Tracking the Sun’s Patterns

Around the Globe

Anya Rose, Fulbright-Hays Iceland 2021

To add in for 2022-23

• Mystery Science: How Fast Does the Earth Spin?

https://mysteryscience.com/astronomy/mystery-1/day-night-earth-s-rotation/378#slide-id-0

• Mystery Science: Who Set the first clock? https://mysteryscience.com/astronomy/mystery-2/earth-s-rotation-daily-shadow-patterns/74#slide-id-0
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Introduction 1

The Arctic Circle encompasses the area inside an imaginary circle around the top of the globe. It includes the North Pole and marks a boundary where for at least one day of the year, the sun never dips below the horizon. Iceland is just outside of the Arctic Circle, and the photographs and video at the end of this unit were taken in June in Akureyri, 100km (62 miles) from the Arctic Circle, and in Reykjavik.

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Students will learn how to communicate effectively about their own landscape and the sun’s location within it. They will identify landmarks and directions on their campus. They will then create a panorama drawing of their landscape, and use their drawings to plot the movement of the sun in the sky over the course of a day. They may make their observations in one day, or over a period of days or weeks.

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Once students have created their own panoramas, they will examine panoramas taken in the North and South Poles and compare similarities and differences. They will then explore the “Sun Path Simulator” online.

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Throughout the unit, students will discuss a “mystery photo.” They will use what they have learned to identify on what part of the globe the photo might have been taken, and at what time.

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Introduction 2

Before beginning this unit, students should know: 1) How to find the four, cardinal directions, and 2) That the Earth rotates on its axis, and revolves around the sun. 3) How to tell time. 4) Left and right

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This unit pairs nicely with the Mystery Science Unit, Spinning Sky. Where indicated, worksheets and videos for lessons can be found on their website. Links to all other worksheets for the entire unit are in the “Overview” Section of my slideshow. All lessons can be found together the Sun Path Lessons folder.

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The slides are color coded to indicate when students are discussing or reading something aloud as a whole class (purple), and when they are working independently (green). Have students get in the habit of doing “turn and talk” to discuss the question(s) presented. In “Today's Message,” the teacher or a student volunteer reads information for the entire class about the main points of the lesson. Sometimes there is an informational video to watch in this section, which students can either do independently (if one-on-one technology is available) or as a whole class. Each day’s lesson comes with a worksheet to focus the students and to show evidence of student learning.

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Essential Questions

• What is the sun’s path in the sky throughout the course of a day?

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• What are landmarks, and how can I use landmarks to track patterns in the sky?

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• Does the sun’s daily pattern in the sky change depending on my location on Earth?

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• Does the sun’s location and its pattern in the sky change depending on the time of year?

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• What pattern does the sun make in the sky when it is summer in the Arctic Circle?

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Science Standards

ESS1.A: The Universe and its Stars

• Patterns of the motion of the sun, moon, and stars in the sky can be observed, described, and predicted. (1-ESS1-1)

ESS1.B: Earth and the Solar System

• Seasonal patterns of sunrise and sunset can be observed, described, and predicted. (1-ESS1-2)

Crosscutting Concept:

• Patterns in the natural world can be observed, used to describe phenomena, and used as evidence. (1-ESS1-1),(1-ESS1-2)

Science Practices:

• Use observations (firsthand or from media) to describe patterns in the natural world in order to answer scientific questions. (1-ESS1-1)

Performance Expectations:

• 1-ESS1-2. Make observations at different times of year to relate the amount of daylight to the time of year.
• 1-ESS1-1. Use observations of the sun, moon, and stars to describe patterns that can be predicted.

Students Will Understand…

• A pattern is something that repeats.
• The pattern the sun forms in the sky depends on the location of the observer on the Earth.
• The sun’s pattern is related to day length.
• When the area in the Arctic Circle is tilted towards the sun, that part of the world has no night on the longest day of the year (the sun never dips below the horizon on that day) and it is summer for that part of the world; When the area in the Arctic Circle is tilted away from the sun, that part of the world has no daylight on the shortest day of the year (the sun never comes above the horizon on that day) and it is winter for that part of the world.

