The Moon’s passage between the Sun and the Earth on April 8, 2024 will represent a rare astronomical event, a total solar eclipse, that will not occur for another 20 years. It offers a unique and unforgettable learning opportunity for parents and educators, at least for those living in a territory that stretches from Texas to Indiana and Maine.
As STEM researchers at Purdue Early Learning Center, we suggest three ways to make a total solar eclipse a fun experience for young kids and teach some important science along the way.
1. Discuss historical and modern understandings of eclipses
It is important that children learn to consider and compare multiple ideas when developing explanations for why something happens. One way to do this is to compare historical and modern explanations for why solar eclipses occur.
Share with children that historically many people from different cultures have feared eclipses. Some thought these expressed the gods’ disapproval. Others believed they predicted bad news, including shipwrecks and storms.
Compare these explanations to today’s easy-to-understand scientific explanations. Britannica Kids offers a great resource for kids under 8. Scientific American has a web page that works for older kids.
It is important not to criticize other cultures when comparing scientific evidence with historical beliefs. Use the eclipse to talk about how scientific knowledge is built through observation over time. There are many things we don’t know now that we will know 10, 20, even 100 years from now.
2. Chat using scientific language
Teaching children about a solar eclipse is not just about explaining what and why. It’s also about engaging in rich conversations. Our previous research shows that young children’s science knowledge is largely language-based. Both parents and teachers have a role in shaping this language.
Use science-related vocabulary to enrich children’s understanding of the eclipse. Examples include: orbit, rotation, rotation, reemergence, Sun, Moon, Earth, distant, distance, total, and partial.
When adults use research-based strategies, children understand science concepts more deeply and use more complex vocabulary. For example, adults can ask children what they saw while watching the eclipse and why they thought that way. Adults can then ask children to guess what else might happen and provide evidence for their explanations.
Children can document their observations during the eclipse in their own science journals, using both science-related words and drawings of what they see. Journals are a great opportunity to discuss ideas and have rich conversations.
3. Use household items to help children understand the eclipse
Three-dimensional models allow children to visualize things that are normally difficult to see, such as the orbit of the Earth and Moon. Comparisons between the model and real-life observations help children learn about complex topics in science, especially with the guidance of a teacher or parent.
During a solar eclipse, the Moon moves directly between the Earth and the Sun. In small groups at school or at home, one child may represent the Earth, another holds a basketball to represent the Sun, and another holds a tennis ball to represent the Moon.
Representing the Earth, the child can revolve around the Sun and spin in place, trying to change their distance from the Sun and Moon. By closing one eye, the child can finally see that the basketball is completely blocked by the tennis ball when it is aligned just right. This also happens during a total solar eclipse.
In this exercise, children not only model the eclipse, but also develop scientific vocabulary. Throughout the activity, parents and teachers can ask children to compare and contrast the model with their own observations. They may ask questions such as why the Sun and the Moon appear to be similar sizes in the sky when we know that the Sun is many times larger than the Moon. If the Moon is smaller, how does it completely block the Sun? The important thing is to help children create hypotheses, test their ideas, and then develop new conclusions.
We hope these ideas will encourage everyone to take advantage of this wonderful scientific learning experience. We also warn you not to look directly at the Sun during the eclipse and to buy the right eclipse glasses. Looking directly at the Sun, even with sunglasses or a camera, can cause serious eye injuries.
This article is republished from The Conversation, an independent, nonprofit news organization providing facts and analysis to help you understand our complex world.
Written by: David J. Purpura, Purdue University; Lauren Westerberg, Purdue Universityand Sona Kumar, Purdue University.
Read more:
The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in, or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic duties.