Everyone is getting ready for the eclipse, even kindergarteners. UVM Physics lecturer Luke Donforth took a break from teaching college students to head down to the Sustainability Academy at Lawrence Barnes in Burlington to help the littlest learners get ready for the eclipse. 

"Five-year-olds can understand the moon, the sun, and shadows," says Dr. Donforth "and this is a great chance to help them see those pieces affect the world around them." Working with a lamp and a small model of the moon, Dr. Donforth talked with 30 students about shadows, how they would move, and how a smaller thing can block a bigger thing if it's closer. Projecting shadows on the ceiling let everyone see the shadow and imagine how it would move as the moon moved. 

The other key idea to address was eclipse safety. No one should look directly at the sun without approved eye protection (ISO-12312-2 filters). Safety glasses are readily available; Sustainability Academy is giving pairs to every student, as are other schools in the area. Dr. Donforth brought in extra glasses, donated by the National Science Foundation, and a slight modification to help the smallest observers. For little kids, you can add a paper plate around the outside of the frame, and make it less likely that they accidentally look at the sun around the edge of the glasses (for details, check out this Solar Eclipse Safety Activity). It also gives students a chance to express their artistic side and decorate the plates ahead of time, personalizing them with the planets, or animals that might react to the sudden change of an eclipse. 

Kids should still be supervised by an adult, who can tell them when it is safe to take the glasses off during totality to observe the corona of the sun, and when the safety glasses need to be put back on. And it's a great chance to get out and enjoy the event together.

Students in the Burlington School District already have the day off from school, to help families be together and to mitigate travel around the road closures in Burlington. Professor Donforth noted, "I think it's great that on April 8th, kids will be hoping for NOT a snow day." We're all hoping for clear skies to safely enjoy this eclipse together. And whatever the weather, there are loads of other events happening around the eclipse.