10 Activities for The Great North American Solar Eclipse on April 8, 2024

On Monday, April 8th, 2024, a total solar eclipse will cross North America.  The next opportunity to see a total solar eclipse of this magnitude in the US is 2045!

Here are 10 Activities to do with students: 

1. Watch a simulation of the eclipse - find the start and end time where you live or the closest place to where you live

2. Make vocabulary cards with definitions (astronomer, corona, Earth, eclipse, lunar eclipse, moon, partial eclipse, path, penumbra, phase, solar eclipse, Sun, totality, umbra)

3. Watch a video

4. Make an information foldable (Include: what is a solar eclipse, a solar eclipse diagram & how to observe a solar eclipse safely)

5. Color & label the Path of Totality

6. Make a Solar Eclipse anchor chart

7. Make a Phases of a Solar Eclipse anchor chart

8. Label a Solar Eclipse diagram

9. Complete a Solar Eclipse Word Search or Crossword

10. Make a "How to View the Solar Eclipse Safely" warning anchor chart

Many states will see a partial or total eclipse

Engage and inform your students for this exciting historic event!

Can You Escape State Testing?

 I can't but students can... Well what I mean is, they can use escape rooms to get ready for the test.  

5 Reasons I use Escape Rooms to Review for State Testing

1. Engagement: Escape rooms are highly engaging and capture students' interest, making the review process enjoyable and motivating.

2. Active Learning & Teamwork: Escape rooms encourage all students to actively participate in problem-solving activities. Solving the puzzles together makes a more memorable learning experience that increases the likelihood of long-term retention of the material.

3. Differentiated Learning: Escape rooms can accommodate various learning styles, allowing students to engage with the material in ways that suit their preferences and strengths.

4. Review Critical Content: These escape rooms are aligned with the standards on the state test.

They are engaging but the puzzles and “codes” don’t diminish the test review material embedded within the themed scenario.

5. Time Management: Each escape room is designed to be completed in class period (~45 minutes).  Students must manage their time effectively, which reflects the time-sensitive nature of standardized tests.

Assembling escape rooms is an easy prep.  The NOS, Life, Space & Matter Escape rooms don’t use locks and boxes.  They are paper and pencil puzzles.  Additional materials needed for some of the puzzles are envelopes/zip top bags, colored paper, card stock, page protectors & dry erase markers.  After the initial set-up, the only task is to monitor students and provide “helpful hints” if necessary.  I love walking around listening to students’ comments!

Try escape rooms, they’ll make test review fun and engaging!