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Eleanor Skillen Elementary students get ready for total solar eclipse

Students at Eleanor Skillen Elementary School 34 spent Friday playing eclipse games and activities.

INDIANAPOLIS — Many central Indiana schools will be closed on Monday for the total solar eclipse, so some schools spent Friday celebrating this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Students at Eleanor Skillen Elementary School spent the day playing eclipse games and activities. Those include making bracelets with UV color-changing bracelets, making shadow puppets and opening Oreos to see if they got a total or partial eclipse with the center.

STEM teacher Pam Berg told 13News they've spent weeks learning about the eclipse. They learned about the science behind it as well as the safety concerns with the eclipse.

While Friday's events were a fun way to end the week, Berg said she's most excited about hearing the stories the students will come back with on Tuesday.

Credit: Anna Chalker/WTHR
Students at IPS School 34 experiment with shadows ahead of the total solar eclipse, Friday, April 5, 2024 in Indianapolis.

"I don't think the kids are going to forget the solar eclipse Monday," she said. 

She hopes her students take in what they learn and have more of an open mind about science.

"All of these activities we've designed to open up their thinking a little bit," she said.

Eclipse viewing tips

To watch the eclipse safely, the Marion County Public Health Department is offering these important tips:

  • Do:
    • Use eclipse glasses that meet the ISO 12312-2 standards
    • Take breaks and give your eyes a rest
    • Look at shadows on the ground to see the crescent sun shadows
  • Don't:
    • Look at the sun directly 
    • Look at the eclipse through regular sunglasses
    • Use welder's glass
    • Watch through a telescope without the proper filter
    • Watch through binoculars

For more information on the April 8 total solar eclipse, click here.

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