GCSA Member Schools Use Eclipse as Teachable Moment

On Monday, August 21, A number of GCSA member schools used the solar eclipse as an interactive lesson opportunity for students. Other member schools incorporated the eclipse into their lesson plans in the weeks and days leading up to the major scientific event.

Statesboro STEAM
Statesboro STEAM took a school-wide field trip to Santee, South Carolina so they could view the eclipse in totality.  Students traveled by charter buses and viewed the event from the Santee Town Hall Complex. A textile science class at the school designed a special T-shirt to commemorate the event. They learned how to embroider and heat press among other skills gained in the class. 

       

        

KIPP STRIVE Academy

KIPP STRIVE Academy students observed the solar eclipse outside their school building with special eclipse glasses. A number of parents came to the school to be with students as they watched with students in their school team. 

 

       

 

Westside Atlanta Charter School

Westside Atlanta Charter School held a “Solarbration.” The school’s older students paired up with younger ones to view the eclipse. A number of families attended the special day at the school. Prior to viewing the eclipse, students participated in a study around the history, significance, and experiments related to this scientific event. Students received “Solarbration” button, sun chips, and moon pies to take home with them. 

 

       

 

Lake Oconee Academy

Prior to the eclipse, Lake Oconee Academy teachers of all subject areas taught eclipse related lesson plans so students could truly appreciate and understand this celestial event. The entire student body was provided with eclipse viewing glasses to watch the moon cross the path of the sun. Students were outside during first contact and for the minutes of totality. While inside, students viewed the live streaming provided by NASA. It was a celebration of science and something students will remember in the years to come.

 

        

 

Amana Academy

Student scientists at Amana Academy built background knowledge through an expert visitor from the Milton Astronomy Club in the days leading up to the eclipse and then looked to the sky as the 0.97 magnitude solar eclipse unfolded before their eyes. Students participated in hands-on activities and set up an Experimentation Dissemination Station to record changes in light intensity, temperature, and other measurements for later study. Kindergarten and first-grade students followed the eclipse online.

 

         

 

The Globe Academy

The GLOBE Academy, a dual language immersion public charter school, participated in this week’s eclipse viewing by preparing for the event in the four languages: English, French, Mandarin, and Spanish. Students also learned about the solar system in science class and practiced wearing their eclipse classes prior to the big day.

 

 

The Main Street Academy

Approximately 600 students and 100 parents at The Main Street Academy celebrated the striking phenomenon by watching the eclipse outside with solar glasses donated by Fulton County Schools. To top off the event, students, educators and parents ate moon pie and wrote about their experiences.

  

        

 

Ivy Preparatory Academy at Kirkwood

Students  created pinhole viewers with cereal boxes. They also enjoyed the remainder of the day with a glow-in-the-dark party complete with dancing, fluorescent shirt painting, glow in the dark bracelets, necklaces and glow-in-the-dark bowling with water bottles.

 

        

 

Ivy Preparatory Academy at Gwinnett

Students performed a series of on-campus projects and assignments to increase their depth of knowledge on the current phenomenon. They also tracked the eclipse from the NASA website and viewed the eclipse outside utilizing special glasses.

 

       

 

Latin Grammar School

Prior to the eclipse on Friday, August 18, Latin Grammar School students learned about the eclipse in STEAM and science class. On the day of the eclipse, students who received permission from their parents watched the eclipse with viewing glasses provided by Fulton County. Students and educators gathered in a large open field on campus and viewed the phenomenon –with sun chips, Capri Suns, and moon Oreos for a snack.

 

 

Resurgence Hall 

Sixth-grade students at Resurgence Hall got the opportunity to participate in this once in a lifetime event. During the eclipse, scholars spent time gazing at the sky and followed by taking notes about changes in the sky, temperature, shadows and even animal behavior. 

 

 

Cherokee Charter Academy

Student at Cherokee Charter Academy students had fun viewing the solar eclipse. The school allowed students to bring in their own eclipse viewing glasses. For those that did not bring glasses, teachers helped them create box and paper plates viewers. 

 

        

 

Coastal Empire Montessori Academy & Charter School

Coastal Empire Montessori Academy & Charter School closed for the special event, so the school used Friday, August 18 to focus on the eclipse. Since eclipse viewing glasses were in short supply, the school’s elementary students made simple pinhole cameras using card stock and tinfoil.

 

       

 

         

Michelle Wirth

Michelle, GCSA's Director of Communications, is an award-winning journalist with a background in strategic communications. She has a Master’s degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Journalism and a Bachelor’s in Communications from the University of Denver.