Schools seize on eclipse for rare learning opportunity — if they’re open

As schools across the country prepare millions of students for Monday’s solar eclipse, it’s an exciting opportunity for educators who see this as one of the few opportunities to bring space lessons to life.

While many schools in the path of the eclipse are planning to close completely, others are getting into the spirit and building telescopes or focusing on solar science.

At the Isidore Newman School in New Orleans, which will be out of total orbit but partially obscured, teacher and dean Jennifer Williams said the school will have a science station. We’ve been preparing for months for what we’re calling a complete “eclipse-palooza.” Safety glasses and “eclipse snacks” on the soccer field.

“Monday classes end at noon and you will be on the football field from noon to 3 p.m.,” Williams said. “And our students will go through 11 different stations teaching them about the science of helium, the science of the sun, and solar eclipses.”

“They’re going to be taking readings for NASA, temperature, wind speed, barometric pressure,” she added, adding that they’ll also be observing how the experimental animals react.

Total solar eclipses occur on Earth approximately every 18 months, but eclipses that cover such a large area of ​​the United States are rare. The last time there was a solar eclipse in the continental United States was in 2017, and the next one will be less than 20 years away. It only covers parts of North Dakota, South Dakota, and Montana.

But as of Monday, the overall transmission chain spans 13 states: Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. and covers major cities such as Dallas, Little Rock, Indianapolis, Cleveland, and Buffalo.

Most solar eclipses “occur over the ocean,” said Michael Kirk, a research scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center Solar Physical Sciences Division.

“Because the Earth is made mostly of water, a significant portion or all of most solar eclipses occur at sea. And because of the small number of students on the boat, it is very difficult for children to view directly. “It’s difficult,” Kirk said.

He noted that millions of Americans are already on the path to full infection, and 200 million more are less than a day’s drive away from reaching a major surveillance zone.

Kirk helped develop resources launched by NASA for classrooms and students to learn about solar eclipses, including how to view them safely. Staring directly at a solar eclipse for too long can cause eye damage or even blindness.

However, eclipse glasses, which can be purchased or made in the classroom, allow you to view the event safely.

Dallas teacher Heather Houston said some of the blame lies with her astronomy students, who entered her lower grade classroom to explain eclipse safety before the entire school went outside on Monday. .

“We went into each classroom, kindergarten through fifth grade, and taught them what an eclipse is. Then we handed out glasses and I taught them how to safely view the eclipse,” she said. Ta.

“The older kids are very, very excited,” Houston said, adding that it took a few lessons and explanations to get some of the younger students to understand the event, but “overall. I think everyone is pretty excited,” he said.

But many schools have canceled classes on Monday for a variety of reasons, from safety concerns to expected traffic jams.

“The decision to close schools on April 8th was made after careful consideration with all school districts in Monroe County during the calendar development process. Because of this, we expect between 300,000 and 500,000 visitors to the Rochester area on the day of the solar eclipse. Considering these factors and the timing of school closures during the event, we are planning to ensure safety. “We are closing our schools as a proactive measure to provide our students with the opportunity to experience this once-in-a-lifetime event,” said Carmine Peluso, Superintendent of Rochester, New York City School District.

Buffalo Public Schools will also be closed on Monday, but Superintendent Tonja Williams said the district has distributed 50,000 eclipse glasses to students thanks to SUNY Buffalo State University and M&T Bank. Stated.

Back in New Orleans, Williams encouraged all schools that are able to stay open to use this opportunity to inspire students in science and technology.

And she said to make it fun while it lasts. Her students will be drinking Capri Sun and munching on “eclipse snacks” with Oreos to represent the moon and Sunchips to represent the sun, so “everything is related to the science of the day. ”.