Tulsa-area students view eclipse as educational experience

“It’s pretty cool, though,” Hoffman said.

Hoffman and Gee and all the other students at Bixby North Intermediate School poured out of the building Monday afternoon to watch the eclipse as it passed over northeastern Oklahoma.

The school had managed to receive enough donations within two hours to provide enough safety glasses to allow every student to observe the event.

“They have been so excited all day,” fourth grade math and science teacher Chloe Bundy said. “‘When are we going out?’ When do we get to go see it?’”

In advance of Monday’s event, Bundy’s class discussed the different shadows made by an eclipse, the phases of the moon and the necessary safety precautions to observe an eclipse, and the students took note of the environment around the school before and during the eclipse. They also completed astronomy-themed crossword puzzles, word searches and stories to help pique their interest.

“It’s getting colder out,” one of Bundy’s students shouted as the moon moved to block more of the sun.

For one of the students, the anticipation building up to the eclipse was the best part.

“It’s pretty cool getting to be out here with the whole school,” fourth grader Liam Sharpe said.

Although Jenks and Broken Arrow were not in session Monday, other schools around the area, including multiple sites at Union and Tulsa, also incorporated the eclipse into their instructional day.

Along with having students go outside to observe the event near the end of the school day, Tulsa’s Mayo Demonstration Academy launched stomp rockets as part of a school-wide space day in advance of the eclipse.

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