Mr. Don Miner
at The Muncie Community Schools' Planetarium
Muncie, Indiana
Once again this year, the Muncie Community Schools' Planetarium is participating in the PASSPORT TO KNOWLEDGE series of electronic field trips taking students to exciting places as we study science. Join the Pre-calculus class from Central High School with instructor Mr. Don Miner as his students participate in "Noon Shadows on the Equinox" outside the Muncie Community Schools' Planetarium. The students are completing educational activities preparing for the electronic field trip... LIVE FROM THE SUN.
The students measured the length of the shadow cast by a meter stick at
midday on the Fall Equinox in the parking lot and on the sidewalk. The
students should discover that the angle of the Sun's shadow approximates
their geographic location in degrees north or south latitude.
Since these students are enrolled in a Pre-calculus class, Mr. Miner is also including additional applied mathematics activities that the students will study in class. Many of the students are also enrolled in the astronomy class offered at Central High School.
Working in groups, the students prepared to take the measurements by
determining a level place for the meter stick. This was a warm, sunny,
windy fall day during Homecoming Week at Central High School with a few
clouds in the sky in Muncie, Indiana. It was just a beautiful day to work
outside on this type of activity. About 11:45 a.m., clouds moved in front
of the Sun so that there were no shadows to measure. The students set up
the experiment and practiced what they would do as soon as the Sun appeared
again. At 11:55 a.m. the Sun appeared and at noon each group of students
recorded the measurements.
Peggy Motes,
Planetarium Coordinator
It was School Spirit Week at Central High School, and our spirits just got
higher because our class was doing this project. It's awesome to know that
we were part of something that is a world wide event.
Erica Petty and Corey Robertson
It was a neat experience to do this activity. The things we are learning in
Pre-calculus prepared us to go outside and take the measurements we need
for the lesson instead of just getting the numbers from a textbook.
Michelle Perkins and Erin Miller
Once the wind died down, we could set this up to take the measurements. It was very interesting. We learned new ideas. It was a nice change from working in the classroom.
Emily Cross, Donyelle Schultz, Misty Roller
This was a great way to learn! I wish that I could take part in more
projects of this nature.
Derek Swingley
This was fun and a good learning experience. We wondered if the Sun would
appear. Now we know how a scientist feels waiting to collect data. We
wondered what would happen if the Sun did not appear from behind the cloud
at the right time? It is better than sitting in a classroom and reading
about these numbers in the book.
Tim Hahn, Erin Weller, and Nick LaVelle
