DESIGN AND MAKE A

CLINOMETER AND MEASURE

THE HEIGHT OF A TREE
45

Strands/Strand Units APPROXIMATE HEIGHT OF TREE = A + B

A = distance from ground to eye
Living Things: Plants and Animals
B = distance from person to tree
Environmental Awareness and Care: Environmental
Awareness, Science and the Environment
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Learning Objective
B

Observing and recording in the natural

environment 45

(SESE: Science, Teacher Guidelines, Exemplar

B
12, p. 64): “Children should be encouraged
to observe and record features of the A A
environment that they are investigating.
.. The children should measure the size of the B
habitat, using standard or non-standard units”.

Equipment
0 X Suggested Class Level
Template, card, straw, string, sellotape, plasticine).
45
5th/6th
90

45

Preparation 0 X
A previous lesson on
Photocopy the the importance of Light
Energy
clinometer template
45 trees - habitats for O2
Sugars

at the end of the

90 45 animals and birds,
activity sheet. and photosynthesis - CO2 H2O
B

45 90
would be helpful.
B

A A

B
45

Background information
A Clinometer is a useful piece of equipment Trees are one of the
for measuring angles and calculating longest-living of all plants.
approximate heights. It is used frequently They are very important
in forestry, engineering and astronomy. because they absorb carbon
45
dioxide from the air and
It is also called an Astrolabe on account of
produce oxygen for us to
being 90 used in astronomy. It was invented
breathe (photosynthesis).
over 1,000 years ago and was an important
They also become the
B
piece of equipment for early navigators.
habitat and source of food
You can use it here to estimate the height 45
for many animals when
of a tree (assuming the tree is vertical!). theyBare grown, and are a
(Activity adapted from ‘The TTS Make and safe habitat for many birds.
Take Book 2’) A A

B
 DESIGN AND MAKE A CLINOMETER
AND MEASURE THE HEIGHT OF A TREE
Trigger questions
Why are trees important? (Oxygen-producers, Can you guess the height of the tree?
habitats, etc.)
Do you know your own height?
Pick the tree whose height you want to measure.
How many times taller than you do you think the
Make sure you can measure the distance from you
tree is?
to its base.
Now can you estimate the height of the tree?
What is the name of the tree? Does it lose its leaves
(Multiply this number by your own height).
in winter? etc.

Skills Cross-curricular links

Designing and MATHS: Number, Operations (estimate, add, multiply)
Making, Estimating Shape and Space: 2-D Shapes (triangles – isosceles)
and Measuring. Lines and Angles (acute, protractor)
Measures: Length (choosing instrument)
HISTORY: Use of clinometers by early navigators to measure the elevation of
the sun and stars, thus helping them to determine their location at sea.

Activity, with Maths

1. Making the clinometer 2. Using the clinometer
Stick the clinometer pattern
• Face the tree whose height you want to measure.
onto 0card and cut it out.
X

Tape a straw (cut to the same • Looking through the straw at the end away from the string,
length) along the top edge. adjust the angle of the card until the string hangs at 45º.
Attach some45 plasticine to a • Now walk towards or away from the tree until you see the top
piece of string and hang it of the tree through the straw. (This is easier to do with two
onto point X so that it90
hangs people - one looking through the straw while the other
freely. keeps an eye on the string.)
45
adhesive tape, • Estimate and then measure the approximate
straw distance from you to the base of the tree.
0 X
X What instrument would you use to
measure the distance?
thread 45 • What sort of triangle is made
45
in this diagram? (Isosceles
90
triangle)
90
45
B

plasticine 45

45 A A

90 B
 DESIGN AND MAKE A CLINOMETER
AND MEASURE THE HEIGHT OF A TREE
Light
• Can you now estimate the Energy
height of the tree?
O2to
(It will be approximately the same as the distance from you
Sugars
the base of the tree, because you have an isosceles triangle).
• If you want to get a more accurate height for the tree, what
CO2 H2O
B

45
do you think you have to add in? (Your own height).
HEIGHT OF TREE = A + B
B

A A

Safety Follow-up activity

Do not look directly at the sun through the Children can use this method to measure the height of
clinometer, it would damage your eyes. a building or any other tall vertical object.

Did You Know?

Captain Jack Sparrow used a clinometer in the
movie ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’.

You can download a

Clinometer app which can
tell sailors the exact angle
at which their boat is tilting.
 DESIGN AND MAKE A CLINOMETER
AND MEASURE THE HEIGHT OF A TREE
CLINOMETER TEMPLATE

Attach a straw along this edge

0 X

45

90