Shaw-IAU Workshops by the OAE

Time reckoning and seasons are linked to the apparent position of the Sun in the sky. Outdoor project work helps to determine the cardinal directions, local (astronomical) noon & standard clock time, yearly noon shadow changes, rough time reckoning and seasonal day length changes. Few activities can be completed during the day, and some will require measurements and observations on different days of the year. The learners observe and note the key aspects, contextualise them, undergo a cognitive apprenticeship, help analyse and interpret information, and learn to work in groups. Observing and interpreting the gnomon's shadow and the project encourages young people to participate in knowledge generation.

About Thathamangalam Viswanathan Venkateswaran

T. V. Venkateswaran, a science communicator, science writer and founder chief editor of ‘India Science Wire’ is a senior scientist with ‘Vigyan Prasar’, National Institute for Science Communication, New Delhi. His research profile includes circulation of modern science in premodern Tamil region, the evolution of calendars and history of astronomy and science, colonialism and modernity in India, evolution of science content in school textbooks, history of science communication in Indian cultural cosmos, mediation between science, society and media.

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