On April 8, all of the continental U.S. will see a partial solar eclipse, with many people in 12 states witnessing a total solar eclipse. Ahead of the big event, LEGO Education is launching the LEGO Education Eclipse Collection, a set of hands-on activities teachers can use to get kids excited about the eclipse. 

“Drawing tangible connections to the real world, and possibly even future careers, is a powerful way to engage students,” says Dr. Jenny Nash, Head of Education Impact U.S. for LEGO Education.

These activities include designing and engineering models to simulate the eclipse and mobile observatories using LEGO bricks, graphing the amount of darkness and light in a month, explaining what happens if a light source is blocked, observing the effect of light on objects in a dark space, and more. 

“Bringing real-world connections into the classroom not only engages my students but also helps me grow as an educator,” says Daniel Buhrow, an educator who designed one of the activities and teaches at McKinney Independent School District in Texas, which will be in the path of totality. “It transforms our classrooms into a dynamic and interactive space where learning extends beyond the textbook.”

Each activity comes with classroom slides that teachers can use to guide kids through the activities, including plenty of tips and inspiration for schools to use the eclipse as a learning experience.

Visit legoeducation.com/eclipse to download the free activities and resources. Find and share inspiration using #LEGOeduEclipse on social media channels.