Some lucky kids will get the chance to see the day turn to night on April 8, when a total solar eclipse will be seen from several parts of the U.S.
From building your own safety glasses to taking scientific data, researchers say there are plenty of ways to make the upcoming solar eclipse a fun learning experience for children.
In some areas of the country, including 13 states, the Earth’s sky will go completely dark for up to four minutes.
AL.com put together a toolkit that parents and educators can use to help students learn more about the science behind eclipses and other rare natural events. Do you have other resources to recommend? Let us know!
1. Safety first: Solar glasses and sun prints
For starters, it’s important to teach children of all ages about the danger of the sun’s rays. Make sure kids know not to stare directly at the sun without protection, except for the brief moments of the total eclipse. Never look at the sun through a magnifying lens. And if you’re outside the path of totality, use glasses through all phases of the eclipse.
NASA’s safety guide breaks down the science behind solar viewers, and even has some ideas for making your own solar glasses. (If you’d rather order eclipse glasses for your family or classroom, here are some options.)
This sun print activity from Scholastic is a smart way to help kids see for themselves the power of UV rays – and make a piece of art in the process. All you’ll need is some construction paper, plastic wrap, and some leaves or flowers to make a decorative print.
2. Check classroom guides for every age
The National Science Teaching Association has several free, online eclipse guides that cover everything from solar vocabulary to safety tips to creative lesson plans, like pinhole projectors and tinfoil solar glasses.
Students can model the earth and moon system with just a few materials. Simple concepts, like shadows, can help really young children understand what’s happening in a solar eclipse.
Need more ideas? Astronomer Andrew Fraknoi and a group of astronomy educators compiled a list of dozens of other eclipse activities that can be done in the classroom or at home.
3. Learn about eclipses in art and fiction
You don’t have to teach science to talk about the beauty of our solar system.
Eclipses are also reflected in fiction books, classical music and art. Check out your school library for some of these titles, or take a look at NASA’s list of eclipse-themed art projects.
And you’re never too far away to throw a party. The Astronomical Society of the Pacific has a guide with plenty of other fun things to do at home or in school, including a Partial Eclipse Party Planner.
4. What time will the sky go dark? How to monitor the eclipse from your classroom
Viewing times will depend on how close you are to the eclipse’s path. Alabama cities are expected to see anywhere from 79% to 90% of the sun covered by early afternoon on Monday – likely before the end of the school day.
On the day of the eclipse, students can keep an eye on its path with NASA’s viewing guide.
Can’t leave the classroom, or clouded out? That’s OK. NASA is also broadcasting the eclipse on YouTube.
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