Eratosthenes Goes Green

On March 21, during the spring equinox, our school campus in Ellinogermaniki Agogi (EA) will host a variation of the Eratosthenes experiment, aimed at introducing Sustainability Citizenship in schools and making students familiar with school infrastructures. For several years, EA has organized the Eratosthenes Experiment, involving a wide network of schools to calculate the Earth's circumference using a stick and measuring its shadow length during local noon. 

This measurement was first conducted by Eratosthenes, the head of the Library of Alexandria in Egypt, over 2400 years ago. In 2024, within the framework of the NEB|LAB eco2schools project, Eratosthenes Experiment is going GREEN. We are partnering with Sigtunaskolan Humanistiska Läroverket (SSHL) in Sweden and Naval Hill Planetarium in Bloemfontein for the experiment, by finding the optimal inclination for maximum solar panel efficiency during local noon. It is expected that the panel's inclination during this time will match the latitude of the experiment location. This serves as a demonstration of how existing activities could be enriched. Our students are analyzing the data from the currently installed solar farm in EA that covers the school's energy needs. The event will be open to the public and parents, and it will be broadcast live in the YouTube channel of Ellinogermaniki Agogi.

The lesson plan regarding the Eratosthenes Goes Green Experiment is available below. The lessons follow the inquiry-based approach and can be implemented as a classroom activity. The lesson plan also includes the theory, interactive applications, the steps for the experiment and the questionnaire (9 questions). 

The Lesson Plan as you can see below is available in Greek and English language and you print the questionnaires (pre- and post- tests) in hard copy and distribute them to your classroom.

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