This week is the spring equinox, where the day and night are
almost the same length. From now on, the
days will grow longer than the nights and will keep getting longer until the
end of June, when they start slowly getting shorter again.
Since winter is officially gone, let’s get out and enjoy the
bright warm sunshine!
If you’re science-minded and want to talk with your child
about the earth’s rotation around the sun and why we have seasons and our days
get longer and shorter, use the links and charts below. I suggest sitting near a bright window in the
sun, if you have one, so your child can see and feel the difference between
shade and sun. When you talk about
summer, stay in the sun, and when you talk about winter move to a shady part
inside and have your child describe the difference he feels in both temperature
and light.
Links and charts of the earth’s rotation around the sun:
Once you’re ready for some outdoor fun, get the following
items and head to a sunny spot outside to make a sun dial.
Even better, make your child the sun dial by going outside
every hour to draw a circle around her shadow’s head while she stands in the same
spot (I recommend drawing a small square where she should stand). Write the hour inside each circle as you draw
them.
Explain to your child that when the sun shines down on us, a
shadow is created where we stop the sun’s rays from reaching the ground. Shadows are used to tell time, but they’re
also useful in the summer when it’s hot, and they’re very fun to step on. Try making your shadows do crazy things, like
shake hands with each other, or not touch your feet. Outline your shadow with sidewalk chalk and
make fun shapes or letters. Go out at
different times of the day and measure the length of your shadow. When is it the longest? When is it the shortest?
Use your shadow (and a flashlight) to make a profile
portrait of your child. If interested,
use
THIS LINK from
Christina Williams that I found on
Pinterest to help you make a cool piece of art from your
outline.
Try making art using the sun. Find some solar photo paper (it changes color
when exposed to the sun, found
HERE) and create a collage out of natural items on
it. Or just place the items on a sheet
of colored construction paper and leave it out for at least a couple of hours. The color will fade on the areas of the paper
that were exposed to the sun, while the areas covered with your objects will
still be brightly colored.
Talk about the different light that comes from the sun, not
just the light and colors that we can see, but also UV rays, which is light we
can’t see. These rays are what make the
paper turn color or make certain colors appear to glow. UV light can be seen by certain animals, and
can be seen as a bright glow if you use a black light. Try some fun projects by going to these LINKS:
And remember, UV rays are also harmful to our skin, which
is why we wear sunscreen when we go outside.
When you’re ready to wind down, talk with your child about Stonehenge and the many ancient sites built specifically
for keeping track of the sun’s progress through the sky. Talk about how much work and study (and yes,
math) went into making these sites and ask your child what they think. Go on a photo tour of these places or go to
the library and get some books about them.
The study of these places is called Archaeoastronomy.
Click links to learn more about each picture:
Because the spring equinox was an important time in the
lives of ancient cultures, it was celebrated with many different holidays and festivals,
from religious to planting themes. Look
around and see if there are any in your area.
Recommended Books:
- Done in the Sun, Anne Hillerman (621.471 H557)
- Maui and the Sun, Gavin
Bishop (398.297 M443)
- How the Rooster Got His Crown, Amy Lowry Poole
(398.267 H8301)
- Ten Suns: A Chinese Legend, Eric A. Kimmel (398.267 T25)
- The Wind and the Sun: an Aesop Fable, Bernadette Watts
(398.2515 W722)
- Guess Whose Shadow? Stephen R. Swinburne (770 Sw63)
- What Makes a Shadow? Clyde
Robert Bulla (535.4 B872)
- The Reason for Seasons, Gail Gibbons (525.5 G352)
- The Day-Glo Brothers, Chris Barton (535.352 B2854)
- Light and Shadows, Brian Knapp (535 K7272)
