Timekeeping: Explore the History and Science of Telling Time with 15 Projects

Build it Yourself

by Linda Formichelli, W. Eric Martin, Samuel Carbaugh (Illustrations)

Explore the History and Science of Telling Time travels through the past and into the future to explore how humans have measured the passage of time. From ancient civilization’s earliest calendars and shadow clocks to GPS and the atomic clocks of today, kids will track the evolution of timekeeping devices, meet the inventors of calendars and clocks, and learn interesting facts and trivia. Hands-on projects and activities include making a shadow clock, using a protractor to create a sundial, measuring time using water, and creating your own calendar. Kids will understand how civilization’s vague abilities to track days and months has transformed over the centuries into a sophisticated ability to keep time to the millionth of a second.

Genres: Science

128 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Linda Formichelli is a freelance writer in Los Angeles. She spent 25 years writing for top publications and brands, from Good Housekeeping and Inc. magazines to Best Buy and Intel. She's also the author or coauthor of a dozen books, including the classic The Renegade Writer: A Totally Unconventional Guide to Freelance Writing Success.

Reviews

[K.L. Bernard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you ever find yourself running out of time? Who was it that set the standard for time anyway? The Egyptians were the first to use calendars around 4000 BCE. They monitored three seasons (flood, seed, and harvest) and they lasted four lunar months. The moons cycle was either 28 or 29 days. There were many other cultures that created and utilized calendars, such as the Muslims and Hebrews. But, ultimately it was the Egyptians who explained the origin of the five epagomenal days. Once the calendar was established, it was the Babylonians who came up with minutes, by using the movement of stars to divide day and night into twelve equal parts. The Babylonians had already made great advances in arithmetic, so it was logical for them to divide each hour into sixty pieces (minutes) and then each of those pieces into smaller parts (seconds). It's no surprise that we now keep time, save time, lose time, buy time and make time when we are running late. This timekeeping guide takes readers back to the beginning. Fun facts and timekeeping historical time lines can be found here. Readers will also find lots of activities for making their own candle clock, incense clock, hand sundial and even finding time in the the stars. There is a lot of fun information. Teachers and parents will love making this guide a part of their library.