Teachers throughout the TSC helped bring science lessons to life as they prepare students for the April 8 solar eclipse. Wea Ridge Middle School teacher Beth Rivas told her classes that while total solar eclipses occur on Earth about every 18 months, it’s rare for one to cover such a wide area of the United States.

“I want them to get excited about the eclipse,” says Rivas. “I want them to understand how rare of an event it is for us.” She says Indiana will not experience a similar event until 2093. 

Several students in Rivas’s class said they plan to travel with family along the path of totality in Indianapolis. She gave all her students a pair of approved eclipse viewing glasses donated from Purdue University.

At Burnett Creek Elementary School, third grade students moved through four different stations to learn about the eclipse. The activities included Oreo moon phase snacks, crafts and bingo.

Earlier this month, students at Dayton Elementary School created cereal box solar viewing devices. “Many students are hoping to be able to view it and are seeing April 8 as much more than a day off from school,” says Teacher Sarah Harmon. “They are appreciating the wonder and beauty in the natural world that surrounds us.”