Students Will…

• Identify and name useful landmarks in their area to better communicate about the landscape and their observations.
• Create a panorama drawing of the sun, with landmarks and cardinal directions to show the sun’s location at different times of day.
• Explore a simulation of the sun’s path at different times of the day and year.
• Compare their own drawings and/or photographs with panorama photos and videos taken of the sun taken in the North and South Poles.

Before You Begin

It will be helpful to scope out a place beforehand for where you can gather students to observe the sun. Maybe it’s a large window, maybe it’s outside in a parking lot or playground. You will return to this spot over the course of this project. The observation lesson(s) will need to take place on sunny days. You may choose to have students do all observations over the course of one day, or over many days. You will need to arrange to have them observe the sun at different parts of the day, ideally once in the morning, and once before they leave school. They should get in the habit of talking about the sun’s location in relation to the landmarks they identify and name at school. As the unit progresses, they should be able to make these observations quickly, on the way to lunch, returning from recess etc. If you live in the northern hemisphere, the ideal place is where students can observe at least the eastern and southern skies. Lessons are generally meant to go in order, as a progression, but some lessons may need to be re-ordered if the weather does not cooperate. Days requiring a sunny day are noted in orange in the overview.

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Mystery Photo

Throughout the unit, students will discuss possible times and locations that a Mystery Photo could have been taken!

Overview page 1 of 2

• Shadows Mystery Science lesson 1: gnome and flashlight (get the room dark enough)
• Landmark Naming: communicating about the sun’s location by identifying landmarks around campus. Sunny day
• Sun and Landmarks worksheet: Students find landmarks that can help describe the position of the sun.
• Sun Predictions: Writing down what we think. Will the sun change position? Examine a model of the Sun and Earth. Continue flashlight /gnome exploring. Read book, On Earth.
• Sun Trackers: Mystery Science lesson 3: brass fastener to show east and west movement of sun. Sunfinder. using the sun if you are lost.
• Panoramas: Landmarks and the four cardinal directions. Sunny day, ideally. If extra time: Play shadow tag. Read Bear Shadow. Panorama Example here.

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Overview page 2 of 2

7. Extra: Mystery Science lesson 2: “What does your shadow do when you’re not looking?” Read book and trace shadows. Draw in a place where they can check it later in the day. Meanwhile, students add suns/timestamps to their panoramas. Sunny day

8. Extra: Follow the Sun: Sunny Day, outside class. Shadow tag.

9. Panorama Observations. Students interpret their data. Compare to sun panoramas on PBS.

The Sun At Night worksheet. Answer Key.

10. Zoetropes! Students create zoetropes to visualize the sun’s loop in both 2D and 3D. (2 classes)

11. Sun Plot Examples: to fit in somewhere. Students look at examples of sun plots and identify where and when they could be from.

12. The North Pole Observations: Watch 4 videos of the sun’s path in North and South Poles. Complete worksheet comparing the path in the videos to sun panoramas students made earlier. Answer Key.

13. Sun Path Simulator: Explore AndrewMarsh.com website and discuss worksheet.

14. Mystery Photo Thoughts: Students write their thoughts and share in small groups. The answer is revealed!

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Main Teaching Goals

• Nature has predictable patterns.
• Knowledge of names of landmarks can help us communicate about our observations.
• The Sun stays still while the Earth moves.
• The sun appears in different positions in the sky according to the observer’s location on the globe.

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Resources and Materials Needed

• Bear Shadow, book by Frank Asch
• Mystery Science, “Spinning Sky” unit: https://mysteryscience.com/sky/sun-moon-stars

(some worksheets can be found on their website)

• Sun Path Simulator website
• Book: On Earth, By G. Brian Karas
• See links to worksheets on Overview pages. Print these out in a packet for students, or hand them out one at a time each day.

