Tuning In- Measuring Time

Lead in Activity for Our Unit into the Measurement of Time

Lead in:

Why do we need to be able to measure time?

How would our lives be different if we didn't have 
a measurement for time system?

What is time?  

Would time still exist if people did not exist?

Investigation:

We examined the following measurement of time devices and with a partner discussed and tried to arrange them in order they were invented.  On their paper, they then drew lines to indicate any connections they could see between them. After our discussions, we did a 'gallery walk' to find out the theories others had and why they thought so.

 
         Wrist watch                      Quantum Logic Clock                     Sundial

Stopwatch Water-thief Shadow clock

 
Water Clock Pendulum Clock Hourglass

Merkhet

Reflection:

After discussing the possible timeline they were invented, we then chose one time device we were the most curious about to research how it functions. We did this at home during the week. Students had come in on Friday having made sundials, posters, some had tried to create their own hourglasses and there were some interesting demonstrations on how the Egyptian Mekhet worked. A few challenged themselves even further by being able to explain to us how the Quantum Logic clock works and how it is so precise that it only loses 1 second every 3.8 billion years! This new discovery then started an interesting discussion of whether the clocks we use in a our day to day lives actually lose time and why? Those questions have gone up on our wonder wall to investigate later.