewillprint,butlooksalittlefunky.ClickthebuttonforaPDFversionwhichlooksabitbetter.
Printableversion
Card–suchasanemptycerealbox
Adinnerplateorlargishcircletodrawaround
2pencils
Scissors
Stickytack
Felttipsorothercolouringmaterialsifyouwanttodecorateyoursundial
Suitablefor:
Age3up
Duration:
Awholesunnyday
Safetynotes
Youknowyourchildrenbetterthananyone,andyoushouldjudgewhetherthey’rereadyforthisactivity.
Youmightwanttothinkinparticularabout:
Alwaystakecarewhenusingscissors.
Takecarewithsharppencils.
Supervisechildrenusingpencilstomakeholes.
WhattodoStep1
Step2
Firstofall,openupandflattenyourboxifyouneedto.Drawaroundyourplatetomakeacircle.
Step3
Step4
Cutoutyourcircle.Stickyourlumpofstickytacktothecentreoftheundersideofyourcircle.
Turnyourcircleover.Stickyourpencilthroughthecentreofthecircleintoyourstickytack.Yourbaseis
ready.
Step5
Step6
Youwillneedtostartmarkingthehoursonyoursundialasearlyasyoucaninthemorning.
Onthehour(e.g.exactly8am)putyoursundialsomewhereinyourhomethatisinthesunasmucoftheday
aspossible.
Lookwheretheshadowfallsonyoursundialbase,andmarkthiswithapencil.Writeonthetimenexttoyour
mark.
Thenleaveyoursundialexactlywhereitis(thisisreallyimportant!),andyoumightwanttosticky-tackit
downsothatitdoesn’tgetmoved.
Afteranhour,checkyoursundialagain.Youshouldseethattheshadowhasmoved.Markwheretheshadow
fallsnowonyoursundial.Writethetimenexttothismark.
Again,leaveyoursundialinplace.
Step7
Step8
Checkyoursundialeveryhourandmarkthepositionoftheshadowonyoursundialeachtime.Rememberto
writethetimenexttothemark.
Dothisuntilaslateasyoucanintheday.
Thenextdayyouwillbeabletotellthetimebyseeingwheretheshadowfalls.Youneedtoputthesundial
backinthesameplaceorrememberwhichdirectionyoursundialwasfacingwhenyoumadeittomakesureit
tellstherighttime.
Youcandecorateyoursundialifyouwantto.
Whattimewasitwhenthisphotographofthesundialwastaken?
Thingstodiscuss
Whydoestheshadowmove?
Whyistheshadowlongerattimesandshorteratothertimes?
Whydoyouneedtopointthesundialinthesamedirectioneachtimeyouuseittotellthetime?
Howitworks
Shadowsformwhenlightisblockedbyanobject.Forthisinvestigation,thelightyouareusingtravelsfrom
theSunandisblockedbythepencilofyoursundial.TheshadowfallsoppositetowheretheSunisinthesky.
AlthoughtheSunappearstomoveacrossthesky,itisactuallytheearththatisrotatingwhichcausesthesun
tolooklikeit’smoving(findoutmoreherehttps://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/clips/zkynvcw).
Overadayweseeapattern:thesunrisesintheeastandinthemorningastheSunisrising,yourshadows
werelong,andpointtothewest.At12noon,theSunappearsatitshighestinthesky,theshadowsareat
theirshortest.Intheafternoon,theSunisinthewestandtheshadowspointtotheeast.Theshadowsget
longerandlongeruntiltheSunsetsinthewest.
Otherthingstotry
Observetheshadowsusingtoys
Youwillneed:
3or4toys,
chalk(ifoutside)
paperandapenorpencil(ifinside)
Placeyourtoyssomewheresunnyandthenusethepencilorchalktodrawtheoutlineoftheirshadows.
Leavethetoysandcomebackanhourlater.Drawaroundthenewshadow.
Dothesamethinglateroninthedayandseehowtheshadowshavemovedagain.
Observetheshadowsusingtoys
Step1
Step2
MoreSTEMatHome
Thingstodiscuss
Whichwayhaveyourshadowsmoved?
Haveyourshadowsgrownlongerorshorter?
Haveyourshadowsgrownwiderornarrower?
Isthereanythingthatyounoticedaboutthewidth,lengthandpositionoftheshadows?
Tweet
Sharethis:
Careerslink–Astronomer
Todayyou’vebeenexploringthelightthat’scomingfromtheSun,ourneareststar.Astronomersarealso
interestedinthelightthatcomesfromstars.Insteadoflookingatshadows,theyusetelescopestolookfar
outintospaceandlearnaboutthestarsthatyoucanseeinthenightsky.Thelightfromthosedistantstars
cantellusmanythings:whatastarismadefrom,howbigitis,orhowolditis.
Attributes:observant,tenacious,collaborative
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