Daytime Activity

In this activity, you will learn about a natural factor affecting our everyday lives: daylight.
Activity: Investigating Daylight
First let us discuss about daylight. Think about the following:
•Do you know approximately when the sun will set today?
•Do you know when the sun rose today?
•How will this be different from now in six months?
•What determines the amount of daylight we have each day?
•If the earth turns all the way around every 24 hours, then why are some days longer than others?
•How is this related to the seasons?
Summary of the Activity
In Step 1 of this activity, you will look at actual sunrise and sunset times of Delhi to determine a pattern in the amount of daylight. You will collect your data in Excel and create a chart to help you identify the pattern. You will then write an explanation of why you think the amount of daylight varies throughout the year.

In Step 2 you will work to understand why there is a pattern in the amount of daylight over the course of the year. For example, if the earth always turns one rotation every 24 hours, then why does the amount of daylight vary? You will view an online demonstration that explains this and then write an explanation in your own words.

Step 1: Research
• What to do
1. Collect and chart sunrise and sunset times for Delhi over a period of one year. Fortunately, there is a Web site where you can get the sunrise and sunset times so you don't have to wait a year to collect the information.

2. Open Internet Explorer and go to this Web site: http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/RS_OneDay.html

3. Open an Excel spreadsheet and, using the data from the Web site, record the sunrise and sunset data for the first day of each month for one year.

Notes
• When entering the time, be sure to use this format: 7:05 AM, 5:08 PM.
• The amount of daylight will automatically be calculated for you in column D

4. Using Excel, create a bar chart of the daylight in column D when you have finished entering the data.

5. Now open a Word document and, in your own words, explain the pattern you see for the daylight data. Include why you think this pattern occurs. Be sure your finished Word document includes your data, chart, and written explanation.

Step 2: Analyze and interpret your data
• What to do
1. In the Word document you saved in Step 1, write notes that explore the following questions in as much detail as possible:

• What is the pattern for the amount of daylight during the course of a year?

• Why do some days have more daylight than others?

• What roles do the earth and sun play in determining the amount of daylight?

• What is the daylight pattern for the North Pole?

• What is the daylight pattern for the South Pole?

• What is the daylight pattern for a location near the equator?


2. Open Internet Explorer and go to this Web site: http://www.amnh.org/education/resources/rfl/web/antarctica/seasonal.html

3. View the online demonstration and read the information on the Web site.

4. Now that you have seen the online demonstration, go back to your Word document, review the notes you previously made regarding the six questions above, and revise them if necessary. Be sure to write your answers in complete sentences.

Assessment

• For Step 1, students will be assessed on the accuracy of their data collection and creation of a chart from their data. You should use accurate scientific and mathematical terms when describing the pattern they see.

• For Step 2, you will be assessed on the responses to the questions after viewing the online demonstration.

Fun Activities - I

Home Sweet Home: Learn your address and find it on a local map. When you go someplace with an adult, use a map to find out how to get there.
Fridge Finds: Look for stickers on the toys, electronic items, fruit, and vegetables at the home or in your refrigerator. Where were they grown? How many countries are represented in your Home or fridge?
Tubetrotting: Keep a globe, world atlas, or a world map where you watch television. When a place is mentioned on one of your favorite shows, look it up.
Flag It! On a map of the India & World, use a flag to mark the home town of your favorite sportsman. Move the flag each week to show where your sportsman is playing.
Go 3-D: Make a map of your or yours friend state using Play-Doh or modeling clay. Shape physical features, like mountains or lakes.
State Your ABCs: Name a state/Country. Now think of a state/Country whose name begins with the last letter in the name of the first state/Country. (Like this: Rajasthan … Nagaland … Denmark …) Carry on until someone gets stumped!
Map Your Hood: Make a map of your neighborhood. Include a map key, title, and scale, and design your own compass rose.
Weather Watch: Record your local weather (high and low temperatures, precipitation, storms, etc.) for a month. Compare your weather with cities around the world.
Como Está? When you're with your parents at the bank, grocery, video store, or other business, ask if there are employees who speak other languages. If so, ask politely if they would be willing to teach you how to say "Hello," "How are you?" and "Thank you."
Where’s It From? Find out where your drinking water comes from, which natural resource you use to heat your house, and which natural resources are probably used to generate your electricity.
X Marks the Spot: Use an Internet site to find and print out a map of your town. Make four Xs out of sticks and place them around your neighborhood, then mark their locations on the map. Have a friend, brother, or sister try and find the Xs.
Click-a-Switch Contest: Record the amount of your family's latest electricity bill. Be in charge of switching off all unused and unnecessary lights and appliances for a month. Compete with a friend to see who can reduce your bills by more!
Collect Maps: Collect different kinds of maps—a state highway map, a subway or bus route map, an amusement park map, a city map, a map of your school, a bike path map, a ski area map, a state park map. How many different kinds can you find?
Get Some Sun: Locate sunrise and sunset times for your town in a newspaper, on the local news, or on the Internet. Make a chart, and record these times for a month. Compare these times with the sunrise and sunset times for another country.
Find a Pen Pal: Choose a large city in another part of the world. Look online to find an International or Indian School there. Contact the school and request a pen pal who is approximately your age. Learn as much as you can about the place your pen pal lives.
Climb Your Family Tree: Look at old photos of family members. Talk to relatives about what life was like when they were children. Ask them about where they were born and where they grew up and went to school. After your conversations, write a biography of one of your relatives and present it to them as a special gift.
Spot the Source: Think about how you receive information and new ideas—from watching TV, listening to the radio, surfing the Internet, talking to your family and friends, and reading magazines or newspapers. Make a list, and think about how each one gives you different kinds of information. Think about if there are any differences and which ones are the most reliable.