Lesson Plan: The Solar Eclipse Science
This lesson plan includes the objectives, prerequisites, and exclusions of the lesson teaching students how to describe what happens during a solar eclipse and how to safely look at eclipses.
Objectives
Students will be able to
- identify scientific facts related to a solar eclipse, such as shadow, the rotation of the Moon, and the rotation of Earth,
- identify the basic arrangement of the Moon, the Sun, and Earth causing a solar eclipse,
- explore ways to safely observe a solar eclipse.
Prerequisites
Students should already be familiar with
- the concept that light travels in straight lines,
- the Sun-Earth-Moon system,
- the fact that the Sun is the main light source for Earth,
- how shadows are formed,
- ultraviolet and infrared rays from the Sun.
Exclusions
Students will not cover
- the phases of the Moon,
- types of solar eclipses,
- lunar eclipses.