Shadows

(Mystery Science)

1-2 classes

Agenda

• Mystery Science, Lesson 1, “Could a Statue’s Shadow Move?”
• Supplies: paper gnomes and shadow patterns (page 1). For each student, or in pairs: Flashlights (test ahead of time!), colored pencils optional (if students want to color the gnome before cutting it out), scissors. For teacher: scotch tape.
• Language: refer to the flashlight as “the light source.” This will allow them to think about the sun as a light source as well. And all light sources can create shadows.
• Notes: Students may need more time to explore with the flashlights. They can also explore with different shadow patterns to extend the lesson. Make sure to demonstrate how to make the gnome make a shadow.

Unit Mystery Photo

At the end of today’s class, show students a photo of the horses at sunset. Ask them what time and where they think this photo could have been taken.

Don’t reveal any answers yet! Keep reminding them of this photo periodically throughout the unit.

Turn and Talk

What is a shadow? Could a statue’s shadow move?

Today’s Message

Today, we will start a new unit, called “Patterns in the Sky.” In this unit, we will study the sun, and the path it takes in the sky. Did you know, the sun’s pattern is predictable! What does it mean to be predictable?

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Today’s Message

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Predictable means it has a pattern that repeats. We will start this unit with a study of shadows. Shadows are very important to studying the sun, and we will find out why.

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Directions

• Cut out your gnome.
• Get your gnome ready to be taped to the paper.
• Explore with the flashlight.

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If Extra Time

Students can explore making shadows with their gnomes using different printouts from the Mystery Science page.

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• Shine flashlights only on the paper.
• Turn flashlight off when not in use.

At what time and where could this photo have been taken?

Unit Mystery!

Naming Landmarks

1 class

Teacher Note

Students should practice learning the names of landmarks around school that have official names, as well as inventing names for ones that don’t. Have them think about useful names versus not useful names. For example, “tree” is not useful. Ask them why. “Oak tree near the sandbox” is useful.

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You may want to pair this lesson with having students make a map and label it. For younger students (I did this with first grade), simply have them walk around with a clipboard and draw landmarks and give them names. Then come together as a class and discuss what the landmark names should be so that everyone is on the same page.

Agenda

• Start inside. Discuss landmarks. Show slides. Give examples of useful names for landmarks and not useful names.
• You may need to point out and name landmarks at your school for the students if you think they will have a hard time naming them themselves.
• Supplies: an outdoor location. Think about landmarks ahead of time. A sunny day. Clipboards, “Landmark Naming” worksheet, pencils. (Worksheet for older students here)
• Language: refer to the sun as “the light source.”
• Notes: Make sure their landmarks are big and easy to spot.

Today’s Message

Last class, we used flashlights to explore how light creates shadows. Today, we will observe shadows outside. Outside, the light source is the sun! We will also learn some new words to help us describe the sun’s location in the sky.

Landmark

• A feature in the landscape that stands out.
• A feature that helps you communicate with others about a landscape.

Tall evergreen tree

Side entrance

Main entrance

Merry-go-round

Sand box

Middle Tower

Landmark

• But our landmarks are not labelled!
• Let’s name some of our school’s landmarks.

Landmark

• Some landmarks may need to be given names. Are the following useful names for the landmark, or not useful names?

tree

Tree near the sandbox

slide

Slide near the swings

Teacher Directions

Walk around with students to different locations on campus. Have them think about which landmarks can be seen from multiple locations and from a distance. Extra: Look at the shadows the sun makes. Will those shadows move throughout the day? Extra: Take a piece of chalk with you and mark shadows on hard surfaces. Tell students they will look back later to see if the shadow moved.

Hand out clipboards with worksheet, and pencils.

Older students: Discuss holding out their hand at arm’s length and measure how many “fingers” the sun is above the horizon. We say one finger is about 15 minutes. 4 fingers is an hour. Walk around. Does that system work at different locations?

