The Great American Eclipse: Schools Across the Nation Prepare to Witness Nature’s Spectacle

In Cleveland, seventh grader Henry Cohen and his classmates at Riverside School were dancing to The Beatles’ song Here Comes the Sun in teacher Nancy Morris’s classroom. They were participating in a special class related to the total solar eclipse in April. Second graders were also involved, building eclipse viewing glasses models and exploring dioramas with Earth, Moon, and Sun models.

Henry, wearing a T-shirt with planets on it, expressed his fascination with space and the eclipse, calling it a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Other schools in the path of totality for the eclipse have been incorporating special lessons in science, literature, and general knowledge related to the event. The Portville, New York school district, although outside the path of totality, is planning to take students to a vantage point to observe the shadow of the eclipse.

The school district had to adjust schedules to make this happen, but educators believe it’s a valuable learning opportunity for students to experience a natural phenomenon. Schools like Riverside School are organizing hands-on activities and models to prepare students for the eclipse. According to Dennis Schatz, a former president of the National Science Education Association, the eclipse is a unique teaching moment for educators.

At Lamplighter School in Dallas, teachers plan to take all students from preschool to fourth grade outside to witness the eclipse. They hope to inspire a fascination with science and help students appreciate the wonder of the natural world. Overall