Shadow Clock
About 90 minutes, outside, for ages 11 and up.
Where it works
Works in any outdoor space
Who it's for
ages 11 and up
Marks To Make:
- the shadow at the start
- the shortest shadow of the day
- the direction it moves
- the same time tomorrow
Today's Challenge
- 1.What clock time was the shadow shortest?
- 2.Which way did it swing, and why that way?
- 3.How much did it move in an hour?
Quick Start: What you need
- 1chalk or small stones
- 2a stick
- 3notebook
- 4pen
The Goal
Track one shadow across an afternoon and find out when noon really is.
How to start
- 1
Gather what you need: chalk or small stones, a stick, notebook and pen. Nothing else required.
- 2
Head outside and see how many you can find: the shadow at the start, the shortest shadow of the day, the direction it moves, the same time tomorrow.
- 3
Talk about what you are seeing. Start with "What clock time was the shadow shortest?"
- 4
Print the worksheet to check things off as you find them, and keep it afterwards.
Find Real Noon
Stand a stick upright and mark the tip of its shadow every half hour. Circle the shortest mark and write the clock time beside it.
The shadow is shortest at solar noon, when the sun is highest, and that almost never lands on 12:00. Time zones are wide and daylight saving shifts the clock, so solar noon can sit more than an hour from midday.
If you want to push it further
- Predict where the shadow will be in an hour, then check
- Mark the shortest shadow, then repeat in a month and compare
Print it and go
The worksheet has the checklist, the prompts, and a space to draw in. One page, ready for a bag or a glovebox.