Sun and Landmarks

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1 day

Agenda

• Discuss landmarks and the sun. Finding landmarks near the sun.
• Sun and Landmarks Worksheet

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Communication Words

• Between the… and the...
• To the right of…
• To the left of…
• Above the…

The sun is to the right of the buildings.

The sun is above the house.

Horizon

The place where the sky meets the Earth.

Can you find the horizon?

Making Predictions

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1 day

Agenda

• Discuss what a prediction is: a guess based on knowledge and experience. Make a list of “What we already know about shadows and the sun.”
• Sun Predictions worksheet. Where will the sun be in the sky when we arrive at school, vs when we leave school? Use landmarks to communicate.
• Book: On Earth, By G. Brian Karas
• Flashlight exploration: let them continue exploring but with different shadow patterns to fill.
• If you have any models of the sun and Earth (like pictured right), show and discuss.

Do Now

Talk with your neighbor about what you drew last class. Where was the sun?

Today’s Message

Today, I will write predictions about where I think the sun will be at different times of day. A prediction is what I think will happen, based on what I know. I will use landmark names to explain what I mean. I will also use words like, right, left, above, below and between to explain my predictions.

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First, let’s think about what we already know about the sun.

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What we already know about the sun and shadows

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What we already know about the sun and shadows

• You can only see shadows if there is sun or some kind of bright light.
• The sun is really hot
• Sometimes the shadows move
• If it’s cloudy, the clouds cover the sun, and blocks the shadows.
• The sun has to move if the shadows move.

Student examples:

Directions

Complete the Sun Predictions worksheet.

At what time and where could this photo have been taken?

Unit Mystery!

Sun Trackers (Mystery Science)

1 day

Agenda

• Do Now: Discuss where you saw the sun this morning. Any recent sun observations and location in relation to landmarks?
• Mystery Science videos and step-by-step instructions.
• If time: color the sun trackers.

Materials

• Mystery Science lesson: “How Can the Sun Help You If You’re Lost?”
• Sun Finder printout on cardstock, one per student
• brads/fasteners, one per student
• Scissors, one per student
• Optional: colored pencils
• Ahead of time: fold and three-hole punch the cardstock printouts.

Do Now: Turn and Talk

What did you notice about the sun’s location in the sky this morning?

Which landmarks was it near?

Do Now: Turn and Talk

Can you see the sunrise and/or sunset from any windows in your house? If so, which one, and which windows?

Today’s Message

Could the sun help you if you were lost? Today, we will think about that questions, and we will use Mystery Science videos to help us make a “Sun Tracker” out of paper.

At what time and where could this photo have been taken?

Unit Mystery!

Hint: This photo was taken facing north

Tracing Shadows Outside

Materials

• Sidewalk chalk
• compasses
• A sunny day :)

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Agenda

Students trace shadows outside with chalk on a hard surface. They can either trace each other’s shadows with a partner and/or trace shadows of objects. Remind them to check later in the day to see if their shadow moved.

Which way is north? Find a landmark for each direction. Close landmarks vs. far landmarks. Walk around. See which landmarks are better for communicating.

Walk in the woods and use compasses to see which direction we are traveling. Check on far away landmarks to see if they are still good.

Panoramas

1 day

Agenda

• Read Aloud Today’s Message
• Define panorama and show examples
• Take a panorama photo together so they can see how the camera stretches the image.
• Directions for activity.
• Send off (outside or inside looking out windows) to make sketches of landmarks and sun’s location in relation.
• If sun is out today, put it on your drawing. Discuss which direction/landmarks sun is near now, and the current time.
• Have students continue to add suns to their panorama drawing over the next few classes, noting the time each time. Take special care to make sure they can see the sun at DIFFERENT times of the day, morning and afternoon, ideally, so they can see how its location changes.

Materials

• For each student: clipboard, pencil, and worksheet:
• Worksheet to give: Panorama Student Template
• Worksheet to show: Panorama Template Example
• Compasses (if you want the students to do this part themselves. Otherwise the teacher can tell them which way ir north, south, east, and west).

