Lesson Plan:What and When is Solar Eclipse Maximum?
Created in collaboration with Tracey Kline, Lynn Public Schools, Lynn, MA
Grade Level: Middle School, NGSS: MS-ESS1-1 Earth’s Place in the Universe.
NGSS STANDARD
MS-ESS1-1: Develop and use a model of the Earth-Sun-Moon system to describe the cyclic patterns of lunar phases, eclipses of the sun and moon, and seasons. (Clarification Statement: Examples of models can be physical, graphical, or conceptual.)
LEARNING/ CONTENT/ LANGUAGE OBJECTIVE:
Students will be able to research the percentage of the eclipse in 3 locations and draw the eclipses from those locations.
LANGUAGE DEMAND:
Essential / Academic Vocabulary: annular eclipse, annularity, corona, maximum phase, total solar eclipse, totality
LESSON STRUCTURE
Lesson Beginning / Frame the Learning
(Clear entry routine, Do-Now, Activator, etc.; Frame the lesson by sharing and explaining lesson objective, agenda, and goals)
Differentiation
What supports and scaffolds am I providing based on the WIDA can-do descriptors?
Do Now: Students Look at the 2 pictures and write down 3-5 sentences and/or questions about the pictures.
- Images are in the Lesson Slides that are provided in Lesson Resources below.
Review the objectives with the students.
Do Now Word Bank & Sentence Starters
- Provide word bank and sentence starters for students who need it.
In picture 1 I notice ….
In picture 2 I notice …
I wonder …
Resource: WIDA can-do descriptors
Lesson Middle
(I do- teacher directed; We do- practice with the teacher; You do- partner/small group application with teacher support)
* Revisit language objective and agenda; formative assessment- check for understanding (intervention and extension opportunities available)
Differentiation
What supports and scaffolds am I providing based on the WIDA can-do descriptors?
I Do: Teacher shows a video to students that explains eclipse maximum. Before playing the video tell students to think about: What does annularity look like? What does totality look like? How are annularity and totality different?
- Video provided in Lesson Resources below.
I Do: Read text with the whole class. Before starting to read, tell students to think about: What does annularity look like? What does totality look like? How are annularity and totality different? Teacher should stop and explain as needed.
- Text provided in Lesson Resources below.
We Do: Discuss the questions that the students have been thinking about: What does annularity look like? What does totality look like? How are annularity and totality different?
I Do: Explain eclipse time research activity directions and provide students with the graphic organizer to complete the research activity. Student Directions: In partners, research what percentage of the eclipse you can experience in three different locations. Your second location must be the location you will be during the eclipse. Your last location can be chosen from anywhere in the United States, Central America, or South America
- Graphic Organizer provided in Lesson Resources below, one for 2023 annular and one for 2024 Total.
We Do: Using the graphic organizer, the teacher and students will complete together the school’s location as an example. The teacher focuses on having students tell the teacher what to write.
- Annular Solar Eclipse: https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/solar/2023-october-14
- Total Solar Eclipse: https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/map/2024-april-8
You Do (Pairs): In partners, with the graphic organizer, have students research the percentage of the eclipse for two more locations of their choosing in the United States, Central America, or South America. One of the locations must be the location they will be located at for the eclipse if it is not the same as the school.
- Annular Solar Eclipse: https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/solar/2023-october-14
- Total Solar Eclipse: https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/map/2024-april-8
- Graphic Organizer is provided in Lesson Resources below.
Graphic Organizer Modifications:
- Pre-fill in some of the information in the Graphic Organizer for students ahead of time.
- Decrease the number of locations being researched with the student’s eclipse location as the highest priority.
Pairing strategy: Partner earlier proficient ELs with later proficient ELs or native English speakers.
Resource: WIDA can-do descriptors
Lesson End
(You do- independent application; Summarize learning; Clear exit routine)
* Formative assessment-exit ticket, check for understanding, etc.
We Do: Come back together as a class and share what students found about the location they will be observing the eclipse and information they found about their other locations.
FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT
How am I measuring success? (Connection to your Content/ Language objective)
Teacher can measure student success by collecting the students’ research information. The most important part to pay attention to is the information they found regarding the location they will be at for the eclipse.
LESSON RESOURCES
- What is Solar Eclipse Maximum? LESSON PLAN (Google Doc): When you open this link you will be prompted to make a copy of the Google document. This will allow you to download, print, and/or edit the lesson plan to best meet your needs.
- What is Solar Eclipse Maximum? LESSON SLIDES (Google Slides): When you open this link you will be prompted to make a copy of the Google slides. This will allow you to edit either of these slide options to best meet the needs of your classroom.
- Do Now HANDOUT: (Google Doc): When you open this link you will be prompted to make a copy of the Google document. This will allow you to download, print, and/edit the Google document to best meet the needs of your classroom.
- Text/Reading “What is Solar Eclipse Maximum?” HANDOUT (Google Doc): When you open this link you will be prompted to make a copy of the Google document. This will allow you to download, print, and/edit the Google document to best meet the needs of your classroom.
- Solar Eclipse Maximum Graphic Organizer 2023 ANNULAR HANDOUT (Google Doc): When you open this link you will be prompted to make a copy of the Google document. This will allow you to download, print, and/edit the Google document to best meet the needs of your classroom.
- Solar Eclipse Maximum Graphic Organizer 2024 TOTAL HANDOUT (Google Doc): When you open this link you will be prompted to make a copy of the Google document. This will allow you to download, print, and/edit the Google document to best meet the needs of your classroom.
- Video Clip | Eclipse Soundscapes (YouTube): – Video clip is also embedded in Lesson slides.
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