Activities and Materials for the Solar Eclipse

As you may already know, there will be a solar eclipse on Monday, April 8th, 2024. Below you will find a few activities and teaching materials to help learners understand it. Some learners with limited prior formal education may have had very little science instruction and may be truly wowed by these lessons and the eclipse itself. But, the most important thing to know about the eclipse is to not look at it without proper eye protection. See more information on safety at the end of this Tutor Tip.  

Mini Lessons from My NASA Data were written for native English-speaking children, so for adult basic education and English language learners, they can serve as regular-sized lessons that you may wish to break apart and even spend several days on. They are grouped by level as 3rd-5th, 6th-8th and 9th-12th grade, so they are appropriate for intermediate English language learners and above. They include visual aids, videos as well as discovery and prediction prompts. 

Cosmic Coincidence and Eclipse to Scale are activities that use everyday classroom supplies and tools to make representations of the sun and moon to help learners conceptualize what an eclipse is. Depending on the learner level, their interests and learning goals, you can set up the materials with or without them. The Cosmic Coincidence might be best for helping beginning English language learners without much math or science background knowledge to understand the eclipse. 

Eclipses in ReadWorks is a text appropriate for intermediate English language learners with accompanying vocabulary and comprehension exercises. ReadWorks has several other articles about eclipses and planets that you can find by searching the site. 

Finally and most importantly, read this safety information and make a plan so that learners have a safe way to observe the eclipse. 

Thank you to the staff at Open Door Learning Centers in Minneapolis and Saint Paul for these eclipse resources! For questions or comments about this Tutor Tip, contact Tutor Training Coordinator Meghan Boyle at mboyle@literacymn.org.