Telling Time With Sundials

It is thought that the earliest method of telling time for ancient man was the use of a crude sundial which simply consisted of a stick in the ground. The time of day was judged by the position and length of the shadow cast by the upright stick. The people of ancient Egypt took this method a step further and built obelisks which were called Cleopatra's Needles. These large towers cast shadows big enough for the townspeople to see in order to track time. Over the centuries, the art of telling time by measuring shadows developed into an intricate science and many types of sundials were developed and improved upon. Telling time with sundials became commonplace. Sundials are still made and used today but mostly for their historical significance or for decoration. They still remain a very reliable means for telling time.

Lesson plan on the history of sundials and how they work.
The North American Sundial Society promotes the preservation and understanding of sundials. Learn about the different types of sundials.
Learn about timekeepingand the history of sundials.
Make a simple sundial to wear as a necklace. Directions are provided for both northern and southern hemispheres.
Lesson plan from NASA on how to make a paper sundial.
The Sundial Bridge is one of the world's largest sundials. This bridge which doubles as a sundial crosses the Sacramento River in Redding, California and weighs a whopping 3.2 million pounds. It is 217 feet high and 700 feet long.
How to make a sundial. Easy to follow instructions for kids.
The British Sundial Society advances the science behind sundials and works to preserve their history. Provides photographs of various sundials around England.
Information about a peculiar famous sundial made in 1533. The picture is accompanied by an interactive applet which shows how the sun casts shadows on a sundial.
How ancient Romans used sundials to keep track of time.
Ancient timekeeping through the use of sundials.
Print out a sun clock diagram for making a sundial.
Learn about equatorial sundials.
The history of sundials and theory of how they work.
Explore various clocks used by early man including sun clocks.
Picture and history of the bronze Territorial Sundial.
Picture and description of a contemporary sundial built by the Blair astronomy class.
Pictures of ancient sundials from Adler Planetarium.
How to build a vertical post sundial and why they work.
Information about the Disney Sundial Project which built the largest sundial in the Americas.
The history of time and the dawn of the sundial.
How kids can build a sundial wristwatch.
Photographs of huge ancient sundials in China.
Print out a pattern to make a paper sundial.
How to make a simple sundial using a paper plate.
Information about using The Equation of Time to calculate Mean Time when using a sundial.
The Make Your Own Sundial page.
Pictures of the Haym Kruglak Sundial at Western Michigan University.
Complete instructions for building a sundial as an Earth Day project.
A site which performs sundial calculations based on latitude.
The human sundial page calculates the time of day based upon shadow length.
The Mars Sundial which was constructed for use on Mars.

Since the days of using the sun to tell time, human civilization has come a long way. No longer dependent on nature to tell the time of day, technologies have been produced which give a more accurate reading such as with digital or atomic clocks as well as designer and replica watches.