Apple Watches of Long Ago

Last month, the fifth graders were out on the turf holding paper plates. Was it picnic time? Not exactly! It turns out it wasn’t plates they were holding, but rather the “Apple Watches” of long ago!  As part of their Solar unit, the students made sundials, modeled a 24-hour day passing in a minute using a flashlight and their sundials, and then took the sundials outside to see if they would actually work.  They didn’t, until the clouds passed, and then, they did!

Did you know … that our 24-hour day is based on our ancient ancestors having 4-fingers and one thumb? Ask a 5th grader to explain how the ancient Egyptians developed what has remained a 24-hour clock for thousands of years, and how their plate-watches work.

#SaklanHandsOn