BGCA’s resident STEM Queen Susan Ciavolino has teamed up with Director of Child & Club Safety Alan Mogridge to make sure your Club youth can stay safe while learning about this amazing natural phenomenon!
Can you imagine what went through the minds of those early humans, thousands of years ago, when their region experienced an eclipse? We know it is human nature to ponder and wonder—and did they ever! Some amazing stories and myths developed as they tried to understand what they were seeing. The word eclipse comes from the Greek word ekleipsis which means “being abandoned” because the early Greeks thought the gods were angry with them and (clearly!) had abandoned them. The early Vikings believed the sun god Sol was chased daily by the wolf Skoll. A solar eclipse occurs when Skoll catches Sol. The people were instructed to make noise to frighten off the wolf so he would return the sun. In ancient China, people used the sun and the eclipse as a way to tell the future. They appear to be the first ones to realize that eclipses happen on a cycle. Early humans had lots of ideas about what was going on!
Eclipses are in the news again since we have an eclipse all over the continental United States on April 8, 2024. Halfway through the event, anyone within a roughly 70-mile-wide path from Texas to Maine will experience a brief total eclipse, when the moon completely blocks the sun’s bright face for up to 2 minutes 40 seconds. Maybe your youth have questions about it, especially if you live in the area where the sun will be fully blocked. Or maybe you could get them interested!
If you want to create programming around the eclipse, there are a lot of resources online. This video explains the science for younger youth, while this one from Khan Academy is great for teens or tweens. Pinterest is a trove of eclipse craft ideas or packets to download at a relatively inexpensive cost. Want to dig deeper? Through BGCA’s partnership with Imagine Science, we are able to offer Clubs a set of activities created by 4-H that are designed for ages 10-14. You’ll find a couple of hours of training for you, with four sessions that introduce youth to the science of the eclipse.
Solar Eclipse Safety
One extremely important thing—as cool as it is to see an eclipse, there is some serious danger, with the potential of long-term damage to eyes. It is important that Club leaders carefully plan for and incorporate safety precautions before engaging in any eclipse-viewing activities at the Club.
First, treat any eclipse-related activities like a field trip and secure parent/guardian permission for members to participate. Be sure that parents/guardians know the safety measures the Club will implement to keep members safe.
Second, learn about eye safety! Looking directly at the sun is unsafe except during the brief total phase of a solar eclipse (“totality”), when the moon entirely blocks the sun’s bright face. The only safe way to look directly at the uneclipsed or partially eclipsed sun is through special-purpose solar filters, such as “eclipse glasses” or hand-held solar viewers. Homemade filters or ordinary sunglasses, even very dark ones, are not safe for looking at the sun. Safe solar viewers must comply with a worldwide standard called ISO 12312-2, and it is important that any solar filters or eclipse glasses are used properly. For more information about eclipse eye safety, see NASA’s guidance here. You can find certified glasses with our partners at STEMfinity here.
Tips for safely viewing the solar eclipse include:
- Always supervise children using solar filters or eclipse glasses. Provide clear instructions on how to safely use the solar viewers or eclipse glasses correctly.
- Carefully inspect solar filters or eclipse glasses before using them, and if you see any scratches or damage, do not use them!
- Stand still and cover your eyes with your eclipse glasses or solar viewer before looking up at the bright sun. After glancing at the sun, turn away and remove your filter — do not remove it while looking at the sun.
- Do not look at the uneclipsed or partially eclipsed sun through an unfiltered camera, telescope, binoculars, or other optical device including taking selfies with a smartphone.
- Similarly, do not look at the sun through a camera, a telescope, binoculars, or any other optical device while using your eclipse glasses or hand-held solar viewer — the concentrated solar rays will damage the filter and enter your eye(s), causing serious injury.
- Even during a partial eclipse, or during the partial phases of a total eclipse, the Sun will be very bright. If you are watching an entire eclipse, you may be in direct sunlight for hours. Remember to wear sunscreen, a hat, and protective clothing to prevent skin damage.
In addition to planning for eye safety, some Clubs – especially those located in the path of the eclipse – may have to plan for increased traffic in their communities as visitors look for ideal viewing spots. Clubs should carefully schedule any transportation to avoid driving during the eclipse. Consider changing pick-up/drop-off times to prevent the risk of getting stuck in traffic. As always, Club leaders can consult their Board-Led Safety Committees and local public health officials to discuss best practices for safely viewing the eclipse in their communities. Find additional safety information at NASA.gov.
A solar eclipse is one of nature’s grandest spectacles. By carefully planning ahead and following expert guidance, you can safely enjoy the experience.
How are you celebrating the solar eclipse? What other STEM activities are your members’ favorites? Comment below, on the BGCA Youth Development Facebook page, or email ClubXBlog@bgca.org.
Leave a Reply