Getting Ready for the Solar Eclipse

Are you psyched for the eclipse? Those of us in the United States have the rare treat of a total solar eclipse happening Aug. 21.

It’s definitely worth it to get to a place where you can experience totality if you can, but other parts of the United States and Canada will still have the cool experience of its suddenly getting darker in the middle of the day.

Space.com has a great rundown of what an eclipse is, why it happens and the different kinds of eclipses that can occur.

I think we all know it’s not safe to look directly at the sun, even during an eclipse, but their are ways you can view or experience the eclipse without harming your eyes.

First, you can buy eclipse-safe filters or glasses through which you can safely view the sun. They need to have an ISO 12312-2 rating, and make sure they aren’t scratched or torn before you use them.

A classic eclipse “viewing” device is a pinhole viewer, through which you can see the shadow of the eclipse. (This is the way I “saw” a lunar eclipse back in 1996.) The Exploratorium has some great info on how to make different kinds of pinholes, plus some no-prep ways to get a glimpse at the eclipse.

If you’d like to really be able to see the eclipse, Smithsonian magazine has a good roundup of the different kinds of gear you can use to view the eclipse safely.

People throughout North America can take readings during the eclipse and report them to NASA for a citizen science project. Sounds like a fun activity to do with the kids.

I haven’t read it yet but I just checked out a book from the library about an eclipse called When the Sun Goes Dark. It’s part of this roundup of books about eclipses for kids from Growing with Science, which has books arranged by age group.

If the eclipse has you in the mood for crafting, check out these ideas:

Coffee filter eclipse craft – Look We’re Learning

Solar eclipse chalk art – Books and Giggles

Sun, earth and moon model – Enchanted Learning

Eclipse paper plate craft – JDaniel4’s Mom

More eclipse crafts for students – Orbit Oregon

Are you gearing up for the eclipse? I’d love to know what you’re planning!

[Photo of solar eclipse by Nakae, via Flickr.]

I did a post earlier this year with activities and ideas for teaching the alphabet, but a lot or learning letters and recognizing them just has to do with seeing them and working with them a lot.

That means coloring, tracing, identifying things that start with different letters and more.

One way to reinforce the letters is through little activity books like these cute printable alphabet books from Life Over Cs.

These are available for free when you subscribe to her newsletter, and I’d say that’s well worth it if you have a little one (or a group of little ones!) working on the alphabet and letter recognition.

Each mini book includes a collection of things that start with that letter to color, color and read with words that start with the letter, tracing the letter, finding the letter in a grid and other coloring pages with objects that start with that letter.

These little books are super useful reinforcing the different letters and giving kids different activities related to the letters.

If you do a letter of the day or letter of the week you can use a new book for each one, and then keep the copies in your reading center or in a basket where kids can look at them again.

And of course you can add in all the other letter activities you like, go on a scavenger hunt for items that start with that letter, read alphabet books, practice writing letters in rice or with pompoms or playdough or whatever sensory activities you like.

You can grab the free printables when you enter you email address at Life Over Cs, and check out her other great alphabet resources and activities while you are over there.

Do you have favorite activities for teaching letters to kids? I’d love to hear about them!

[Photo: Life Over Cs]

Have you read?

Leave a Reply