AZIMUTH OF THE SUN

OBJECTIVE: USE THE SUN’S SHADOW TO FIND ITS AZIMUTH LOCATION

Time Needed: One or two periods

Materials:

Azimuth Chart
Compass
Nail or short pencil

Procedure:

1. Wait for a sunny day.
2. Take students outside. Caution them to never look directly at the sun.
3. Ask students if they know what direction the sun is coming from.
4. If they point in a vague direction, tell them that they have a very precise measuring instrument in their hands that can be used to find the answer to within 5 degrees.
5. Have students work in pairs to solve the problem: how to find the sun’s azimuth (without looking at the sun).
6. They should eventually come up with the solution: line up the azimuth chart with north, place a nail or pencil in the center of the azimuth chart, pinpoint the azimuth direction of the shadow, and then find the opposite azimuth point, which will be the direction of the sun.
7. Have students write the data in their journals.

NYS Standards for Lesson #7
Standard 1 Scientific Inquiry
Key Idea #2 : S2.1, S2.2,

Standard 4 Physical Setting
Key Idea #1 Explain daily, monthly, and seasonal changes on Earth

Standard 7 Common Themes
Key Idea #2 Models 2.1, 2.2, 2.3