Resources for educators
Resources for educators
Classroom Activities
The classroom activities listed here were developed by a working group of the Astronomical Association of Queensland (AAQ) and the Science Teachers Association of Queensland (STAQ) to assist teachers in preparation for the solar eclipse of 14 November 2012, which was a total solar eclipse in north Queensland. The activities are included as they were produced in 2012. They will be updated in the near future as time and resources allow.
Activities generally include an outline lesson plan and worksheets that can be used in the classroom to demonstrate principles, encourage investigation and/or enhance understanding. Activities are referenced to the Australian National Curriculum for Science.
It is recommended that whenever discussing a solar eclipse in a lesson or activity that students should be reminded to never look directly at the bright surface of the Sun without suitable eye protection as permanent eye damage may result. This applies at any time and especially during the partial phases of a solar eclipse.
It is strongly recommended that for any activity involving the Sun teachers conduct a risk assessment before undertaking such an activity. This should include review of the safe viewing advice at Eye Safety.
| Activity # | Description | Year Level | Download links |
|---|---|---|---|
| AT01 | Simulate an eclipse using differently sized balls at different distances. Extensions include why there is not an eclipse every month and lunar eclipses. | 1 to 7 | DOCX PDF |
| AT02 | Make a model of the Sun, Earth and Moon to demonstrate solar and lunar eclipses. | 4 to 12 | DOCX PDF |
| AT03 | Use the mathematics of similar triangles to investigate the relative apparent sizes of the Sun and the Moon and investigate eclipses. | 7 to 12 | DOCX PDF |
| AT04 | A tutorial on astronomical simulation software to investigate celestial objects and astronomical phenomena. | 3 to 12 | DOCX PDF |
| AT05 | Use simulation software to investigate partial and total lunar eclipses. | 5 to 12 | DOCX PDF |
| AT06 | Learn eclipse terminology using crossword puzzles. | 3 to 12 | DOCX PDF |
| AT07 | Use planetarium software to show the eclipse in simulated time, noting the effects and eclipse contacts. Use locations inside and outside the shadow path to see the difference. See what stars and planets may be visible during totality. | 3 to 12 | DOCX PDF |
| AT08 | Use websites to find the eclipse circumstances for any location – for the total eclipse from the path of totality or a partial eclipse from any other location. | 5 to 12 | |
| AT10 | Construct a pinhole solar projection device. | 3 to 12 | DOCX PDF |
| AT11 | Indirectly view the Sun using a telescope or binoculars. | 3 to 12 | |
| AT12 | Observe the partial solar eclipse (from any location in Queensland) and compare the observations with predictions. | 4 to 8 | DOCX PDF |
| AT16 | Observe and record sunspots. Use sunspots to determine the rotation period of the Sun. Extend this to calculate rotation periods at varying latitudes. | 3 to 7 | Coming soon |
| AT17 | Construct a sundial. | F to 7 | Coming soon |
| AT18 | Investigate Spectroscopy. Using the CLEA website to investigate the spectrum and infer the classification of different types of stars. | 10 to 12 | DOCX PDF |
| AT19 | Investigate phases of the Moon. | F to 7 | DOCX PDF |
| AT21 | Research the path of the 2013 Annular eclipse and simulate the eclipse using planetarium software for a location in the path of annularity or any other location. | 5 to 12 | DOCX PDF |
PowerPoint presentations
The PowerPoint presentations listed here were developed by a working group of the Astronomical Association of Queensland (AAQ) and the Science Teachers Association of Queensland (STAQ) to assist teachers in preparation for the solar eclipse of 14 November 2012, which was a total solar eclipse in north Queensland. The presentations are included as they were produced in 2012. They will be updated in the near future as time and resources allow.
The presentations have been developed for use in the classroom. Presentations have been prepared to match with most of the subjects on the Magic of Eclipses webpages.
The presentations as prepared will be suitable for a range of year levels but will likely need appropriate modifications, for example to suit lower year levels. The presentations are not locked or password protected and so they are editable, to modify, add or delete slides as appropriate for your class. Only a minimum of animation has been used in the slides to avoid any problems with use on varying platforms. Feel free to add animation to your presentation.
If presentations are modified or improved and the modified version may be useful to others (e.g., for lower year levels), please advise us using Contact Us so that you can submit your version and it can be put on the website and made available to others. Please be careful to respect copyright of any material incorporated.
Note that all presentations include a safety warning at the beginning of the presentation so that this message can be reinforced to the students.
| Presentation # | Description | File size | Download links |
|---|---|---|---|
| PP02 | How Eclipses Occur Presentation based on information in How does a solar eclipse occur, Frequency of eclipses and Other types of solar eclipses. Includes explanation of how eclipses occur, annular and hybrid eclipses, frequency of eclipses and Saros series. Note that information on lunar eclipses appears in presentation PP07. | 1.3 Mb | PPTX |
| PP03 | What happens during a solar eclipse Presentation based on information in What happens during a solar eclipse. Includes the difference between partial and total eclipses, eclipse contacts, partial eclipse effects, description and images of total eclipse phenomena, and eclipse images with description. | 2.3Mb | PPTX |
| PP06 | The Sun Presentation on the information in The Sun. Includes diagram and description of the structure of the Sun, sunspots and sunspot numbers, Sun facts and statistics. | 690 Kb | PPTX |
| PP07 | The Moon and lunar eclipses Presentation on the information in The Moon. Includes features on the Moon, Moon phases explanation, Moon facts and statistics and explanation of lunar eclipses. | 1.1 Mb | PPTX |
Links to education websites
- A 4-page pdf very good comprehensive guide to activities for educators, introducing key ideas about eclipses, the Moon, and the Sun. The list has been prepared by Andrew Fraknoi a science communicator and retired educator in the USA. Download from https://www.fraknoi.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/ECLIPSE-ACTIVITIES-for-Educators.pdf
- American Astronomical Society eclipse education resources: https://eclipse.aas.org/resources/educational-materials.
- NASA eclipse activities: https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/eclipses/resources/activities.