In 2017, we experienced the first Great American Eclipse. Seven years later, the U.S. is once again in the path of another cross-country solar eclipse. In this episode we’ll help you decide what the best techniques are for viewing, cover the importance of eye safety, and share the science behind an eclipse. We’ll also discuss our own special star, the one that allows for life as we know on this planet — our Sun.

Learning Standards

Standards: NGSS

  • MS-ESS1-1 Earth's Place in the Universe: Develop and use a model of the Earth-sun-moon system to describe the cyclic patterns of lunar phases, eclipses of the sun and moon, and seasons.
  • 5-ESS1-1 Earth's Place in the Universe: Support an argument that the apparent brightness of the sun and stars is due to their relative distances from the Earth.
  • 5-ESS1-2 Earth's Place in the Universe: Represent data in graphical displays to reveal patterns of daily changes in length and direction of shadows, day and night, and the seasonal appearance of some stars in the night sky.

Teacher Tips

About STEM in 30

STEM in 30 is an Emmy-nominated program for middle school students produced by the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum. These 30 minute episodes are great for classroom use. New episodes are released every month, featuring hands-on activities, explanations of aviation and space topics aligned with national standards, and interviews with experts from the Museum and beyond.

STEM in 30 is made possible by Boeing, Hexcel, and Safran.

Created:

April 2024

Source:

Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum

Copyright/Owner:

Smithsonian Institution

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Smithsonian Terms of Use

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