Eclipse 2028 practical guide

Eclipse 2028 Classroom Pack

The eclipse connects geometry, geography, time, evidence and observation without requiring students to look directly at the Sun.

By Mark Mayo, who has stood in the Moon's shadow at three total solar eclipses. Published . Updated .

Quick answer

Teach scale and shadow first, map the umbra second, practise indirect projection third, then have students create a coordinate-specific plan with sources and uncertainty.

Lesson one: model the shadow

Use a lamp, small ball and screen to distinguish umbra and penumbra. Ask how distance changes shadow size, then identify why the model is not to scale. The goal is the relationship between alignment and shadow, not a perfect miniature solar system.

Lesson two: read the path as data

Plot selected NASA centre-line and limit coordinates. Convert UTC samples to relevant local civil time and discuss why timezone labels need dates. Compare a city centre with another coordinate and explain why a path band is not a list of approved sites.

Lesson three: project safely

Construct a pinhole projector or use a perforated card to cast multiple solar images onto a shaded surface. Look at the projection, never through the hole. Teachers should review current official guidance and prohibit unsupervised optical improvisation.

Lesson four: evaluate claims

Give students a forecast icon, monthly climate average, eclipse map and sourced contact table. Ask what each can support. This separates weather from climate, geometry from land access, and calculated time from observation.

Assessment task

Students create a one-page plan for a stated coordinate: event type, contact sequence, safe observation method, one uncertainty and two sources. They must label assumptions. The task can be completed without travel and should never require direct solar viewing.

Extension work can compare two coordinates, audit an online claim, or design a data table for temperature or light. Mark transparent method and evidence more highly than confident prediction.

Continue planning

Check the exact coordinates, compare weather evidence, and review eye safety before finalising the plan.