Today’s Message: Panoramas

Today we will make 360˚ panorama drawings of the landscape. This will help us understand the path the sun takes in the sky in our part of the world. We will later compare our panorama drawings to panoramas made at different locations on the globe.

360˚ Panorama

• A picture that goes all the way around, starting and ending in the same place.

360˚ Panorama

Street sign

The same street sign!

Find Your Spot

I stood at this dandelion every day, facing north, and panned to my right when taking each photo.

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Turn and Talk

Why might it be useful to do a panorama drawing of the landscape to observe the sun, instead of looking in just one direction?

Our School’s Direction Landmarks

North: upper playground

East: Middle school music room

South: jungle gym at lower playground

West: Amphitheater

At what time and where could this photo have been taken?

Unit Mystery!

Panorama Observations

1 class

Agenda

• After having had a few days to observe the sun, students write about what they notice from their panorama drawings.
• Explore the PBS website, “Changing Position of the Sun in the Sky.”
• Panorama Observations worksheet (on seesaw, or on paper)
• Discussion questions
• Explore this website either individually, or as a whole class: https://contrib.pbslearningmedia.org/WGBH/buac19/buac19-int-changingpatternk2model/index.html
• Puzzle here. Video here (note the moon as well)
• For younger students: “Peep Sees Patterns in the Sky” https://lsintspl3.wgbh.org/en-us/lesson/buac18-il-ilchangessky/6

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Today’s Message

Today, we will look at our panorama drawings and consider our observations of the sun over the past few classes. We will discuss any patterns we have noticed. In what direction does the sun rise? In what direction does the sun set? Are the patterns predictable? Is it the same every day?

12 hour time frame, sunrise to sunset

Turn and Talk 1

Which of the following best shows what you observed?

At what time and where could this photo have been taken?

Unit Mystery!

At what time and where could this photo have been taken?

Unit Mystery!

Hint 1: This photo was taken facing north

The Sun at Night

1 class

Materials

-Balls (foam, or otherwise, preferably not bouncy). One per pair of students.

-The Sun at Night worksheet (print on 11x17. Print extra copies to allow for mess-ups).

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Note

Some students may need more support in this lesson. Understanding how to translate 3D space into a 2D paper is not easy.

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For students you anticipate needing extra help, consider giving them the sheet that already has the sun pattern filled in. They can trace the path and color it.

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All students will have fun deciding how to color their panorama. How can we use color to symbolize day, or night? Sunset? sunrise?

Agenda

• Turn and talk: Review panoramas. Discuss patterns. Does the sun make a predictable pattern in the sky?
• Review: horizon.
• The Sun at Night worksheet, fill in the blanks, and part 1.
• Give balls and have them do part 2.
• Review showing how a panorama photo is taken and how it stretches the picture.
• Re-do onto final draft paper. Add color.
• Mystery Photo

NOTE: you may want to have the Sun model available for students to explore and check their ideas.

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What could A, B, C, and D be showing?

Which one could be what you recently observed?

Does the sun make a predictable pattern in the sky?

The sun goes below the horizon at night.

It sets in the west and rises again in the east.

How could you show the sun’s location at night on this picture?

Today’s Message

Let’s think about where the sun is at night. Can we see it at night? Does it disappear? Can it be seen on the other side of the world?

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How could we plot the sun’s location at night on our panoramas?

Directions

Remember that a 360˚ panorama photo is one taken while slowly spinning all the way around, starting and ending in the same place.

Remember that the horizon is The place where the sky meets the Earth.

Pretend the ball is the sun and your head is the Earth. Move the ball to show the sun’s path through the sky. What happens at night? How does the sun get from the place it sets to the place it rises? Explore with the ball and discuss with your partner.

Complete the large worksheet called, “The Sun at Night.”

Horizon

The place where the sky meets the Earth.

Can you find the horizon?

