by When the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth on April 8, 2024, it will mark a rare astronomical event that won’t happen for another 20 years – a total solar eclipse. For parents and educators, at least those who live along the arc of land from Texas up through Indiana and Maine, it offers a unique and memorable learning opportunity.
As STEM researchers at the Purdue Early Learning Center, we suggest three ways to make the total solar eclipse a fun experience for young children and teach some important science along the way.
1. Discuss historical and modern understandings of eclipses
It is important that children learn to think and contrast multiple ideas when developing explanations for why something happens. One way to do this is to compare historical and modern explanations of why solar eclipses occur.
Share with the children that, historically, many people across cultures have feared eclipses. Some thought they showed disapproval from the gods. Others believed they predicted bad news to come, including shipwrecks and storms.
Contrast those explanations with today’s easy-to-understand scientific explanations. Britannica Kids offers a great resource for children under 8. Scientific American has a webpage that works well for older children.
When scientific evidence is contrasted with historical beliefs, it is important not to be critical of other cultures. Use the eclipse to talk about how scientific knowledge is built over time through observation. There are many things we don’t know now that we will learn 10, 20 or even 100 years from now.
2. Have a conversation using scientific language
It’s not just about explaining what and why he’s teaching children about the solar eclipse. It’s also about engaging in rich dialogue. Our previous research shows that young children’s science knowledge is largely based on language. Both parents and teachers have a role in shaping this language.
Use science-related vocabulary to enrich the children’s understanding of the eclipse. Examples include: orbit, rotate, spin, come back again, the Sun, the Moon, the Earth, far, far, full and partial.
Children understand science concepts more deeply and use more complex vocabulary when adults use inquiry strategies. For example, adults can ask children what they see happening when they look at the eclipse and why they think that. Then the adults can ask the children to make predictions about what might happen next and provide evidence for their explanations.
Children can document their observations throughout the eclipse in their own science journals using science-related vocabulary and drawings of what they see. The journals are a great opportunity to discuss their ideas and have rich conversations.
3. Use household items to help the children understand the eclipse
Three-dimensional models allow children to imagine things that would otherwise be difficult to see, such as the orbit of the Earth and the Moon. Comparisons between the model and their observations of the real world, especially when guided by a teacher or parent, help children build knowledge about complex topics in science.
During a solar eclipse, the Moon moves directly between the Earth and the Sun. In small groups at school or at home, one child can represent the Earth, while another child holds a basketball to represent the Sun and another child holds a tennis ball to represent the Moon.
The child representing the Earth can orbit the Sun and rotate in place, experimenting with changing their distance from the Sun and the Moon. Approaching one eye, the child could finally see the basketball completely blocked by the tennis ball when aligned just right. This is what happens in a total solar eclipse.
In this lesson, children are not only modeling the eclipse but also building scientific vocabulary. During the activity, parents and teachers can ask children to compare and contrast the model with their own observations. They can ask questions such as why do the Sun and the Moon appear to be the same size in the sky, even though we know that the Sun is often larger than the Moon? If the Moon is smaller, how does it block the Sun completely? The key is to help children generate 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 into the Sun during the eclipse and to get the right eclipse glasses. Looking directly at the Sun, even through sunglasses or cameras, can cause serious eye damage.
This article is republished from The Conversation, a non-profit, independent news organization that brings you facts and analysis to help you make sense of our complex world.
It was written by: David J. Purpura, Purdue University; Lauren Westerberg, Purdue Universityand Sona Kumar, Purdue University.
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The authors do not work for, consult with, or 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 appointment.
