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Title
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Description
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Ref/
Pix/
Text
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Alien
Platecraft
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Decorate
and fly a saucer-like Platecraft.
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Ref.
Pix
Text
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All-Sky
Projectors for Portable Planetariums
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Ref.
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Altitude
Measurer
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Make
an astrolabe-like instrument to measure the altitude of celestial objects.
[Jeanne and Wayne]
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Refs.
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Altitude
of the Noon Sun
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Demonstrate
the relationships between the date, the altitude of the Sun at transit,
the observer’s latitude, and the altitude of Polaris.
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Ref.
Pix
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Apparent magnitude I
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Demonstrate
apparent magnitude using different sized plates at different distances.
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Apparent magnitude II
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As
the World Turns
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For
young participants, make a rotating window that segues from day to night
drawings.
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Ref.
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Atoms
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Build
atoms from plates representing protons, electrons, and neutrons.
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Binocular View
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Mimic
binocular viewing with two plates to teach navigation, backyard astronomy,
bird watching, forestry, etc.
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Bode's Law
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Bytes and pizzas
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Calabash Cup
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Make
a model of the alleged Polynesian calabash, a water-bearing gourd
supposedly used to confirm latitude.
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Capo Dial
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Construct
dial to determine on which fret to place a capo to transpose musical
notes.
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Pix
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Celestial Directions
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Establish
multiple coordinate systems for determining directions in the sky.
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Circle of Fifths
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Demonstrate
the principle behind music's Circle of Fifths.
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Cold Potato Crater
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Model
lunar features with potato salad and measure mountain heights from
contrived shadow lengths.
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Color Wheel
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Color
multiple plates with varied combinations and rotate them rapidly on a
paint brush spinner.
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Communicating With ISS
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Demonstrate
the basic principle behind communication systems between the International
Space Station and ground control.
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Compass Rose
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Design
a compass rose showing the cardinal and inter-cardinal directions and
label the traditional points in what is known as "boxing a
compass."
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Congruence
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Correlate
declination/right ascension with latitude/longitude using intersecting
plates.
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Connect-the-Dot Constellations
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Connect
dots (on pre-drilled stack) to make own constellations, with no particular
side being “up.” Write
story on back.
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Core of the
Matter
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Illustrate sun, moon,
or planet interiors by coloring and intersecting three plates.
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Ref.
Pix
Text
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Cosmic
Hats
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Decorate
and wear Cosmic Hats.
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Ref.
Pix
Text
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Land &
C-Nav
|
Demonstrate
the relationships between the date, the altitude of the primary navigation
stars at transit, the observer’s latitude, and the altitude of Polaris.
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Deep
Field View
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Create
a telescopic view of a starfield using a tempera paint that reacts with a
foam plate and compare a with Hubble Space Telescope image.
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Ref.
Pix
Text
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Defining
the Zodiac
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Make
a model to demonstrate how the zodiac is defined by the stars seen in the
plane of the sun.
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Refs.
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Dig This!
|
Simulate
an archeological dig with a stack of plates and recreate a timeline as you
peel away plates that each represent a given number of years. To
scale intersperse pictures of "artifacts."
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Dip
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Illustrate
dip and the need to correct for it during sight reduction.
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Directions
at Sea
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Demonstrate
the system of directions relative to the vessel used by sailors.
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Pix
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Directions-Earth
& Sky
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Establish
cardinal (N,S,E,W) directions from the Earth-bound perspective and when
looking upward.
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Refs.
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Double Helix
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Make
DNA "ladder" by spiraling and intertwining two plates.
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Drinking
Gourd
|
Use
a Platisphere to depict the seasonal
variations of the Big Dipper's aspect as seen by slaves traveling north on
the Underground Railroad.
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Pix
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Dynamic
Solar System
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Create
a solar system model, with students pacing off distances to scale.
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Ref.
Pix
Text
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Eclipse Plate
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With
Earth’s shadow cast onto plate, view back side of plate from multiple
holes (at different paper plate latitudes) to observe partial eclipse,
total eclipse, and near- eclipse.
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EduPlate Me
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Expanding Universe
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Mimic
the expanding universe by making galaxy models that recede from each
other.
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Galaxy
Models
|
Make
models of galaxies.
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Ref.
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Gear mesh
|
Construct intertwining gears by cutting notches in firm plastic plates.
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Gemini’s
Signature
|
Model
and predict the "signature photos" of the Gemini Observatories,
both in Hawaii and in Chile.
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Ref.
Pix
Text
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GHA, SHA, LHA
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Correlate
Greenwich hour angle, sidereal hour angle, and local hour angle.