Let’s do this together

Do Now

In your journal, write 3 observations about the photo on the next slide.

Unit Mystery!

Write 3 observations about this photo.

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At what time and where could this photo have been taken?

Unit Mystery!

Hint 1: This photo was taken facing north

Where could this photo have been taken?

Unit Mystery!

Hint 2: This photo was taken at 11:15pm.

Zoetropes!

2 days

Materials

• CDs
• Pencils (for the handles) or dowels
• Printouts of zoetrope sheets.
• Scotch tape
• Big washer
• Small bendy washer (just barely able to fit around a pencil.
• Scissors
• Patience
• Videos:
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_8fX-N3Ji4 what it is
• https://youtu.be/9UPOx8QDCgc how to
• https://www.instructables.com/Make-a-Zoetrope-21/ steps

Agenda

• Review panoramas.
• What is a zoetrope? It can show movement. Watch zoetrope video
• Watch how-to video by Ms. Rose
• Make them!
• Students can play around with the template drawings. Some adventurous students may want to make their own. If they do, they will need one drawing over each number.

The sun goes below the horizon at night.

How could you show the sun’s location at night on this picture?

Agenda

• Review panoramas (big drawings)
• Make it move.
• Coloring: Could show the earth as gray or brown, and the sky as changing color according to where the sun is in it.
• Directions/demonstration of how to make zoetrope.
• Tips: cut small piece along bottom edge of black cutouts to attach more easily to CD; Cut off the numbers on the template of the strip to make it sit lower in the zoetrope; When turning, turn it steadily. Must be looking through the black slits to see the illusion.

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Today

Today, we will finish our zoetropes. Use a washer to make them straight. The pencil and the CD for your zoetrope should form perpendicular lines.

Today

We will get a chance to just play with the zoetrope today, and explore with pre-made drawings.

Next class, we will think about how we could use our zoetropes show the movement of the sun above and below the horizon.

Zoetropes day 2

Materials

Paper strip template: dotted horizon line and sun rising and setting.

Colored pencils

Zoetropes

Advanced students: paper strip template without the suns.

Agenda

• Review panorama. Show purple slide with more than one cycle. Ask: who can pick out one cycle of the pattern? Discuss: How do you know?
• Show them the paper strip with horizon line marked on it and the suns.
• Advanced, or older students can be given the challenge of drawing in their own suns. Remind them that they need one sun per number on the strip.
• Send off to make and color the strips.
• Re-group: Watch Crash Course Kids video: Earth’s Rotation and Revolution.”
• Preview of next class: panoramas taken in Iceland. Have them circle the sun in each and notice the times and what the sun is or is not doing (it’s not setting)

Our zoetrope for the sun’s path will show the sun both above and below the horizon. It will show one complete cycle of day and night.

Our zoetrope for the sun’s path will show the sun both above and below the horizon. It will show one complete cycle of day and night.

North Pole Observations

1 day

Agenda

• Read Aloud
• Watch: Crash Course Kids: Earth’s Rotation and Revolution”
• Review tilted axis.
• Discuss: What would happen if we tried to take a picture of the sun at night? (it would be dark. Nothing would show up)
• Students watch a series of videos and discuss and write down observations on North Pole Observations worksheet.
• Answer Key for the Teacher
• Discuss answers as a class.
• Extension: “Facts About the North Pole” video

Today’s Message

We have been observing the sun in our part of the world, and noticing its patterns in the sky. Today, we will think about how the sun appears in the North and South Poles.

Directions

Watch the videos on Seesaw to help complete the worksheet called, “North Pole Observations”.

April in the North Pole

What do you notice about the sun’s height? Where do you think sunrise is? Where do you think sunset is?

Video 1

North Pole

In what month do you think this time lapse may have been taken?

Video 2

South Pole: 5-Day Time Lapse

March 8- 13th.

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Video 3

South Pole 24-Hour Sun

What is different about this video?

Video 4

Facts About the North Pole

extra

At what time and where could this photo have been taken?

