Human Sundials Celebrate Sunshine and Tap Into the Ancient Art of Telling Time.
It's 10:00 a.m. on the playground!
Thousands of years ago, Sumerians in Mesopotamia used gnomons (a stationary point on the ground) to project shadows from the sun to determine the time of day and year. Sundials are the oldest time measurement device and an ancient relic of science. Learning Structures, Inc., a pioneer in using community activism to transform public spaces, has created the “Human Gnomon Project” to assist schools and communities in designing and creating their own human sundials. A human sundial relies on a person as the gnomon, projecting the individual’s shadow on clock numbers to reveal an accurate time of day.
Learning Structures designs human sundials for communities across the country, including schools in Baltimore and Arizona. “Spring weather means sunshine and longer days. Human sundials provide kids with insight into math, science and an ancient time-telling tool that is exciting and interactive,” states Joe Cicirelli, president of Learning Structures. Every geographic area requires custom-designed measurements and coordinates to successfully create the human sundial. Learning Structures designs the precise details for each site and unique templates are created for every client. Using the details and templates, kids and volunteers paint images on asphalt, create concrete mosaic images for their sundial, or recycled rubber mats and numbers can be installed anywhere on a playground, quiet garden area, or a public park. Call Learning Structures for more details at 800-533-1553 or visit their website: www.learningstructures.com
