Observing and learning

Like so many others around the U.S., Ekalaka Elementary students and their teachers took some time on Monday to view the solar eclipse. Locally, the eclipse started at about 10:26 a.m. and ended at about 1:09 p.m. The maximum eclipse was at 11:46 a.m., when the moon blocked around ninety percent of the sun. To see the total eclipse, Ekalaka residents would have had to travel about 230 miles as the crow flies, or drive 300 or more miles to a town like Casper, WY.

All the elementary classrooms did activities about the eclipse that ranged from Eclipse Math, Reading, and Science, to viewing videos of previous eclipses, and even completing art projects. High schoolers did learning activities as well.

The next total solar eclipse visible in the U.S. will occur on April 8, 2024. That eclipse will travel a much different path, though, with cities such as Dallas and Cleveland being in the path of totality. A partial eclipse will be visible across North and Central America.