FORT THOMAS, Ky. — While many school districts across the Tri-State have made the decision to close on April 8 because of the solar eclipse, one Northern Kentucky district decided to stay open and use the event as a learning opportunity for students.
Alyssa Brown teaches science, history and language arts at Johnson Elementary in the Fort Thomas school district. She's been teaching her students about eclipses for weeks in preparation for the April 8 solar eclipse.
From reading articles and watching videos about eclipses, to a project that entails creating their own models of an eclipse with a globe, moon replica on a stick and a flashlight, her students are becoming experts.
“To be able to teach them about it, have them kind of create it on their own and then see the real thing. This is never going to happen again," Brown said.
She calls these fifth graders young scientists and it's clear they're excited about the eclipse, too.
“It’s going to be the middle of the day and you’re going to see planets and like it’s going to be dark and stuff," said Lillian Dykes, a student in Brown's class.
Since these students, or young scientists, will be at school on April 8, Brown said they'll finish up their lessons about the eclipse on the day of the event and prepare to watch the phenomenon together.
“It almost makes me emotional to think about," Brown said. “Being a science teacher and having this moment with these amazing kids at the end of a school year and these kids are going to move on to middle school. It’s just really awesome.”
With the school year ending in May for Fort Thomas Independent Schools, one of the final ,big memories this group will have together will be witnessing history.
