Eclipses

Materials

• Flashlight 
• A large ball
• A small ball 
• Play-Doh 
• 2 Wooden Skewers or Popsicle Sticks
• Tape

Activity Directions 

1. Watch the Crash Course Video on eclipses linked below. 
2. Test your understanding of eclipses by playing a fun Quizizz game!
3. Perform the Eclipses activity (Note: The experiment video linked below also walks you through the activity.)
   1. Start by taping the large and small balls to each skewer.
      1. The large ball represents the Earth and the small ball represents the Moon. 
   2. Prop the flashlight up against a raised platform and turn it on so that the light hits a bare wall.
      1. The flashlight represents the Sun and the light given off by the Sun. 
   3. Use the Play-Doh to form a stand and stick each skewer into the Play-Doh so that the structures stand up.
   4. Place the Earth model at least a foot away, in front of the flashlight.
   5. Then, take your model of the Moon and place it directly in between the flashlight and the Earth model.
      1. This models a solar eclipse! Try identifying why only a certain place on Earth can be in the umbra during a solar eclipse. Also try experimenting by moving the Moon to different places in its orbit around Earth and identify how the shadow cast on Earth changes as a response. 
   6. Then, move the models so that the Earth is between the Sun and the Moon. 
      1. This models a lunar eclipse! Experiment again with the positions to see how a lunar eclipse looks different from a solar eclipse!
   7. Have fun experimenting!

Quizizz Link: https://quizizz.com/join/quiz/5f19ff47729ae8001b7c4453/start?studentShare=true ​

Suggested Videos: 
​Crash Course Astronomy Video: https://youtu.be/PRgua7xceDA ​               
​Experiment Video: https://youtu.be/FbPgrEOJhdM

Published 7.24.2020

Author: Rupali Venkatesan