Manchester Township School District provided solar eclipse-safe glasses to all elementary school students so they could view the event firsthand. Teachers took the children outside to observe the partial eclipse, with the sun being 90 percent covered by the moon at the peak of totality in Ocean County.
During the eclipse, students drew the phases they saw, documented their observations, and engaged in discussions with their peers about what they were witnessing. This interactive experience was a way for students to apply what they had learned in class about the solar eclipse in a real-life context. At Regional Day School, students not only received glasses but also created special art from paper plates to accompany their viewing experience.
As the students and staff observed the eclipse safely with their protective glasses, they had conversations with one another and with family members during dismissal about what they had learned. This day provided a unique opportunity for hands-on learning and allowed students to witness a significant astronomical event that they may not experience again for another 20 years.
