WACO, Texas — Baylor University's Research and Innovation Collaborative will be hosting a workshop for local educators to learn more about math, physics and biological changes that occur during a total solar eclipse.
Dr. Barbara Castanheira-Endl, an assistant professor of physics at Baylor, said the main goal of the workshops is to teach educators how to incorporate this year's unique eclipse into their classrooms.
"When you make science experiments you can always set the distance of the objects or set the conditions," Castanheira-Endl said. "But in a study, you cannot do that. We basically observe, the universe will do what it does."
A total solar eclipse has not happened in the Waco area "in our lifetime", Castanheira-Endl said. That is until this year, with a total solar eclipse set to pass over most of Central Texas around 1:36 p.m. on April 8.
With the workshop, Castanheira-Endl wants teachers of all grades to have activities, experiments and knowledge of the event to pass along to their students.
"We can also learn about biology and those changes that occur during the event throughout the day," Castanheira-Endl said. "We have nocturnal animals, we have day animals and when it gets dark we will have the cicadas that will start buzzing, birds will start flying and dogs will bark."
Castanheira-Endl said eclipses are relatively common on different parts of the planet, and new science can be taught through what's being observed.
"We want to teach our teachers so that they can teach our kids that the orbit of the moon around our planet is not a circle," Castanheira-Endl said. "It's not an elliptical shape, and those are details that we can bring back to the classroom."
The eclipse won't be the only focus of the class, Castanheira-Endl said it will be a mix of science and information on the solar system, including what influences seasons, the impacts of radiation and more.
Castanheira-Endl said participating teachers will be provided a booklet of activities and experiments using objects like styrofoam balls, protractors, rulers and more adapted for students from kindergarten through high school.
The workshop will be held Saturday, Jan. 13 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. It will be run by professors from the Baylor University physics department and will have a registration fee of $25. Spots are limited to 50, but Castanheira-Endl said that if there are more than 50 people who sign up, they'll host another workshop if necessary.
"It's a great opportunity and I truly believe that we can educate our children," Castanheira-Endl said.
To register for the workshop, visit this link.
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