Eclipses Library Lesson, Scavenger Hunt, and Activities

The April 2024 eclipse is expected to be a huge event! This Eclipse Library Lesson will ensure your students understand the differences between solar and lunar eclipses and why the April 2024 event is such a big deal for North America.

Please note that this presentation is designed to complement an optional read-aloud. The actual read-aloud story comes from you! Due to copyright laws, read-aloud videos of the books are NOT included. 

This lesson has 86 total slides & pages, and it includes:

• 60-slide Lesson Presentation in Microsoft PowerPoint + Google Slides
  • All body text is editable; you choose which slides you want to use.
  • 22 slides are whole class lesson slides.
  • 29 slides are “scrolling presentation” slides that are great for extending lessons or scrolling in the library during checkout and downtimes.
  • 8 slides are review slides at the end of the lesson to keep students engaged as they line up.
• Two (2) editable, differentiated scavenger hunts (3 pages, PowerPoint and PDF)
  • Students “hunt” for images and information in the Part 2 scrolling slides part of the presentation. This gives students something to focus on during library checkout and downtime.
  • “Easier” version – Students color the objects as they find them.
  • “Harder” version – Students answer questions about the information in the slides, plus find smaller images.
  • Answer key is included.
• List of 31 recommended books to accompany this lesson (1 page, PowerPoint and PDF)
  • The list is editable and great to hand out to parents, teachers, and students looking for related books.
• Take-Home Extension Activities (2 pages, PowerPoint, Google Slides, and PDF)
  • Text is editable, and includes several ways for students to share what they learned during the lesson.
• Detailed, pre-filled Library Lesson Plan in editable PDF and PowerPoint formats (5 pages), aligned to:
  • AASL National School Library Standards for Learners,
  • National Common Core ELA Standards, and
  • Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS).
• Lesson tips and tricks for librarians on a “specials rotation” (7 pages, PDF)
• Troubleshooting help (2 pages, PDF)
• Google Classroom Basics (4 pages, PDF)
• Instructions on how to set up PowerPoint slide timings for scrolling slides (2 pages, PDF)

22 Lesson Slides:

Part 1 is a guided whole-class discussion and optional read-aloud. The slides walk you through the entire class discussion, from start to finish.

• Original eclipse haiku poem
• ASL sign language for “sun” and “moon” — includes video links and step-by-step directions for making the signs
• Sun or Moon? whole-group game – Students determine if a statement describes the sun or the moon (5 questions with answers)
• Slide for your read-aloud (paste the book cover on the slide).
• Checkout reminders slide — Add your own reminders!
• “What Should We Do Now?” slide — This is very clear instructions on what students should be doing after the lesson.

29 Scrolling Slides:

Part 2 is the scrolling slides. Set them on a timer to scroll on a screen during library checkout. Students can use the scrolling slides to complete one of the two Scavenger Hunts.

• Vocabulary Word of the Week: “path of totality”
• Idioms: “everything under the sun” and “over the moon”
• two mystery animals with photos and clues – sun bear and moon jellyfish
• fun facts about the mystery animals
• diagrams of solar and lunar eclipses
• diamond ring effect
• eclipse safety and potential for eye damage
• how to make a pinhold projector
• totality duration
• partial eclipses
• April 8, 2024 eclipse and why it’s such a big deal
• past and future eclipses
• average and record numbers of eclipses in a year
• trivia questions + answers
• 2 Would You Rather question slides

8 Wrap Up Slides:

Part 3 is the review slides. There are 6 open-ended questions that make great time-fillers to use while waiting for teachers to pick up students from library class. All the questions are editable and answered in the presentation, but students can also make up additional answers.

Take Home Extension Activities:

Students love sharing their knowledge! With the editable 2-page take-home activities, students can:

• quiz siblings, friends, and family members about some of the eclipse facts they learned in the library lesson;
• prepare their own eclipse snack packs;
• read some recommended sun or moon-themed picture books;
• review four eclipse vocabulary words from the lesson;
• learn to draw a cute sunshine using simple, step-by-step directions;
• remember how to sign “sun” in American Sign Language; and
• how to make a pinhole projector to view the eclipse.

Standards Addressed:

AASL National School Library Standards – See the AASL Standards Framework for Learners to view full text. 

• Inquire – C.1. – D.1.

Common Core English Language Arts Standards –
© Copyright 2010 National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and Council of Chief State School Officers. All rights reserved.

• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.10
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.10.

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