Time

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Revision as of 05:42, 23 March 2008 by 68.72.95.67 (talk) (algorithm for sun possition)
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Clock is a project from the Illinois Math and Science Academy Chapter inspired by ticket #2778]. (It has no relation to the current Clock activity in joyride yet; this is a more full-featured graphical interface for teaching children about time, not just displaying it.)


Project Details

Programmer mockup

We aim to create an Activity that can be used to explore different aspects of telling time. We want this activity to display time in analog, digital, and "natural" forms. The "natural" form will be an image of a sun or moon arcing across the sky, rising and setting as the day progresses. This is more than a simple clock; the user will be able to grab any element and readjust it, which will update each of the other elements. In this manner, hopefully the children can explore and understand different methods of telling time.

Clock

We would also like to somehow implement support for each timezone; perhaps getting the timezone and performing some algorithm to reasonably guess the position of the sun in the sky at different times of day based on latitude and longitude.

An algorithm for determining position of the sun.

  • Analog
  • Digital
  • Tree - a "natural" way to show time with the sun and moon "orbiting" around a tree
  • drag-able clock hands and sun/moon
  • text input on the digital
  • toggle between 12 and 24 hour digital display
  • support for different time zones

Time Game

Proposed by Jsarao

The Game

  1. Say a time(Teacher: "two o'clock")
  2. Student would go to blackboard and draw the small hand and large hand in the correct place
  3. Optional: in class we would have student speak the the time to practice speaking.

For the XO (Sugar)

  1. Text would be displayed ( or as numeric form )
    • e.g. "Two Thirty", "Quarter Past Four", "5:45"
  2. The student could move the hands on an analog clock graphic and click OK
    • The game would then indicate "Correct" or "Try Again" or something similar
  3. The speaking step would be left out of the XO implementation... for now.  ;)

Advantages

  1. The game is very simple to understand (minimal help text necessary)
  2. should be simple to implement with a "fun" graphic (analog clock, etc.)
  3. Translates to other languages "easily"
  4. Promotes learning (reading, telling time, angles?)

Make it "meshable"

Option:

  • Student A could select a time (text, numeric, or using the hands of the clock).
    • This would be step 1 in the game.
  • Student B would have to answer (this would be step 2 in the game)
  • Repeat with Student B selecting the initial time with student A having to answer
  • the game could include a "timer" aspect and students could compete for the best time.
    • A timer being an additional element of the concept of time.