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Globular
Clusters
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Plot
globular clusters or brightest stars and analyze the patterns to determine
their galactic locations.
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Ref.
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Gno
Problem Mon
|
Track
the path of a shadow cast by a gnomon through the day.
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Ref.
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H/R
Wall
|
Construct
a large H-R diagram on a wall with colored plates of varying sizes.
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Hemisphere
Maps
|
Place
two plates side by side—akin to old charts—and make map of world as
individual perceives it.
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How
Far The Planets?
|
Measure
the varying distances of the planets in orbit to reveal their proximity to
earth.
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Ref.
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Impact Game
|
Play
an asteroid impact game by flipping a rock on a string into planets
orbiting the sun.
|
Text
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Inverse Square Rule
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Latitude
by Polaris
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Demonstrate
how a navigator correlates the observed altitude of Polaris with her
latitude.
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Refs.
Pix
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Latitude Formula
|
Illustrate
why latitude equals the great circle distance from an observer's zenith to
the celestial equator (Latitude =90-Ho +/- same/contrary declination).
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Milky
Way Galaxy
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Ref.
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Mirror diameter
|
Demonstrate
the correlation between mirror diameter and its light gathering ability.
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Mission
Patch
|
Design
a circular NASA mission patch.
|
Text
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Moon
Finder
|
Make
a model to explain moon phases and create a moon dial akin to old
volvelles to determine when and in which direction one can see any given
phase.
|
Ref.
Pix
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Moon Masks
|
Decorate
and wear Moon Masks, Sun Masks and Cosmic Hats.
|
Ref.
Pix
Text
|
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Moon
Meets the Football Field
|
Illustrate
the concave tendency of the moon's orbit around the sun using a football
field for scale.
|
Ref.
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Moonthly
Eclipse
|
Demonstrate
why eclipses do not occur every month both at new moon and at full moon.
|
Pix
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Music
Shaker
|
Tape
two plates together with beans between them to make a musical shaker.
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Pix
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North and Scout
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Use
a scouting technique to determine cardinal (N, S, E, & W) directions.
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North at Noon
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Find
true north with two timed observations before and after noon.
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Orbit
by Elongation
|
Derive
orbits of Mercury and Venus from elongation tables, with Earth’s orbit
on perimeter of plate.
|
Ref.
Pix
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Orbital Shells
|
Demonstrate
the principle of orbital shells with stacked plates and cake trays of
successive sizes.
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Oreo® Moon Phases
|
Halve
and scrape Oreo® cookies to illustrate moon phases, then arrange on
plate's perimeter around a central Earth.
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P6
|
Construct
hand-held projectors to indicate the current planet and moon positions
inside a portable planetarium for any given time.
|
Ref.
Pix
Text
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Pacific Northwest Drum Head
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Paper
Moons I
|
Cut
out portion of plates to depict moon phases.
|
Ref.
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Paper
Moons II
|
Cut
out portion of plates to depict moon phases.
|
Ref.
|
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Paper
Moons III
|
Cut
out portion of plates to depict moon phases.
|
Ref.
|
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Planetarium
Planet Plotting
|
Track
the motion of visible planets and correlate the plate view with both the
planetarium sky and the real night sky.
|
Ref.
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Plate
Teachtonics
|
Teach
plate tectonics by cutting paper plates into tectonic plates.
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Plate-a-tarium
|
Build the ultimate
plate model that depicts features of celestial sphere, indicates real time
position of planets and zodiac, and illustrates rising and setting
position of sun for any date.
|
Pix
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Plateful
of Planets
|
Demonstrate
the scale of the planets with nuts and seeds relative to a plate-sized
sun.
|
Ref.
Pix
Text
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Plate-Oh
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PlateWise
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Polynesian Practices
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Demonstrate
techniques used by Polynesian wayfinders to determine their position, such
as sighting on zenithal stars and interpreting wave patterns.
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Polynesian Star Pairs
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Demonstrate
how Polynesian wayfinders use star pairs to determine latitude and
directions.
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Portable Sundial
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Create
a functional, portable sundial.
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PP
Planet Pointer
|
Make
a planet pointer akin to old volvelles to indicate the position of the
planets in the sky for any given time.
|
Refs.
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Ptolemaic
Polemic
|
Make
Ptolemaic model with equants, epicycles, and deferents to explain
retrograde motion.
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Radar Plating
|
Simulate
radar plotting and tracking multiple targets.
Determine other vessels’ courses, speeds, and closest points of
approach.
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Rainbow
Finder I
|
Construct
a rainbow finder to locate a potential rainbow and to predict its apparent
size.
|
Ref.
