How to Create a Sundial

A sundial is the oldest known method for accurately telling time. It uses the principle that the sun is at its highest point in the sky at noon. As the sun sets, its shadow rotates around the gnomon, or fin, of the sundial. It is important to realize that a sundial is not completely accurate. Each time zone is held to a specific hour, so there is only true time at one longitude per time zone. The rest are adjusted slightly.

Printer
Paper
Scissors
Compass

Instructions

- 1
  Download and print out a template for your sundial (see Resources).
- 2
  Cut along the line to separate the gnomon from the base.
- 3
  Cut off the two corners on the gnomon side. They are marked.
- 4
  Fold the gnomon side in half along the broken line so that the other two broken lines are still visible.
- 5
  Cut along the curved line on the gnomon. Stop when the curved, solid line ends. Do not cut down the broken line. No pieces should come off.
- 6
  Fold the two broken lines. They should be folded in the opposite direction of the fold in step 4. These two folds will serve as the base of the gnomon.
- 7
  Fold the two flaps that were created by the cut in step 5 down. They should fold down to be flat with the base of the gnomon.
- 8
  Cut the base sheet down the "12" line to the small line that intersects it.
- 9
  Slide the fin of the gnomon into the cut from step 8. Only the fin should be on top of the base sheet; the base flaps of the gnomon should be hidden underneath.
- 10
  Use a magnetic compass to point the gnomon to North.

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