Lesson 8: Whats the time?

Year 3
Prior Learning and Rationale:
This lesson connects closely to the experiment carried out in lesson seven, Moving Shadows. Using the
understandings gained about shadow movement and how the earth moves around the sun, the students will
be encouraged to use this knowledge and recognise how these knowledge and understandings were useful to
everyday life. This lesson is valuable to the understanding of day and night as it demonstrates how the earths
movement around the sun can be used to measure time (BOSTES NSW, 2012c).
KLA (s): Science, Mathematics & English
For additional
Outcomes & Indicators:
outcomes and
Science:
indicators visit:
Describes how products are designed and produced, and the ways people use them, ST2http://ech430the
16P (BOSTES NSW, 2012c, p 61).
scienceofnightan
Describes how relationships between the sun and the Earth cause regular changes, ST2dday.weebly.co
9ES (BOSTES NSW, 2012c, p 55)
m/ksk-and- Observe and record changes in the length and direction of a shadow during the day
curriculumto show how the movement of the Earth around the sun can be used to measure
links.html
time (BOSTES NSW, 2012c, p 55).
Mathematics:
Measures, records, compares and estimates lengthsin metres, centimetres and
millimetres (BOSTES NSW, 2012b, p 150).
- Compare and order lengths..using meters and centimetres (BOSTES NSW, 2012b, p
150).
Whole class objective:
For students to show how the sun can be used to measure time by creating a sundial and documenting the
time on it based on the shadow.
Resources & Equipment:
Classroom organisation:
A list of resources are available at:
Introduction: Discussion to take place on the floor.
http://ech430thescienceofnightandday.
Students can work at desks or another space in the
weebly.com/lesson-resources.html
room to create the sundial with their partner.
Body: Will occur outdoors.
Conclusion: Class discussion will occur on the floor.
Lesson development:
Introduction: Discuss with the students what a sundial is and what it can be used for. Using the IWB, show the
students Using a sundial to tell the time (YouTube video), then project Lesson 8: Sundial Tutorial for
students. Once completed, allow time for students to ask questions, then pair students divide resources and
ask them to build their sundial ensure that the Lesson 8: Sundial Tutorial is still accessible to students.
Body: At 10am take the sundials outdoors and place them in an open space where they will be in direct sun all
day. Shade in the space where the straw has cast a shadow onto the plate and write the time next to it.
Measure the shadow and document it on Repeat this every hour until 2pm. Every hour, ask students to predict
the shadows location for the following hour. Mark actual time using blue pencils and predictions in red
ensuring to write the time next them. Ensure students complete the lesson 8 sundial worksheet every hour.
Conclusion: Provide time for students to complete the final section of the sundial worksheet then facilitate a
discussion that incorporates questions such as: What did you observe? When was the shadow the
longest/shortest? Why do you think the shadows change length? Were predictions accurate? Guide
discussion for students to make connections between how the sun in the day can tell the time.
Differentiation of learning for individual children
Support:
Extend:
Negotiate students to work in groups to Ask the students to create a tutorial video on how to make a
assist ZPD where more able students
sundial during the process of making and using the sundial; this will
can assist students who need additional assist students in meeting the English outcome EN2-6B (BOSTES
support (De Guerrero & Villamil, 2000;
NSW, 2012a). Research suggests that when students articulate
Charlesworth & Lind, 2013).
their learning, they learn more effectively (Sawyer, 2008).