Make Your Own Sundial

Following the movement of a shadow during the day is a way to track time. Try it yourself by making a sundial.

 

A vey long time ago (long before there were digital clocks and mobile phones), people used a sundial to tell time. A sundial may consist of a round plate with a vertical stick, called a gnomon, that casts a shadow on the dial. On the plate of the sundial are numbers for each hour of the day. The gnomon’s shadow points to the time.



Reward: Shake Up Silver!

Make Your Own Sundial​

  • Construction paper
  • Piece of stiff cardboard
  • Large bowl (for tracing)
  • Pencil or crayon (for tracing)
  • Scissors
  • Pencil or other straight stick (the gnomon)
  • Mounting putty or soft clay
  • Four small stones or clear tape (for securing your sundial when it’s outside)
  • Marker (dark color works best)
  • Compass (optional)
  • Ruler (optional)
  1. Turn your bowl upside down on your piece of paper and trace a circle. Cut out the circle.
  2. Poke a small hole in the center of the circle. (An estimate is fine, or you can use a ruler to find the center.) The hole should be no wider than the pencil or stick you’ll use for the gnomon.
  3. Place a small ball of mounting putty or clay in the center of the piece of cardboard, and push the eraser-side of the pencil (gnomon) into the putty. Test to make sure the pencil stays upright.
  4. Once your pencil is secure, slide the paper all the way down to the cardboard and press firmly to flatten the putty/clay. If there are marks on one side of the paper, keep the blank side up.
  5. Find a flat spot outside that will stay sunny for all or most of the day and place your sundial on the ground or outdoor table. 
  6. Secure the base of your sundial so it won’t move using either small stones or clear tape. It’s important your sundial stays in the same place while you are making it.
  7. Check the time and set an alarm for a few minutes before the beginning of the next hour.
  8. When your alarm sounds, head outside to your sundial with the marker. Where the shadow meets the edge of the circle, write the time (whole hours only). Set your alarm for the next hour and repeat until your sundial is in the shade or the sun sets and there are no more shadows.



A Closer Look at Sundials

Today, we often like to know exactly what time it is. Sometimes down to the second! But a sundial doesn’t even count minutes. It also doesn’t work on cloudy days or at nighttime. And you can’t wear one on your wrist! What do you think it would be like to tell time with a sundial for a day?



Fuente: PBS Kids