General Education
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Overview
The General Resources category is a versatile compilation that educators of all grade levels can utilize. These resources provide a broad overview of eclipses, encompassing scientific facts, historical background, artistic interpretations, and environmental impacts. This section is ideal for educators seeking a comprehensive foundation on eclipse phenomena, which can be adapted to various educational settings. The materials here are a blend of all collaborating entities' expertise, ensuring a well-rounded and diverse educational experience.
Missouri Department of Conservation
In Missouri, the approach of a solar eclipse offers a unique lens through which to observe the state's diverse wildlife, particularly its nocturnal inhabitants and amphibians. As the eclipse casts daylight into an artificial night, observers have the chance to witness unusual behaviors among toads, frogs, and nocturnal animals, who may be tricked into thinking dusk has fallen prematurely. Resources like the "Creatures of the Night Field Guide" from Xplor Magazine and the "Feeding Backyard Birds & ID Sheet" provide valuable tools for identifying and documenting these phenomena. Meanwhile, the Missouri Department of Conservation's Teacher Portal offers educators and students a wealth of materials to enhance their eclipse-related studies, from nature curriculums to field trips, fostering a hands-on learning experience that connects them directly with the rhythms of the natural world during this extraordinary event.
Beginning in early spring, as the sun starts to set, toads and frogs begin their nightly chorus. Which species found in your part of the state will be active at the beginning of April? As the moon passes between the sun and Earth during the solar eclipse on April 8th, see if you can hear any of these amazing amphibians begin to sing.
Missouri History Museum
The Missouri History Museum's resources provide an insightful historical perspective on solar eclipses. They include a variety of materials such as blog posts detailing past eclipse observations, historic notes, and a collection of photographs from different periods. These resources illustrate how eclipses were experienced and recorded in the past, offering a unique window into the cultural and scientific understanding of these events through time.
Discusses historical observations and methods of eclipse viewing, like using smoked glass shards.
Saint Louis Art Museum
The "Eclipses in Art" guide on the Saint Louis Art Museum's website is an extensive exploration of the portrayal of eclipses in art, history, and science. It includes a diverse range of resources such as museum collections highlighting artistic depictions of eclipses, scholarly articles and books for deeper understanding, and practical advice on eclipse photography and safety. This guide is a valuable resource for general audiences, blending artistic beauty with scientific inquiry and historical context.
For a comprehensive exploration, visit the "Eclipses in Art" guide on the Saint Louis Art Museum's website: Eclipses in Art.
St. Louis Astronomical Society
Why do eclipses happen? A solar eclipse offers a unique opportunity to understand how the size, distance, and orbits of the Earth, Moon, and Sun contribute to create a total solar eclipse.
Using simple materials - just a yardstick and a couple of small balls - a 3D model can be created of the Earth, Moon, and Sun to demonstrate solar and lunar eclipses.
Tower Grove Park
During a solar eclipse, take time to look down at the ground, particularly at the shadows cast underneath trees. As light passes through the leaves of a tree, it acts closely to a pinhole camera, reducing the amount of light that can get through to the ground and creating crescent-shaped shadows. This shape you're seeing represents the sun as it's blocked by the moon and changes throughout the eclipse. Before the eclipse, you can step outside on sunny days and observe the shapes of shadows under trees, noticing their similarity to the sun's shape. During the eclipse, these shadows will appear sharper due to reduced ambient light caused by the moon blocking the sun.