Unit Mystery!

Hint 1: This photo was taken facing north.

Where could this photo have been taken?

Unit Mystery!

Hint 2: This photo was taken at 11:15pm.

Where could this photo have been taken?

Unit Mystery!

Hint 3: This photo was taken in June.

Sun Path Simulator

1 day

Agenda

• Read Aloud
• Tutorial: watch together
• Worksheet
• Discuss answers together or in small groups.

Materials

• Computers or iPads for each student or pair of students
• Access to http://andrewmarsh.com/apps/staging/sunpath3d.html (it may take a second to load)
• Sun Path Simulator worksheet

How did your panorama photo session go?

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Ms. Rose would love to see them later in class today!

Today’s Message

We have been exploring the path the sun takes in the sky in our part of the world, and comparing it to the path it takes in the North and South Poles. Today, we will get to use a special simulator on the computer to show us the paths in a new way. What is a “simulation”?

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The simulator looks tricky at first, but that’s just because there is so much you can do with it! You will need to show perseverance. What does that mean?

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Let’s watch a tutorial about it. Then you will get a chance to play around with it yourself.

Sun Path Simulator

Watch the tutorial. Then explore the website and answer the questions on the worksheet.

Extras

• Can you find what the sun was doing on your birthday? (use the calendar button to select a date)

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Mystery Photo Reveal!

1 day

Agenda

• Read aloud slides with hints.
• Students write their final thoughts about the possible location and WHY. Mystery Photo Thoughts worksheet.
• Show and discuss Sun Plots.
• Adjust answers on Mystery Photo Thoughts worksheet if you need to!
• Share
• Watch the series of videos taken in Reykjavik, Iceland.
• Reveal!

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Materials

Have sun plots printed for students to look at when discussing the questions that go with them.

Mystery Photo Thoughts worksheet.

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Today’s Message

Today is the day we learn the answer to the Unit Mystery Photo! We will each write our final thoughts and be ready to share them with the class. First, let’s review the hints.

At what time and where could this photo have been taken?

Unit Mystery!

Hint 1: This photo was taken facing north.

Where could this photo have been taken?

Unit Mystery!

Hint 2: This photo was taken at 11:15pm.

Where could this photo have been taken?

Unit Mystery!

Hint 3: This photo was taken in June.

Where could this photo have been taken?

Unit Mystery!

Write down your final thoughts. Be ready to share.

Turn and Talk

Discuss what you wrote with a partner.

This photo was taken at 11:15pm in June in Iceland!

Reykjavik, December, 11am

Reykjavik, Iceland, June 26, 2021, 1:00pm

Reykjavik, June 7:30pm

Reykjavik, Iceland, June 26, 2021, 7:30pm

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Reykjavik, Iceland

December 10, 2021

~ 11:00am

My friend visited Iceland in December. I asked her to take the same panorama for me that I took in June!

Extra Slides

Extension Project (for older students)

You are building a house that will have solar panels.

• What time of year will you need the solar panels to be their most productive, and why?

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• How would you orient your house so that it would receive the greatest amount of sun at the times of year when you need it most?

Charting the sun’s location at any time in a day

With the help of the east-to-west arc lines, we can chart the sun’s position at any time in a day, during the year, at a given location on the earth’s surface. On December 21st, 9.00 a.m., the sun has risen in the east and is low in the southern sky. On June 21st, at the same time of the day, it is higher in the sky. If we draw a line on the skydome between these two 9 a.m. positions, we can exactly pinpoint the sun’s location at 9 a.m. during the rest of the year. As the sun’s path moves up and down through the seasons, the sun’s position at 9 a.m. will always be somewhere on this line.

The Sun’s Pattern Over An Entire Year

Extra: The Sun’s

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Magic School Bus Rides Again: The Tales Glaciers Tell. Season 1, Episode 10.

Dr. Bess Koffman discusses how ice cores from Antarctica can help us learn about climate history.