Chemistry Activities for the Solar Eclipse

Excited about the solar eclipse next week on April 8? So are we! Take your class outside to enjoy the eclipse with these sun-focused classroom resources. Note: When completing these activities, do not look directly at the sun.

• ChemMatters Article: The Sun: Fusion at Work: Tie this reading to the eclipse by sharing how scientists use solar eclipses to study phenomena like solar wind and coronas.
• Build a Spectroscope: Students can compare the sun’s spectrum on the day of the solar eclipse and a regular day.
• Solar Cookers: Have a class discussion on whether the amount of energy provided to the Earth by the sun differs during an eclipse.