Pix
Text
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Rainbow Finder II
|
Construct
a rainbow finder to locate a potential rainbow and to predict its apparent
size.
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Rainbow Wall
|
Build
a rainbow model from suspended clear and colored plates representing
water drops.
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Reflector
Flex
|
Demonstrate
how modern reflector telescopes use rapid actuators to compensate for
gravity-induced distortions of the primary mirror.
|
Pix
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Retrograde
Motion
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Ref.
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Revolving
Star Chart
|
Make
a simple plate to depict the circumpolar stars.
|
Ref.
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Ricehenge
|
Model
the Stonehenge site out of rice cereal treats--then eat it.
|
Ref.
Pix
Text
|
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Salad Spinner
Zoetrope
|
Make
a zoetrope from a salad spinner to illustrate moon phases and persistence
of vision.
|
Ref.
Text
|
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Satellite
Tracking Bowl
|
Draw
a local horizon and plot the paths and times of satellite passes inside a
bowl prior to an observing
session.
|
Ref.
Pix
Text
|
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Saturn's
Rings
|
|
Ref
|
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Seasons
|
|
Ref.
|
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Sine Waves
|
Construct
a sine curve from two plate halves.
|
Pix
Text
|
|
Slide
tray index
|
Make a useful index for slide trays that
doubles as a dust shield.
|
Ref.
Pix
|
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Solar
System Mobile
|
Create
planet mobile with appropriate colors, sizes, and drawn features.
|
Ref.
|
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Star
Life Models
|
Model
the timeline of a star's existence.
|
Ref.
|
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Stargazing
Plates
|
Build
collection of observing notes, diagrams, images, or other information and
suspend from telescope during observing sessions.
|
Ref.
Text
|
|
Stellar
Bar Code
|
Show
similarities between a bar code and spectroscopic lines.
|
Pix
|
|
Sub-Solar
Cup
|
Track
the sub-solar path of the sun across a globe in real time to highlight the
boundaries of the tropics and to illustrate an analemma.
|
Ref.
Pix
Text
|
|
Sunrise/Sunset
|
Track
the position of the sun at sunrise and sunset through the seasons.
|
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Syene Well
|
Reproduce
Eratosthenes’ determination of the circumference of the earth with a
Syene well simulation
|
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Tactile
Platisphere
|
Make
a tactile model of circumpolar stars for visually impaired persons by
drilling holes for stars on a stack of plates.
|
Ref.
Pix
Text
|
|
Telescope
View
|
Imagine
paper plate as a telescopic field of view.
Draw what you see or draw telescopic views of celestial objects, as
seen by Galileo or Hubble Space Telescope.
|
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Terrestrial
Directions
|
Establish
multiple coordinate systems for determining directions on land.
|
Pix
|
|
GLPA Logo
|
Given
either a date or an hour, determine what time or season is suggested by
the star pattern of the GLPA logo.
|
Ref.
Pix
|
|
Nocturnal
|
Make
and use a nocturnal, an antique instrument that determined time from the
position of the northern Guardian Stars.
|
|
|
Photographic
Plate
|
Model
and predict photographic star trails of the circumpolar stars for a given
exposure time.
|
|
|
Platisphere
|
Make
an instrument akin to a planisphere that shows the position of the
circumpolar stars for any given date and time.
|
Ref.
Pix
Text
|
|
Platisphere
for Children
|
Construct
a device to locate the Big and Little Dippers and Cassiopeia after
sunset through the seasons.
|
Ref.
Pix
Text
|
|
Tracking Alt/Az of Sun
|
|
|
|
Tracking
Sunspots
|
Project,
trace, and track sunspots directly on a plate which defines the outline of
the sun.
|
Ref.
Pix
|
|
Transit
of Venus
|
|
|
|
Vanishing
Spacecraft
|
Demonstrate
visual blind spots that cause satellites to disappear from vision.
|
Ref.
Text
|
|
Variable Star Field
|
Compare
a plate depicting a telescopic field of view containing variable stars
with an AAVSO finder chart and estimate stellar magnitudes.
|
|
|
Vernier scale
|
Construct
a working model of a vernier scale.
|
|
|
Viking Directions
|
Make
a solar stone, or bearing dial, to simulate the direction-finding
technique of Norsemen.
|
|
|
Voyager's Golden Record
|
Design
a personal cover plate for the Voyager
spacecraft’s mounted record and prioritize your own list of items
for inclusion in the record.
|
|
|
Wayfinding
|
Demonstrate
the direction system used by Polynesian wayfinders.
|
|
|
Zenith Distance
|
Visually
show the relationship of altitude versus
90-Ho, the zenithal distance.
|
|
