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Sunday, March 25, 2012

Easy Sundial Paper Plate Craft

Here's an easy sundial paper plate craft. This came from the National Wildlife Federation.

Materials:

  • paper plate
  • plastic straw
  • sharp pencil
  • crayons
  • duct tape
  • sunny place
  • clock or watch


Directions:
  1.  Poke a hole in the center of a paper plate with a sharp pencil so the straw will go through.
  2. Turn the paper plate upside down. Write the number "12" on the edge of the paper plate.
  3. Use a ruler and draw a line from the 12 to the hole in the paper plate.
  4. Put the Straw in the hole and take the paper plate outside just before noon. Put it on the ground and slightly tilt the straw towards the line and 12 you drew.
  5. At exactly noon, turn the paper plate so the straw's shadow lines up with the line and the 12.
  6. Fasten the paper plate to the ground with duct tape or something else so it doesn't move. Have the kids predict what will happen an hour later.
  7. At exactly 1:00, mark the spot on the paper plate and write 1. Repeat this process every hour on the hour to make the clock.
  8. To use the sundial on subsequent days, it must be put in the same place in the same position.


Source: National Wildlife Federation

9 comments:

  1. i am in 8th grade and if a preshooler can make it then i can too :D

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  2. thx for the idea we are making sundials in geometry

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  3. Thanks alot V. Come and visit anytime and good luck on your sundial.

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  4. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  5. I can't wait to see if it works is so then I'll tell all of my friends about it :-D

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  6. Thank you so much for sharing this great idea! I think my 4th graders will enjoy this hands-on experience.

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  7. The sun will need to rotate 360° around this straw for this design to be functional. More scientifically correct: only two locations on Earth have the proper axis for this design. The useable areas are within sight of the North and South poles.

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    Replies
    1. *the design as pictured. The article describes how to make a sundial for a specific day of the year in your location.

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