At set intervals throughout the day (30 minutes to three hours), mark the shadow with the time. At the end of the day, connect the marks, finding the shortest section of the arc. This is local noon.
Local noon is not necessarily the same as "clock" noon, which is standardized by region. The movement of the shadow on the poster board illustrates the earth's journey around the sun.
Reading suggestions: Galileo by Leonard Everett Fisher; The Story of our Calendar by Ruth Brindze; The Story of Time and Clocks by Anita Ganeri; The Sun by Robin Kerrod; Morning, Noon, and Night by Jean Craighead George; Sun Calendar by Una Jacobs; The Calendar by Irving and Ruth Adler; Time by Caterina Rochat.
Grades 9 through 12
Another example of the power of the papacy is in calendar history.
Pope Gregory XIII, under advisement by Vatican astronomers, realized that the Julian calendar was out of step with the true seasons. A new calendar was devised that now is used by nearly every nation in the world.
Imagine that you are a newspaper reporter in 1582. Pope Gregory XIII has proclaimed a new calendar that will make a one-time jump from October 4 to October 15, and henceforth will alter the designation of leap years.
Write a story about the new calendar, explaining the concept of leap year and the loss of ten days on the new calendar. Consider what makes news and why, and be sure to include local angles in the story.
Reading suggestions: Calendars by Necia H. Apfel; Mapping Time:The Calendar and its History by E.G. Richards; Calendar: Humanity's Epic Struggle to Determine a True and Accurate Year by David Ewing Duncan; The 365 Days by Keith Gordon Irwin; Hours, Days, and Years illustrated by Carol J. Stott; Empires of Time: Calendars, Clocks, and Cultures by Anthony F. Aveni.
Inside the Vatican: Front Page
St. Peter's Basilica
The Swiss Guards
The Pope's Day
A City-State
The World's Most Beautiful Stuff
The Holy See
Electing a New Pope
The Secret Archives
The Making of Inside the Vatican
Kids Activity Guide
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