Sprout&Spark
All stories

The Story of the Clock

How we chopped the day into pieces

Put on your time-travel shoes to see how humans learned to count every tick and tock!

1/6
  1. Long ago

    Shadow Magic

    Shadows move across the ground as the sun travels. Ancient people stuck sticks in the dirt to read the sun's shadow time!

The big idea

Clocks help us measure time so we can share our day together.

Fun facts

  • The word 'clock' comes from an old word that actually means 'bell'!
  • Sundials work great, but they are totally useless on cloudy days or at night.
  • Satellites in space use atomic clocks to help the GPS maps on your family's phone work!

Science words

  • SundialAn ancient tool that uses the sun's shadow to show the time of day.
  • PendulumA weight hanging from a rod that swings back and forth to keep time.
  • QuartzA real crystal that vibrates at a very steady pace when given electricity.