Activity: Children build a two-dimensional model of our planet rotating in Space, and relate that unceasing rotation to the 24 hours of our clock.

On a large sheet of construction paper or cardboard have the children make an appropriate Sun image in Space. With a paper fastener through the center of of a circular piece of thick paper or cardboard, attach an “Earth”. Note to the children that the paper fastener goes through the pole of this ‘Earth’, and that this is a two-dimensional (not three-dimensionsal) modeling.

After a night of starlit darkness, Sun appears first in the East, to those of us standing on our planet. Which way is our planet turning?

Have the children decorate the planet model at least to the extent that they mark their (and their pets') rough location on the planet. Students will probably put the sun and planet in various sizes and locations.

Have them mark in a circle around the planet the hours from 12 noon to midnight, and back to noon again.

With a ruler from the center of the paper fastener, through their marked location, to the edge of the circle, mark the edge of the ‘planet’. Slowly rotate the Earth model within the wheel of hours.

Indicating midnight and noon, show that noon somewhere means midnight somewhere else as Earth rotates. It is by the rotation of Earth that we measure our hours.

Note to the students that light travels in straight lines from the Sun, and that when their location has passed the "sunset" line, they are shadowed by Earth itself. We call that “night” when, no longer blinded by the sun’s glare and scattered blue light across our atmospheric "sky", we can see other more distant stars in Space.

As the planet is turned, note "sunrise" and the early morning hours, noon, recess, and home-going, "sunset", sleep, etc. Buckminster Fuller thought children would one day see that "sunrise" and "sunset" were archaic terms born of a lesser understanding, and that they would spontaneously adopt something like "sunsight" and "sun-clipse". What words might better convey what is really happening?

Evaluation: Students are able to identify their (and their pets') orientation to the Sun at different times of the clock. They know East and West, and the direction in which the Earth spins.

Going further: Build 3-D half-globe models with paper mache, use actual light soruces.