Get involved in our June Science Challenge - Make your own sundial.
Science Challenge - Make Your Own Sundial
Resources:
- An outside space that gets the sun
- Pen or chalk
- A piece of paper
- Straw or stick
- Playdough/blue-tac
Instructions:
- Put the straw or stick into the playdough/blue-tac so that it stands upright. Make sure this is in a sunny spot.
- Use the pen or chalk to mark the shadow of the straw and write down the time.
- Mark the shadow of the straw or stick every hour and make a note of the time.
Please send a photo on Class Dojo to your teacher. All entries will receive a sticker.
The Science
Before clocks and watches, sundials were used to mark how much time had passed during the day. A sundial measures time by the position of the sun and will have markings on it for each hour of sunlight. Sundials will have something in the middle of them that will cast a shadow over the markings to show the time.
Science of the Month: Time
Choose one of the following topics to investigate:
- When and where was the first sundial used?
- Find out when mechanical clocks were first invented.
- Make a list of all the equipment/devices we have now to help us tell the time. Here are some to get you started:
- Oven
- Clock
- Watch
