THE APPARENT MOVEMENTS OF THE SUN 73 



winter, just as it is higher up in the sky in the middle of the 

 day than in the morning and evening. Therefore we know that 

 when the sun is high in the sky shadows are short, and when it is 

 low they are long. We know also that the higher up the sun is, 

 the hotter are his rays. Every day it becomes cooler or colder 

 as he sinks down, and in winter when he never rises very high in 

 the sky it is colder than in summer when he does. 



At the same time, simple lessons on the cardinal points will 

 of course be given, these coming naturally out of the sunshine 

 and shadow observations. The sun even on a bright day does 

 not come into all the windows of the school at once. We notice 

 how it pours into the east windows in the morning, how the south 

 front gets the full blaze through the midday hours, and how it 

 illuminates the western windows as it sinks downwards. Try to 

 find sunshine observations which may help to make it clear to 

 the class that the sun does not set in the same place throughout 

 the year. Mark in some way the point where the last rays touch 

 some wall or building in winter, and then by successive observa- 

 tions at intervals suggest the creep towards the north as summer 

 approaches. That is, instead of teaching the only partially true 

 statement that the sun sets in the west, try to bring out, simul- 

 taneously with the fact that it sets towards the west, the other 

 fact that its exact setting place is towards the north-west in 

 summer and towards the south-west in winter, and true west 

 only at the equinoxes. Be on the look out throughout the year 

 for little local points of interest in regard to the periodic move- 

 ments of our mighty heat-giver. 



Those teachers who are so placed that the school has a clear 

 horizon where the sun can be seen sinking into the sea, behind 

 a hill, or behind some conspicuous landmark, or so forth, are 

 fortunate, and should make the best use of their opportunities. 

 The children should also be encouraged to collect for themselves 

 observations on the sun's rising or setting, the point being to 

 insist upon the exact time and date being recorded so that the 

 observations can be used for comparisons later. A considerable 

 mass of simple little observations should be collected before any 

 attempt is made to explain with any fullness the actual movements. 

 If the facts about sunrise and sunset have been collected from 



