Eclipse

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Stressed?Moi?
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Joined: Mon Aug 01, 2011 11:28 am

Eclipse

Post by Stressed?Moi? »

I've been really surprised at the different attitudes of schools towards looking at the eclipse. Just wondering what everyone else's schools are doing and are you happy with their decision.

My dd's senior school and my ds' primary school aren't doing anything - not even TV. Ds' school he will start at in September have insisted on glasses and will take the boys to an appropriate place to watch.

I can see both sides as some kids will ditch the colander at the last minute and look and lots who won't see it wouldn't.

Tough call.

Off to watch it through a colander now!!
Tinkers
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Joined: Mon May 16, 2011 2:05 pm
Location: Reading

Re: Eclipse

Post by Tinkers »

DDs school said they were getting out telescopes and screens, however we have thick cloud so nothing to see here.
scary mum
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Joined: Mon Mar 15, 2010 3:45 pm

Re: Eclipse

Post by scary mum »

Mine haven't mentioned it. Thick cloud here too :( Just like last time.
scary mum
ahap
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Joined: Tue Aug 16, 2011 2:47 pm
Location: Ēastseaxe

Re: Eclipse

Post by ahap »

Quite cloudy over here. At home today, so watching it on TV.
'What we have learned is like a handful of earth; What we have yet to learn is like the whole world.' Auvaiyaar.
kenyancowgirl
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Joined: Mon Oct 21, 2013 8:59 pm

Re: Eclipse

Post by kenyancowgirl »

DS's school are embracing it - one son has a Physics lesson on now so it is perfect timing, the other is going out with his year to see what they can see. It has gone very dark and foreboding and smoggy so not a lot different to an average March day really!!
Amber
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Joined: Thu Sep 24, 2009 11:59 am

Re: Eclipse

Post by Amber »

My sons' school* encouraged them to buy eclipse glasses so they could go out and watch it. I am so glad they did as we bought some too and I have just had a magical hour watching the sun become obscured almost totally by the dark disk of the moon. I loved the temperature drop, the quietening of the birds and my chickens wondering if it was bedtime. Those glasses are the best few pounds I have spent this year! Pinhole cameras and colanders (I hope you didn't really watch through it - you are supposed to try and project the image. I tried explaining this in some alarm to my mother yesterday!) would have been next to useless in the haze.

Such a shame if children aren't encouraged to take an active interest in natural phenomena I feel - it is a sadly neglected aspect of education today and in my view it is always useful and awe-inspiring to be reminded of the power and beauty of nature.

Cloudy now though so can't watch it coming back.

* I think that is the one you refer to SM?
Yamin151
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Joined: Fri Aug 30, 2013 8:30 am

Re: Eclipse

Post by Yamin151 »

Both boys schools made a big thing of it, so hope they enjoyed it. As for us, we stood in our lane and watched it directly, it was so cloudy could look at it with no harm apart from couple moments when cloud cleared. Was a perfect, moving, crescent. As amber mentioned, the effect on the light, the temp and the birdsong was really interesting.
JamesDean
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Joined: Wed Jul 31, 2013 5:03 pm

Re: Eclipse

Post by JamesDean »

As KCG and Yamin say, my DS will have been out on the playground.

DD's (primary) school has had a whole science week, with the eclipse being part of it. They will all have been out on the playground too. They also have a science fair this afternoon to showcase the projects they've been doing all week. Cow and pig blood duly collected from the butcher's yesterday :D

However, my colleague's son's primary school (just up the road) have said if the parents want to let them see the eclipse, then do it at home and send them in late! :shock:

It's murky here, but I managed to set up my colander cam in the back garden and a very basic pin-hole and got some good images for the tech involved :lol:

JD
Stressed?Moi?
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Joined: Mon Aug 01, 2011 11:28 am

Re: Eclipse

Post by Stressed?Moi? »

* I think that is the one you refer to SM?[/quote]

Yes, I believe it is Amber. Others here may be doing it also, but I don't know any other parents to comment - would be such a shame if they don't.

It became gloomy here, the temperature dropped significantly and the birds briefly shut up but apart from that it was a bit of a non-event in my part of town. Having said that, it is now very bright so perhaps I'm being a bit harsh. Stupidly I looked up to the sky to search them out so that I could look a bit to the left/right and ended up looking pretty much straight at the edge of it. My eye is smarting a bit now so I reckon I've done some damage. Curses. After all the lecturing I've been giving everyone I've talked to about eye safety and colanders, I go and do that. Think I'll keep it to myself - our little secret everyone :lol:
ahap
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Joined: Tue Aug 16, 2011 2:47 pm
Location: Ēastseaxe

Re: Eclipse

Post by ahap »

Hope the children got a chance to see it in school. It was nice and bright where Prof. Brian Cox was though.
'What we have learned is like a handful of earth; What we have yet to learn is like the whole world.' Auvaiyaar.
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