How to help some primary school kids appreciate the eclipse?

[LittleSkink]

Given the eclipse is just before the school day starts I was staggered to hear that no one at my kids school has even mentioned the eclipse

So how could I safely do something in the playground to help them watch a projected image ? - my first thought is a pinhole camera casting onto a flip chart / mobile white board in one of the big (shady) playground shelters

I only have a little reflector so any kit would need to be scrounged / made or bodged. Plan to talk to the school tomorrow though I doubt they have much kit either

[Gazabone]

There is a way of using a relatively small mirror to reflect the image onto a wall indoors. Basically, someone will have to stand out side guiding a mirror (perhaps there's a way to mount it on a tripod, or better still an eq mount!). It has the advantage that if the youngsters are indoors, there will be less inclination for them to look at the sun directly with the inevtable consequences.

Don't forget though that the "event" lasts a little over 2 hours and won't finish until about 10:30 depending where you're viewing it from.

Good luck with whichever way you decide to do it, it's great to see someone taking the initiative to encourage young people to get interested in the wider universe, or at least our solar system.

[bingevader]

Pin hole cameras are easy to make with a shoe box or slightly larger, but do result in a small, but bright and crisp image.

Making the distance between the pinhole and projection screen larger will result in a larger image, but over do it and you'll end up with a large fuzzy blob.

[Owmuchonomy]

Raid the school kitchen for colanders and cheese graters as your make do pinhole device. Work a treat apparently.

[LukeSkywatcher]

Raid the school kitchen for colanders and cheese graters as your make do pinhole device. Work a treat apparently.

That will amaze the kids. I saw the same effect during the last eclipse (the one that didnt happen really for us) when leaves on trees and bushes made similar shadows on the ground. It was quite surreal. Pinhole projection (scope and white card) for many kids at once is the way to go also.

[LukeSkywatcher]

This is the kind of image they will see using colanders or cheese graters etc. 

Dont forget that it WILL get darker and the birds will go back to sleep.  

Where i am the eclipse is said to be about 94%.. Up in Yorkshire it may be similar or a bit better.

Check it out here:

http://staging.timeanddate.com/eclipse/in/ireland/dublin?iso=20150320

[JamesF]

I've been pondering on this for the last week or so myself.  My daughter would like to see the eclipse and has spoken to the head at her junior school who is up for doing something, but they probably need a few ideas about what can be done.

Pinhole cameras seem possible, but the image is a bit underwhelming just projecting onto a piece of paper using card with a pinhole in.  A pinhole camera in a box might give a better image, but it's probably not that practical to do with several classes of children.

I've also considered trying a pinhole camera on the front of something like a QHY5, as that could then perhaps be projected onto a screen from a laptop.  The more technology the more prone to error though.

Other than that I'm a bit short of ideas.

James

[Geordie mc]

Tricky one this. I'm a primary school teacher and would love to have the children see the eclipse, but worry about safety. I'll probably end up having them watch it live on TV to be honest.

[Alien 13]

For me the biggest part of a solar eclipse is experiencing the strange eiree lighting effects, watching the birds heading for cover, the wierd shadows cast through the trees and the sudden drop in temperature actually seeing any details of the actual eclipse are somewhat secondary,

I do recal an episode of the simpsons where they constructed pin hole cameras with an additional mirror to project the image on the top a bit like a RA finder.

Alan