Exploration and Observation: North-South and Local Noon (Sundials, Part 2)

In Kepler's Dream, Ella adjusts to life in a new place and is challenged to find her true north. For today's science activity, you'll find your true north and learn something about the place you live!

It's time for part 2 of our sundials activity from astronomer and physicist Laura Cotts! For this activity, you'll just need a piece of cardboard (I used the top of a pizza box) with a golf tee attached to the center, flat side down. In sundial terms, the golf tee is called a gnomon.

Find a sunny spot for your experiment and anchor it firmly. Draw the shadow of your gnomon every 15 minutes from 10:30 to 1:30. Record the time for each shadow. Find your very shortest shadow. It should point to the North because when the sun is at the highest point in its path, the sun is in the South.

The time of your shortest shadow is called “local noon”, when the sun is highest in the sky at your location. But this time may or may not match 12 noon on your clock! This is because the world is divided into “time zones” to make it easier for people to communicate. For instance, everyone in the Mountain Time Zone has clocks that say 12 noon at the same time, but the sun will cross its highest spot sooner for people in the eastern part of the time zone and later for people in the western part. (You can tell from the photo above that I'm in the western part of my time zone.)

Ever since there have been people, they have used the sun to help them find their way and to help them mark the passage of time. See what else you can learn!

What time was local noon for you? Was it before or after 12:00? Based on your local noon, do you think you live on the east or west side of your time zone? Check your answer here for a US time zone map or here for a world time zone map!

Kepler's Dream by Juliet Bell

From Goodreads: When eleven-year-old Ella's mother has to be hospitalized to undergo a dangerous cancer treatment, Ella spends the summer at "Broken Family Camp" with her eccentric grandmother, whom she's never met. The situation is hardly ideal for either of them. Ella is scared her mother may die, but her grandmother seems to care more about her library full of books than she does about her very own granddaughter.

But when a rare and beloved book, Kepler's Dream of the Moon, is stolen from her grandmother's amazing library, Ella and her new friend Rosie make up their minds to find it. Finding the beautiful book her grandmother loves so much could even be the key to healing Ella's broken family.

My Two Cents: This is a lovely book filled with memorable characters, dynamic relationships, and enough mystery to keep even this adult reader guessing. Bell's story is as layered and complex as the characters within. There are a lot of threads to follow, and they are all woven together beautifully.

Grade Level: 4-6

Additional Resources:

• Check out Juliet Bell's fun website!
• Read a summary of Hamlet. Do you think there's a reason the author chose Hamlet as the book Ella's dad returns to the librerery?
• Read about Somnium and draw your own illustrations of the Earth, the moon, and the demons.
• Draw a map of your house or your room like Ella does! Printable graph paper might help, and this book might too.
• Play Boggle like Ella and her grandmother.
• Learn more about peacocks and constellations.

More to Read:

• Another story that weaves together an old book, curious girls, and a dash of mystery: Palace Beautiful by Sarah Deford Williams
• Another strong young girl who's worried about her mom and trying to make things work in a new environment: Ida B by Katherine Hannigan
• More memorable grandparents who help their granddaughter: Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech
• Another book with dashes of mystery and connections to history: Shakespeare's Secret by Elise Broach
• A fun picture book where a girl draws maps of her room, her house, her town, and even the world:  Me on the Map by Joan Sweeney