Spreadsheets and graphing help the students visualize the change in the length of solar shadows and help students hypothesize and infer shadow length for different times during the year. At a specified time each day, students measure the length of shadow that a vertical meter stick casts. The data is entered by students into a spreadsheet which is saved for continued use. The data is graphed and as the graphs change with each new data point, a web site is updated with the new information. Data is collected every two to three weeks from September through the June.
Students work in teams to collect the data.
Students keep a record in their science notebook of the data table that is being compiled as the project continues. The web page can be maintained by students assigned the task of updating the graph and text on the web page as new measurements are taken.