Monday
Experiment 1
1. Choose a place where you will always stand during this activity. Make sure it is in the middle of an open concrete space, with no shadows nearby – this could be just outside your home on the pavement, if you don’t have a garden space. Mark this space by using your chalk to outline your shoes.
2. Stand in your chosen spot and have your helper use chalk to trace the outline of your shadow on the concrete.
3. Use your chalk to write the time at the top of your shadow.
4. Repeat these steps every hours, each time marking the time of day at the top of your shadow.
What do you notice about your shadow?
When was your shadow longest?
Why does your shadow move?
Experiment 2 – Making a shadow clock
1. Cut out a circle from some stiff card to make a dial (an old cereal box is ideal).
2. Push a pencil through the middle of the circle.
3. Push the pencil into the ground (in a place where it will get a lot of sun).
4. Mark on the dial where the pencil’s shadow falls each hour.
Is the angle between the markings the same?
Try the experiment the next day. Do you still get identical markings?
Can you use this to explain how the Earth moves?