Teachers In Green Country Make Solar Eclipse Viewing Special For Students

A few districts in Green Country are closed Monday, April 8 so students can enjoy the eclipse.

Tulsa Public Schools will be one of the districts that remains open. Many teachers within the district have created projects for students to work on leading up to and on the big day.

The district has planned special activities for each grade level, from Pre-K to fifth grade. These activities will cover various topics such as how the sun and moon change, the solar eclipse story, what causes a solar eclipse, and the solar eclipse experience.

TPS said the Tulsa Regional STEM Alliance helped provide eclipse glasses for 4th and 5th grade students. Middle School students will even collect observational data during the eclipse.

Dr. Jen Miller is the content director for secondary science at TPS. She said some teachers developed a STEM project over a year ago to help students engage with the vocabulary, phases, and the localization of the eclipse.

“Getting students used to using those terms in context and making sure they’re understanding the science behind what is happening rather than just observing a phenomenon without context," Dr. Miller said.

Dr. Miller said this is a great experience because a lot of these students will be in their 30s when the next total eclipse comes around.