Curated OER
The Sundial of Space Exploration
In this science worksheet, students engage in the process of using a sundial to tell the time in various places. The sundial is meant to be cut out.
Curated OER
Sundials: Keeping Time Like Native Americans
Young scholars explore the use of sundials. They observe the shadows cast by the sun and record the times at various points throughout the day. They create sundials and record the location of the shadows and the time of day. They view...
Curated OER
Portable Sundial
Students work together to identify the accuracy of sundials. They track the position of the sun and create a shadow plot. They discover the difference between real time and clock time.
Curated OER
Sundials: Observing and Using Shadows
Students build sundials and observe changes in shadows over the course of one or more days. They identify patterns in the shadows and discuss how shadows may be used to tell time.
Curated OER
Stargazers and Skywatchers
Learners are introduced to the apparent motion of the Sun across the sky and the way it changes in summer and winter.
Curated OER
The Sundial
Students explain the design, principle and orientation of a sundial, the type with a gnomon pointing towards the pole of the heavens. They construct a model sundial from paper.
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: Sending a Sundial to Mars Bill Nye
Video presentation by Bill Nye about sundials and what they can reveal about Earth and other planets. [7:50] Includes a short quiz and a list of additional resources to explore.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Portable Sundial
In this activity students will investigate the accuracy of sundials and the discrepancy that lies between "real time" and "clock time". They will track the position of the sun over the course of a relatively short period of time as they...
Other
Center for Science Education: Eye on the Sky: Observing and Using Shadows
This resource provides all the directions and worksheets necessary to make a sundial and record data with it.
Utah Education Network
Uen: Trb 3:1 Investigation 5 Making a Sundial
Make a sundial and learn how to use it.
National Museums Liverpool
Sundials
With this resource, students discover how sundials work. The resource links to pictures of museum quality sundials are provided as well as providing directions for making your own sundial.
Other
Lockheed Martin: Making a Horizontal Sundial
A website with directions on how to build a sundial for the Northern Hemisphere and information on how a sundial works. Includes three skill levels of construction.
The Franklin Institute
The Franklin Institute: Clocks Teaching Time
This site from The Franklin Institute presents a number of activities, games, exhibits, scavenger hunts, resources, links related to clocks and telling time.
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: Timekeeping
Why do we need calendars and clocks? To survive in this complex society, you need to track what others are doing and when they're doing it. You also need to know what's happening in the natural world. This article discusses how/why...
Exploratorium
Exploratorium: Making a Sun Clock
Learn how to use the sun to tell time. This simple activity reinforces the concepts of light and shadow, night and day, time, and geographical north vs. magnetic north.
Treehut
Suzy's World: What Is Time?
This site from Suzy's World and Suzy Cato provides a brief definition of what time is and early methods of measuring time. Also includes two time experiments and tells you how to figure out your age in hours.