Pipehenge uses practical observation of daily and seasonal changes during the day while students are at school, to help students see the connections among various disciplines of science, mathematics, the humanities, and the real world. Essential to this exciting teaching concept are the Pipehenge Modules. The Modules function as; Observatory, Compass, Sundial, Calendar, Research Tool and Teaching Aid.
The ESS or any combination of the Pipehenge modules, provide a unique inter-active teaching and learning tool. The accurate three-dimensional modules adapt to your particular location on Earth.Students can carry out a wide range of hands-on activities. These can be as simple as tracking the Sun s path across the sky for a day,or as complex as predicting the position of sunset for the month to come.
To understand the apparent motion of objects in the sky we need to recognize that they are caused by the two basic motions of the Earth, rotation and revolution. As Earth rotates from west to east,our perception is that the stars, the sun and all other objects in the sky move around us in the opposite direction from east to west.The apparent motion of the stars in the sky,however,will depend on where you happen to be on Earth. A unique feature of the ESS is that it can be adjusted to your latitude which will model how they appear to move with respect to your particular viewing location.
The Sun is our nearest and brightest star. Observations of the Sun and the shadows cast by objects can provide the key to better understanding of how the motions of objects in the sky occur, how we are affected by them,and better understanding of the interface between our Earth and Space. The Pipehenge program is a superb teaching tool for all ages. |
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