Local Queensbury Third Graders to Experience Total Solar Eclipse on Educational Field Trip

Two third-grade classes from Queensbury Elementary School are planning a field trip to observe the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024. Teachers Kathy Edwards and Samantha Horowitz will guide the students to SUNY Plattsburgh, a location in the eclipse's direct path. Queensbury will only see a partial solar eclipse, but the students will view the full event at Plattsburgh.

The trip, paid for by parents, includes a charter bus, room rentals, a college buffet lunch, and matching T-shirts designed by the school's art teacher, Jen Spath. Edwards shared her enthusiasm for the trip, stating that 12 parents will join the students on the bus, with 13 more cars following.

The trip's main goal is to offer a practical learning experience about solar eclipses. Edwards plans to educate her students about the causes of eclipses, the difference between solar and lunar eclipses, the Earth, moon, and sun's interaction, and animals' unique behaviors during an eclipse. She also aims to give the students a taste of college life.

The New York State Education Department backs the initiative, stating it offers a unique learning opportunity for students about this astronomical event. It also provides a perfect moment for teachers to explore the cosmos' wonders.

Edwards hopes the students will appreciate the natural world's beauty through this trip. She highlighted that a total solar eclipse is a significant natural event. The next total solar eclipse visible in New York will not happen until 2079, making this a unique opportunity for the students.

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