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

Schools across the country are preparing millions of students for the solar eclipse Monday, an exciting opportunity for educators who see it as one of the few times they can bring a space lesson to life.  

Many schools within the path of the eclipse plan to close completely, but others are getting into the spirit, crafting viewing glasses and loading up on solar science.

At Isidore Newman School in New Orleans, which is outside the path of totality but will see partial obscurity, teacher and department chair Jennifer Williams has been prepping for months for what the school is calling “eclipse-a-palooza,” complete with science stations on the football field, safety glasses and “eclipse snacks.” 

“Our classes will end at noon on Monday, and from noon to 3 o’clock we will be out on our football field,” Williams said. “And our students will go through 11 different stations that will teach them about helium science, sun science and the eclipse.” 

“They’ll be taking measurements, temperature, wind speed, barometric pressure for NASA,” as well as watching how their lab animals react, she added.

Total solar eclipses occur on Earth roughly every 18 months, but it’s rare for one to cover such a wide swath of the U.S. The last solar eclipse to hit the contiguous United States was in 2017, and the next won’t come for 20 years, only covering parts of North Dakota, South Dakota and Montana.

The path of totality on Monday, however, will hit 13 states: Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. And it will cover major cities including Dallas, Little Rock, Indianapolis, Cleveland and Buffalo.

Michael Kirk, research scientist with the Heliophysics Science Division at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, noted that most eclipses “happen over the ocean.”

“The Earth is mostly water, and so most of eclipses have a substantial part or all of the eclipse happening over the ocean. And that makes it very hard for kids to view directly, because there’s not a lot of students on boats,” Kirk said.

He pointed out that along with the millions of Americans already in the path of totality, 200 million more are less than a day drive to get in the prime watching zone.

Kirk helped develop resources NASA launched for classrooms and students to learn about the eclipse, including how to view it safely. Staring at an eclipse directly for too long can cause eye damage and even blindness.

But eclipse glasses, which can be bought or made inside a classroom, allow for safe viewing of the event.  

Heather Houston, a teacher in Dallas, said she put some responsibility on her astronomy students, who went into the classrooms of younger grades to explain eclipse safety before their whole school goes outside Monday. 

“We went into each one of the pre-K through fifth grade classrooms, and they did a lesson on what the eclipse was, and then we presented the glasses, and I showed them how to watch the eclipse safely,” she said.  

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

Many schools, however, have opted out of having classes Monday for reasons ranging from safety concerns to expectations of heavy traffic.   

“The decision to close schools on April 8 was made after careful consideration with all Monroe County school districts during the calendar development process. Monroe County anticipates 300,000 to 500,000 visitors in the Rochester area on the day of the eclipse, as our area is in the path of totality. Given those factors, and the timing of dismissals during the event, we are closing schools as a proactive way to ensure safety and provide an opportunity for our students to experience this once-in-a-lifetime event!” said Carmine Peluso, superintendent of schools for the Rochester City School District in New York.

Buffalo Public Schools will also close Monday, but Superintendent Tonja Williams said the district gave out 50,000 pairs of eclipse glasses to students, thanks to SUNY Buffalo State University and M&T Bank. 

Back in New Orleans, Williams encouraged all schools that can stay open to do so and to take this opportunity to inspire their students in the field of science and technology. 

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