Lesson 8: Build a Sundial

Maureen Dooley, B.S.Ed.

Copyright 2004. Permission is granted for classroom use and for non-commercial educational purposes.

Subject __________________________

Grade Level _______________________

Anticipatory Set (focus) - The students will answer a warm-up question. What are the earth-spinning and earth-fixed models?

Purpose (objective) - The students will be able to build a sundial. Input - The teacher will ask for an answer or several answers to the warm-up question, so as to review what was taught in a previous lesson. The teacher will then explain to the students that today they will be building a sundial.

Modeling (show) - The teacher will explain that the purpose of a sundial is to track the apparent motion of the sun by tracking the shadow that it casts. To understand the apparatus we assume that light travels in a straight line from the sun to the face of the sundial. The pointer (gnomon) interrupts the light and casts a shadow. The line from the shadow to the gnomon tells us the direction of the path that the light followed from the sun to the sundial. The teacher will hold up a piece of paper and will demonstrate how the students will be building their sundials.

Guided Practice - The students will watch as the teacher demonstrates how to build the sundial. The teacher will then pass out the handout that further shows how to build a sundial. (worksheet 2) The teacher will explain to the students that they will be using this sundial in another lesson.

Independent Practice - The students can work independently, in pairs or cooperative groups to complete the building of the sundials.

Closure - (Tell or show me what you have learned) - Have the students put their names on their sundials, they will be used in a later lesson.