• To better understand the path of the sun from different places and at different times.

• To think about how and why ancient people built temples to track celestial phenomena such as the sun's rise and set positions at solstices, equinoxes and on zenith days.

(2)  Build your solar motion detector. 15 min

(3)  Answer the same questions, using the solar motion detector with your team. 30 min

(4)  Get your survey back and compare your predictions with your experiments. Discuss results with your team.  Resolve questions.  30 min.

(5)  Discuss cultural significance.  20 min

(6)  Fill out workshop survey. 10 min.

A.) Describe the sun's path in Olympia, today, in words.
Where did it rise?  Where will it set?  how high will it get? E W N S or something in between?

rise: . .

set:  . .

height: . .

B.) in Olympia:  How would you expect the sun's path to look in June?  Where on the horizon would you expect the sun to rise and set?  How high will it get in the sky?  Write down your predictions WITHOUT using your solar motion detector.  And in December?

in Olympia	rise/set directions	how high in the sky?
June Sun . .
December Sun . .

C.) Now think about different latitudes.  How would the sun's path look at midsummer from the North pole?  From the equator?  Where on the horizon would you expect the sun to rise and set?  How high will it get in the sky?

midsummer Sun	rise/set directions	how high in the sky?
from North Pole . .
from Equator . .

D.) Think about different latitudes at mid-March.  How would the sun's path look at mid-March from the North pole?  From Olympia?  From the equator?  Where on the horizon would you expect the sun to rise and set?  How high will it get in the sky?

Sun at mid-March	rise/set directions	how high in the sky?
from North Pole . .
from Olympia . .
from Equator . .

E.)  Go back and think again about how high the Sun gets at different latitudes at different times of the year.  Predict when the Sun will reach its highest point from the North pole, from Olympia, and from the equator.  Will the Sun reach the Zenith - the top of the sky - from each latitude?  If so, when?  If not, how high will it get?

Sun's highest point	reaches Zenith?	when?  or how high?
from North Pole . .
from Olympia . .
from Equator . .

F) Zenith crossings.

How many times a year does the Sun cross the Zenith from the Equator? . .

At what latitude does the Sun cross the Zenith only one day each year? . .

Why? . .

(2)   Build your Solar Motion Detector, following Zita's instructions.   15 min.

(3)  Use your solar motion detector to answer the questions in Part (1) above.  Fill in your answers with a different colored pen, so you can easily compare. 

(4) Then go back and compare your results to your predictions.

Discuss your predictions and investigations with your workshop team.
What do you agree on? What results differed from your predictions?  What can you conclude?  What are you still wondering about?

The MISMATCHES or SURPRISES are the most interesting cases:  these are where you learn the most.  Articulate as clearly as possible the ways in which your observations DIFFERED from your predictions.

A.)  Path of the sun today in Olympia:

Agreements: . .	Surprises: . .
Conclusions: . .	Questions: . .

B.)  Path of the sun in Olympia in June:

Agreements: . .	Surprises: . .
Conclusions: . .	Questions: . .

C.)  Different latitudes at midsummer:   (North pole and equator)

Agreements: . .	Surprises: . .
Conclusions: . .	Questions: . .

D.)  Different latitudes at mid-March.  (North pole, Olympia, and equator)

Agreements: . .	Surprises: . .
Conclusions: . .	Questions: . .

E.)  Different times of the year. (North pole, Olympia, and equator)

Agreements: . .	Surprises: . .
Conclusions: . .	Questions: . .

F.)   Zenith crossings.

Agreements: . .	Surprises: . .
Conclusions: . .	Questions: . .

(5)  20 minutes:  Discuss cultural significance:   As a team, think about how you could keep track of the Sun's path, without special equipment.  What solar positions and dates are remarkable?  Why?   What significance did (or could) these dates have to other cultures?  Why?   How would you find when the Sun is at those positions?   How could you mark when the Sun will be at the same position next year?   How did (or might) other cultures mark  these positions and times?   Suppose you are an ancient astronomer-priest and your life depends on predicting the day of celestial events exactly.  Which day would be easier to predict exactly, solstice or equinox, using the scheme you developed above?  What  occasion would you assign to this day, to demonstrate your power and your queen's holiness?

(6)  10 minutes: As a team, fill out the workshop feedback form and hand it in.  Everyone should contribute something to the feedback.  Please write your names legibly.