Serc: Calculating the Declination of the Sun for Elementary Students

In the school courtyard, learners will measure the apparent path of the sun across the sky using a toilet plunger. Students will then generate questions as to why the sun appears to move, and what is really happening in the process. We will then construct paper astrolabes, and measure the angle of the sun compared to earth (its declination). This can lead into a discussion of the seasons.