Sundials are more than just primitive clocks. Learners build their own sundials to study the location of the sun across the sky throughout the day. They use shadow evidence related to their sundials to make conclusions about solar movement.

Concepts

sundials, the sun, the earth-moon-sun system, shadows, the earth's orbit

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Instructional Ideas

• Incorporate geometry concepts by finding the angle of elevation of the sun at different intervals

Classroom Considerations

• Allow time to collect and prepare materials prior to the lesson
• While the majority of the lesson is complete in one day, a full analysis requires data collection throughout the week

Pros

• Adaptable to different grade levels
• Includes a handout for collecting data

Cons

• None