Kansas City-area schools prepare students for Monday’s solar eclipse
NORTH KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The solar eclipse is set to happen Monday afternoon across Missouri and Kansas while kids are in school.
Districts across the Kansas City metro are making it a learning opportunity.
Olathe and the North Kansas City School Districts have the right accessories and are ready to make Monday an educational experience for students.
“You’re going to be able to see the sun and the moon at the same time,” Ezelth Gattenby said.
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She’s a second-grade teacher at Crestview Elementary School in the North Kansas City School District.
Lots of hands fly up in her classroom, inquiring about the solar eclipse. Gattenby said all their questions will be answered Monday.
She’s planned several STEM activities, with Oreos and plate, for students to better grasp an understanding of what’s happening in the sky.
“With kiddos, not only hearing it but also being able to experience and providing those hands on stem activities for them will provide a lot more clarity and understanding,” Gattenby said
At about 2 p.m., students and staff will make their way outside with proper eye protection to view the solar eclipse.
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As it gets dark, Gattenby is excited to see her students’ faces light up.
“That is like my whole reason for being an educator,” Gattenby said. “I think that, that spark is something that every educator wants to be able to see on their students’ faces and that understanding is just so heartwarming and it’s a beautiful experience.”
A grant through the North Kansas City Education Foundation provided 25,000 eclipse glasses to schools.
“I hope we get future scientists out of this,” Olathe Public Schools Science Coordinator Julie Miller said.
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Olathe Public Schools also has their students and staff covered with safe eclipse glasses.
Miller recently sat down with first graders who are working on a play, modeling the eclipse.
“And I told them they will be 26 or 27 before the eclipse will be seen again in North America,” Miller said.
Come Monday, Miller said some students will draw their shadows outside to mark the eclipse as it moves. Others will write about their experience.
“This is a memory,” Miller said. “It gets kids interested in science, it gets them asking question.it gives them a sense of wonder and that’s what science is, is having that sense of wonder.”
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If you’re wondering, it depends on where you’re located, but according to NASA, Kansas City is looking at 89% totality.